ArcSolve Distill Site Access and Permissions
Effective Date: April 11, 2026
ArcSolve Distill Chrome Extension uses website access permissions to read and process web content that the user asks ArcSolve to handle, to keep the side panel in sync with the current active tab while open, and to support clipping, saving, PDF, YouTube, and requested link workflows.
1. Purpose of This Document
This document explains:
- What ArcSolve Distill does
- When ArcSolve Distill reads website content
- Why website access across domains is required
- Why the extension may reuse or open tabs for requested links
- How users can control site access
2. What ArcSolve Distill Does
ArcSolve Distill provides the following browser-side features:
- Read the current page while the side panel is open
- Extract page structure, text, links, and resources
- Copy the current page or selected content
- Capture a selected visible area of a page
- Open and extract PDF content
- Read YouTube pages and transcript-capable text
- Process user-requested links
- Send selected or requested content into ArcSolve document workflows
- Maintain user preferences and short-lived side panel state
3. When Website Content Is Read
ArcSolve Distill reads website content in these situations:
- The user opens the side panel and the extension syncs with the current active tab.
- The user copies, clips, captures, saves, or creates a document from page content.
- The user opens a PDF through the extension.
- The user asks ArcSolve to process a URL, link, PDF, or YouTube page.
- A requested ArcSolve workflow needs the content of a page or link selected by the user.
ArcSolve Distill does not read every page continuously after the side panel is closed. Background work is tied to user-requested processing, tab reuse, or cleanup for a requested workflow.
4. Why <all_urls> Is Required
ArcSolve Distill uses host_permissions for <all_urls> because user-requested pages, PDFs, YouTube resources, and links may come from arbitrary domains. Chrome extension host matching must be declared before the extension can read content on those pages.
The permission is broad because the user’s requested content can be broad. The extension’s use is limited to active-tab sync, user-directed clipping, PDF viewing, YouTube reading, link processing, and ArcSolve document intake workflows.
5. Tab Reuse and Background Tabs
When a user asks ArcSolve to process a link or URL, ArcSolve Distill may:
- Check currently open tabs for a matching URL
- Reuse an existing matching tab
- Open a background tab if no matching tab is available
- Read the requested content
- Close a background tab created only for that workflow when processing is complete
This avoids unnecessary duplicate tabs and lets ArcSolve retrieve content without interrupting the user’s current tab.
6. Permissions Used by ArcSolve Distill
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
host_permissions (<all_urls>) | To read pages, PDFs, YouTube pages, and user-requested links across arbitrary domains |
activeTab | To access the active tab after user interaction |
identity | To support Chrome extension sign-in |
storage | To store UI preferences, temporary state, and authentication token metadata |
sidePanel | To display the ArcSolve Distill side panel |
clipboardWrite | To copy selected or captured content at the user’s request |
scripting | To inject content scripts when needed for page processing |
webNavigation | To track navigation and keep side panel state aligned with the current page |
7. Data Transmission
Reading a page locally does not always mean transmitting that page to ArcSolve services. Data is transmitted only when a requested feature requires service-side processing, saving, account access, or integration with ArcSolve document workflows.
8. What ArcSolve Distill Does Not Do
ArcSolve Distill does not:
- Collect unrelated browsing history for advertising
- Sell user data
- Use user content to train AI models
- Automatically save every page the user visits
- Continuously crawl websites in the background
- Automate purchases, form submissions, or account changes
- Use permissions for hidden tracking
9. User Controls
Users can control access by:
- Closing the side panel
- Restricting the extension’s site access in Chrome
- Disabling or removing the extension
- Signing out of ArcSolve
- Avoiding clipping or processing sensitive pages
- Deleting saved content inside ArcSolve
10. Related Documents
11. Summary
ArcSolve Distill needs website access so it can read content the user is viewing or asks ArcSolve to process. The permission supports active-tab side panel sync, clipping, PDF and YouTube reading, requested link processing, and document intake. ArcSolve Distill does not use website access for advertising, hidden tracking, or unrelated background crawling.
For questions about this document, contact privacy@arcsolve.ai.