# Using Jot lawfully

> A deployment guide for customers — consent, masking, notices, and erasure.

Source: https://docs.usejot.co/docs/legal/using-jot-lawfully

You are the controller for your end users' data; Jot is your processor. That
means the notices, consents, and legal bases are yours to get right. This page
makes that as mechanical as possible.

## Gate the widget behind consent

If your consent management platform (CMP) requires consent before analytics or
recording tools run, do not let Jot start on its own. Set
`data-jot-autostart="false"` on the script tag and start the widget only after
the CMP grants consent:

```html
<script
  src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@usejot/widget@1/dist/jot.js"
  data-jot-key="jot_pk_your_key"
  data-jot-autostart="false"
></script>
```

```js
// after your CMP reports consent for the relevant category:
window.Jot.init();
```

Until `init()` is called, the loader stays inert — nothing is captured, no
network requests are made on your users' behalf.

## Mask what recording must not see

* Every input is masked by default (`maskAllInputs`); passwords are always
  masked regardless of configuration.
* Add `.jot-block` to any element that must not be recorded at all.
* Add `.jot-mask` to any element whose text must be masked.
* Masking happens in the end user's browser before upload — never on a server.

## What is captured, what never is

**Captured** (when the reporter acts): a screenshot of the **full page** — with
`.jot-block` and `.jot-mask` elements, your project's configured mask
selectors, every filled form field, and passwords painted over in the browser
before upload — the DOM selector, page URL, browser and OS, and — only if the
reporter presses Record — a session replay with console and network activity,
subject to masking.

**Never captured**: password plaintext, masked input values, anything inside
`.jot-block`, or anything at all before the reporter interacts with the
widget.

## The reporter is told before sending

The composer shows a notice line above the Send button: sending attaches a
screenshot of this page, and sensitive fields are masked before anything
leaves the browser. The transparency line is built in — nobody submits a
screenshot unknowingly.

## Limit where the widget runs

* **Domain allowlist** — project settings take a list of hostnames
  (`app.acme.com`, or `*.acme.com` wildcards). The API refuses widget traffic
  from any other site; an empty list allows all sites.
* **Internal-only mode** — set the project's visibility to **Internal** (the
  API then refuses anyone who is not a signed-in team member) and add
  `data-jot-internal="true"` to the embed: the tab mounts only when the page
  is visited with `?jot=true`, so end users never see it.
* **Environment tagging** — `data-jot-env="staging"` stamps every report with
  the deployment it came from, keeping production feedback separate.

## A paragraph for your privacy policy

Copy, adapt, and have your counsel confirm:

> We use Jot, a feedback tool, to let reviewers report issues on this site.
> When a reviewer submits feedback, Jot captures a screenshot of the page —
> with sensitive fields masked before it leaves the browser — the page
> address, and browser information. If the reviewer starts a
> session recording, their interactions on the page are recorded with all form
> input masked before it leaves the browser. This data is processed by Jot on
> our behalf and retained for up to 30 days (recordings) or for as long as the
> report is needed. See Jot's privacy documentation for details.

## Handling an erasure request

When one of your end users asks you to erase their data, delete the reports
and recordings that concern them from **Settings → Privacy** in your
dashboard, which removes the comment, its screenshot, and any recording from
storage. Deletion propagates to backups within 35 days. If you cannot locate
the report, contact support with the approximate date and page URL.

## DPIA assistance

If your deployment needs a Data Protection Impact Assessment (for example,
recording on pages used at scale), the [DPA](/docs/legal/dpa) commits us to
assist. Email **[privacy@usejot.co](mailto:privacy@usejot.co)** and we will provide the technical
descriptions (Annexes I and II) in whatever format your assessment needs.