Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to ApexArena ("we", "us", or "our"). ApexArena is a free, browser-based Salesforce developer learning platform available at apexarenas.in. We offer coding challenges, timed quizzes, contests, an XP and leaderboard system, and embedded Salesforce reference materials to help developers practice Apex, SOQL, LWC, and formula fields without needing a live Salesforce org.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use our platform, how we use and protect that information, and your rights with respect to your data. By creating an account or using ApexArena, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in two broad categories: information you provide directly, and information collected automatically as you use the platform.

2.1 Account Registration Data

When you create an ApexArena account, we collect the following information:

• Full name — used to personalise your experience and display on leaderboards.
• Email address — used for authentication, account notifications, and quiz completion emails.
• Company or organisation name — optional; used to show team-level statistics where applicable.
• Salesforce role — e.g. Developer, Admin, Architect, Student; helps us tailor content recommendations.
• Experience level — Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced; used to surface appropriate challenges.

2.2 Platform Usage and Learning Data

As you use ApexArena, we automatically collect data related to your learning activity:

• Quiz scores and attempt history — each quiz attempt is recorded with score, time taken, and question-level responses.
• Coding challenge submissions — the Apex code you write in our browser editor, along with pass/fail results for each test case.
• XP points — experience points earned by completing challenges and quizzes are stored and updated in real time.
• Leaderboard rank and tier — your current rank (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, or Apex Legend) and historical rank changes.
• Contest participation — which contests you entered, your submissions, and final placement.

2.3 Usage Analytics

We collect anonymised usage analytics to understand how our platform is used and to improve the learning experience. This includes pages visited, time spent on challenges, features used, and browser and device type. This data is aggregated and does not personally identify you.

2.4 Automatically Collected Technical Data

Standard web server logs may record your IP address, browser user agent, referring URL, and timestamp of requests. This data is used for security monitoring, debugging, and to prevent abuse of the platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide and operate the learning platform — authenticate your account, display your dashboard, serve appropriate challenges based on your role and experience level, and run the leaderboard.
• To track and display your progress — calculate XP, update your tier, record quiz history, and show you personalised progress statistics so you can see how you are improving over time.
• To show leaderboard rankings — your display name and rank tier are shown publicly on the leaderboard. You may opt out of leaderboard visibility in your account settings.
• To send transactional emails — quiz completion summaries, account verification, password resets, and important platform updates are sent to the email address associated with your account.
• To improve the service — aggregated usage data helps us identify which challenges are too easy or too hard, which features are most used, and where we should focus development effort.
• To ensure platform integrity — detect and prevent cheating, automated submissions, abuse, or other violations of our Terms of Service.
• To display advertising — we use Google AdSense to show relevant advertisements. This helps fund the free tier of the platform.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Third-Party Services

ApexArena relies on the following trusted third-party services to operate. Each service processes certain data as described below.

4.1 Firebase (Google)

We use Firebase, a platform provided by Google LLC, for user authentication and cloud database storage. Your account credentials (email, hashed password or OAuth token) and all platform data (quiz scores, XP, submissions) are stored in Firebase. Firebase is subject to Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy. Data may be processed on Google's infrastructure globally.

4.2 EmailJS

We use EmailJS to send transactional email notifications such as quiz completion reports and account verification messages. EmailJS processes your email address and the content of notification messages to deliver emails on our behalf. EmailJS does not use this information for its own marketing purposes.

4.3 Google AdSense

We participate in Google AdSense to display advertisements on the ApexArena platform. Google AdSense uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve personalised ads based on your browsing history and interests across websites. Google may collect data such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. The use of advertising cookies by Google is governed by Google's advertising privacy policy at policies.google.com/technologies/ads. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting google.com/settings/ads or by using the NAI opt-out tool at networkadvertising.org/choices.

4.4 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyse aggregated traffic patterns and understand how visitors use the ApexArena platform. Google Analytics collects anonymised data such as session duration, pages visited, and geographic region. This data does not personally identify you. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

ApexArena uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

5.1 Authentication Cookies

Session cookies are used to keep you logged in while you use the platform. These are strictly necessary for the platform to function and cannot be disabled without logging out. They are automatically deleted when you close your browser or log out.

5.2 Advertising Cookies (Google AdSense)

Google AdSense sets third-party cookies to serve personalised advertisements based on your interests. These cookies track your browsing behaviour across websites that use Google's advertising network. You can opt out of personalised ads using the tools described in Section 4.3 above.

5.3 Analytics Cookies

Google Analytics sets cookies to collect anonymised usage statistics. These help us understand platform performance and user behaviour in aggregate.

5.4 Managing Cookies

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through the browser settings. Please note that disabling session cookies will prevent you from logging in to ApexArena. You can find instructions for managing cookies in your browser's help documentation.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account remains active on the ApexArena platform. Active account data — including your profile, quiz history, XP, and submissions — is retained to provide you with a continuous learning experience.

If you request deletion of your account, we will delete all personally identifiable information associated with your account within 30 days of receiving the verified deletion request. Aggregated, anonymised analytics data (which does not identify you) may be retained indefinitely for platform improvement purposes.

We may retain minimal records (such as your email and the date of account deletion) for up to 90 days after deletion for fraud prevention, dispute resolution, and legal compliance purposes.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right to access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction — request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to deletion — request that we delete your account and personal information, subject to any legal obligations to retain data.
• Right to data portability — request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object — object to certain types of processing, including personalised advertising.

To exercise any of these rights, please use the contact form with your registered email address and a description of your request. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Children's Privacy

ApexArena is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The platform is designed for Salesforce developers, admins, and learners who are typically adults or older teenagers preparing for professional certifications.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include the use of HTTPS encryption for all data in transit, Firebase's built-in security rules for database access control, and regular review of access permissions.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for notifying us immediately via our contact form if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the effective date at the top of this page.
• Send an email notification to all registered users at the email address associated with their account.
• Display a notice on the ApexArena platform for a reasonable period after the change takes effect.

Your continued use of the platform after the effective date of the revised policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree to the revised policy, you may request deletion of your account.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please use our contact form. We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 10 business days.