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Privacy and Usage Metrics

Anonymous Usage Data

To improve instant-python and provide a better experience to all users, we collect anonymous usage metrics. No personal or sensitive information is collected.

This page explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how to disable it if you prefer.

Why We Collect Metrics

We collect anonymous usage data to:

  • 📊 Understand which features are most used - This helps us prioritize improvements and new features
  • 🐛 Identify common errors - We can proactively fix bugs that users encounter
  • 🚀 Improve user experience - By understanding how people use the tool, we can make it better
  • 📈 Make data-driven decisions - We can focus our efforts on what matters most to the community

Your privacy is important to us. We only collect the minimum data necessary to achieve these goals, and we never collect personal information like file paths, project names, or any code content.

What Data We Collect

On Successful Command Execution

When you successfully run an ipy command, we collect:

Data Field Description Example
ipy_version The version of instant-python you're using 0.20.0
operating_system Your operating system Linux, Darwin, Windows
command The command you executed config, init
python_version The Python version you configured 3.12
dependency_manager The package manager you selected pdm, uv
template The project template you chose domain_driven_design, clean_architecture
built_in_features List of features you enabled ["makefile", "value_objects"]

On Command Errors

When a command fails with an error, we collect:

Data Field Description Example
ipy_version The version of instant-python you're using 1.2.3
operating_system Your operating system Linux, Darwin, Windows
command The command that failed config, init
error_type The type of error that occurred FileNotFoundError, ValueError
error_message The error message Configuration file not found

What We DON'T Collect

We want to be transparent about what we do not collect:

  • ❌ No personal information - We don't collect your name, email, IP address, or any identifiable information
  • ❌ No file paths - We never collect the paths where you create projects
  • ❌ No project names - Your project names remain completely private
  • ❌ No code content - We never collect any of your code or file contents
  • ❌ No environment variables - Except for the opt-out flag, we don't read your environment

How to Disable Metrics Collection

If you prefer not to send usage metrics, you can easily disable this feature.

Set the IPY_METRICS_ENABLE environment variable to false or 0:

Linux/macOS

  • Bash/Zsh:

    For a single command run:

    IPY_METRICS_ENABLE=false ipy config

    Permanently in your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)

    export IPY_METRICS_ENABLE=false

  • Fish:

    For a single command run:

    env IPY_METRICS_ENABLE=false ipy config

    Permanently in your shell profile (~/.config/fish/config.fish)

    set -Ux IPY_METRICS_ENABLE false

Windows

  • PowerShell

    For a single command:

    $env:IPY_METRICS_ENABLE="false"; ipy config

    Permanently for the current user:

    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("IPY_METRICS_ENABLE", "false", "User")

  • CMD

    For a single command 

    set IPY_METRICS_ENABLE=false && ipy config

    Permanently for the current user:

    setx IPY_METRICS_ENABLE "false"

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns about our data collection practices:

We're committed to transparency and respect for your privacy. Thank you for helping us improve instant-python!