Terms and Privacy
Last updated October 22, 2026. This site is operated by BenchNotes. Questions: benchnotesofficial@gmail.com.
Terms of Use
What Benchnotes is
Benchnotes is a writing helper for robotics teams. You give it notes and facts, and it uses an AI model to draft notebook entries, sponsor emails, judging practice questions, and award drafts. It is in early access and is provided as is, so features can change or stop working.
Accounts
You need an account to use Benchnotes. Keep your password and recovery code safe. You are responsible for what happens under your account. If you are under 13, you may only use Benchnotes with a parent or guardian who agrees to these terms for you.
Your content
You own the notes and facts you enter and the drafts you get back. You give Benchnotes permission to store them and send them to the AI service so it can write your drafts.
AI drafts can be wrong
The AI can make mistakes or leave things out. Always read and correct a draft before you use it. Only submit work that honestly describes what your team did. Do not use Benchnotes to make up results, tests, or events. You are responsible for anything you submit to judges, sponsors, or anyone else.
Acceptable use
Do not use Benchnotes to break the law, harass anyone, send spam, try to break into the service, or use up the service so others cannot. We can limit or close accounts that do.
Plans and payments
Early access is free, with a monthly limit on how many drafts you can make. Paid plans are planned but not open. If they open, the price and terms will be shown before you pay.
Not affiliated with FIRST
Benchnotes is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by FIRST or any robotics program, and award names are used only to describe what a draft is for.
No guarantees and limits on liability
Benchnotes is provided as is, without promises that it will always work, be error free, or produce any particular result. To the fullest extent the law allows, we are not liable for losses that come from using it, including problems caused by relying on an AI draft.
Changes
We may update these terms. If the changes are significant, we will say so on the site. Continuing to use Benchnotes means you accept the updated terms.
Privacy Policy
What we collect
Your email address, a scrambled (hashed) version of your password and recovery code, your team name, number, location, and description, everything you type into the tools, the drafts you get back, and a count of how many drafts you make each month.
How we use it
To run your account, make your drafts, show your history, and apply monthly limits. We do not sell your information and we do not use it for advertising.
Who else handles it
Benchnotes is hosted, and its database is stored, on Cloudflare. When you press Write it, your team profile and what you typed are sent to our AI provider, currently Groq, so it can write the draft. These companies have their own privacy policies, and we recommend not entering anything private or sensitive, such as personal details about individual students.
Cookies
We use one cookie to keep you logged in. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.
Keeping and deleting your data
You can delete any saved draft from your History page. To delete your account and everything saved in it, email benchnotesofficial@gmail.com from the address you signed up with.
Children
Benchnotes is meant for teams that include high school students. Children under 13 should only use it with a parent or guardian, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 without that involvement.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including hashing passwords, but no online service is perfectly secure. Use a password you do not use anywhere else.
Changes
We may update this policy and will change the date above when we do.