Terms of Service

Last updated: April 29, 2026

1. Introduction and Acceptance

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Spote ("the Service"), a SaaS platform for fast note-taking with AI integration. The Service is provided by Spote ("we", "us", or "our").

By creating an account or using the Service in any way, you accept these Terms in full. If you do not accept the Terms, you may not use the Service.

2. Description of the Service

Spote is a web-based note-taking application that offers:

  • A WYSIWYM markdown editor for writing and formatting notes
  • Organization of notes via buckets and hashtags
  • Semantic search and similarity search powered by AI embeddings
  • File upload and image storage via Cloudflare R2
  • Integration with AI clients (e.g., Claude Desktop) via the MCP protocol, authenticated through Clerk OAuth
  • API access via Personal Access Tokens (PAT)

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service or any part of it at any time, with or without notice.

3. Accounts and Registration

3.1 Requirements

To use the Service, you must:

  • Be at least 13 years old (or older if required by applicable local law)
  • Provide accurate and complete registration information
  • Keep your login credentials confidential
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

3.2 Authentication

Account creation and login are handled via Clerk, our authentication provider. Clerk's own terms of service apply alongside these Terms for the authentication service.

3.3 MCP Authentication via Clerk OAuth

Connecting AI clients such as Claude Desktop to the Service is done through the MCP protocol using Clerk's OAuth server and Dynamic Client Registration (DCR). When you authorize an MCP-compatible client:

  • The client authenticates using your own Clerk credentials via the OAuth flow
  • No separate credentials are stored by the client; authorization is granted and revocable via Clerk's OAuth application management
  • You are responsible for any actions taken by clients you have authorized

3.4 Personal Access Tokens (PAT)

PAT keys are intended for direct API access only (e.g., custom scripts or integrations). You may generate PAT keys in your account settings. You are solely responsible for the secure handling of your PAT keys. Loss or unauthorized use of PAT keys is your responsibility. PAT keys should not be used for MCP client connections — use Clerk OAuth for that purpose.

4. Acceptable Use

4.1 Permitted Use

You may use the Service for lawful personal or professional note-taking and information management purposes.

4.2 Prohibited Use

You may not:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of applicable law
  • Upload or store content that is illegal, harmful, defamatory, or infringes on third-party rights
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service, its infrastructure, or other users' data
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Service
  • Use the Service to distribute malware, spam, or other harmful content
  • Scrape or harvest data from the Service using automated means without our written consent
  • Resell, sublicense, or otherwise commercially exploit the Service without prior written permission

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules without prior notice.

5. Content and Data

5.1 Your Content

You retain full ownership of the notes, files, and other content ("Your Content") you create or upload to the Service. By using the Service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to store, process, and transmit Your Content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

5.2 AI Processing

To enable search and similarity features, Your Content is processed by OpenAI's embedding API (text-embedding-3-small) to generate vector representations. No content is used to train third-party AI models. Refer to OpenAI's data processing policies for further details.

5.3 File Storage

Uploaded files and images are stored in Cloudflare R2 object storage. Files are associated with your user account and are not publicly accessible without a valid URL.

5.4 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for Your Content. We do not review or moderate user content and make no representations about its accuracy or legality.

6. Privacy and Data

Our handling of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of data as described in the Privacy Policy.

In summary:

  • We collect account data (via Clerk), note content, usage metadata, and uploaded files
  • Data is stored in MongoDB Atlas (database) and Cloudflare R2 (files)
  • We do not sell your personal data to third parties

7. Intellectual Property

All rights, title, and interest in and to the Service — including its design, software, branding, and documentation — are owned by Spote. Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights to you.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works of the Service without our express written consent.

8. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with or relies on the following third-party services:

  • Clerk — authentication, user management, and OAuth server for MCP connections
  • MongoDB Atlas — database storage
  • Cloudflare R2 — file storage
  • OpenAI — AI embeddings
  • Vercel — hosting and infrastructure

Your use of these services through Spote may also be subject to their respective terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for third-party services.

9. MCP Integration

The Service exposes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that allows compatible AI clients, such as Claude Desktop, to interact with your notes. MCP connections are authenticated via Clerk OAuth using Dynamic Client Registration — no manual credential sharing is required.

You acknowledge that:

  • Any action taken through an MCP-connected client is taken on your behalf
  • You are responsible for the actions of any client you have authorized via the OAuth flow
  • You can revoke access to any connected client at any time via your Clerk account settings
  • We are not responsible for how third-party AI clients use or interpret your data

10. Availability and Uptime

We aim to provide a reliable service but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. The Service is provided on a best-effort basis. We are not liable for downtime, data loss due to service interruptions, or delays caused by third-party infrastructure.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, secure, or continuously available.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Spote and its affiliates, employees, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including loss of data, loss of profits, or business interruption — arising from your use of or inability to use the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability for any claim arising under these Terms shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or €50, whichever is greater.

13. Termination

13.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using the account deletion feature in settings. Upon termination, your notes and files will be deleted from our systems within 30 days.

13.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time if you breach these Terms, or for any other reason at our sole discretion, with or without notice. We will endeavor to provide advance notice where reasonably possible.

14. Changes to the Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this document. If the changes are material, we will notify you by email or via an in-app notice. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Sweden, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of Swedish courts.

16. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at hello@spote.app.