SpecPrivacy Policy
The short version: Spec collects nothing, and your scripts never leave your Mac unless you put them somewhere yourself.
Last updated: October 30, 2026
Spec is a screenwriting app for Mac, made by Dave Popkins. This policy explains what the app does with your information, and it applies to this website too.
What we collect
Nothing. Spec has no accounts, no sign-in, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking and no crash reporting of its own. We don't sell, share or receive any information about you or how you use the app.
Your scripts
Your scripts are saved only where you choose to save them: on your Mac, or in a cloud folder of your own such as iCloud Drive or Dropbox. We don't have a copy, never see them, and have no way to get to them. The app can only open files you choose yourself, through the Open and Save windows, Finder or the Dock.
What the app keeps on your Mac
To work properly, Spec keeps a few things on your Mac. None of it is ever sent anywhere.
- Unsaved work, for crash recovery. While a script has unsaved changes, Spec keeps a recovery copy of it (with its title and where the file lives) so nothing is lost if your Mac or the app quits unexpectedly. The copy is deleted as soon as you save or close the script.
- Settings. Your theme, window size and position, page view, spell-check setting, and whether you've seen the tips.
- Open Recent. A list of your last ten scripts, so you can reopen them from the File menu. You can clear it with File ▸ Open Recent ▸ Clear Menu.
- Your free script and your purchase. Which script is your free one, and a note that you've bought the unlock, so a paid copy stays unlocked even when you're offline.
- When to ask for a rating. The dates of your last few saves, so the app knows when to show Apple's "rate this app" prompt (at most once every four months).
All of this stays inside Spec's own storage on your Mac, and it's removed if you delete the app and its data.
The internet
Spec works offline and makes no internet connections of its own. The only times it connects are through Apple:
- Buying and restoring. The free version edits one script, and a one-time purchase unlocks the rest. Apple's App Store handles the purchase and restoring it, and the app asks the App Store for the price to show you. We never see your payment details or your Apple Account.
- Ratings. If you choose to rate or review Spec from Apple's prompt, that goes to Apple.
- Look Up. Look Up uses the dictionary and thesaurus built into macOS. If your Mac is set to include online sources (such as Wikipedia), Apple provides those, not the app.
Apple's handling of this information is covered by Apple's privacy policy.
Contacting support
If you email us, including through Help ▸ Contact Support in the app, we receive only what you send. The app starts the email with its version number, your macOS version and the word "Mac" so we can help; you can delete them before sending. We use your email only to answer you, and we don't add you to any mailing list.
This website
writeonspec.app uses no cookies, analytics, trackers or advertising, and loads nothing from other companies. Like any website host, our host (Netlify) may briefly keep standard server logs, such as IP addresses, to run and protect the service.
Children
Spec doesn't collect personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted on this page with a new date.
Contact
Questions about privacy: support@writeonspec.app