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GDPR Compliance
Pingward is committed to protecting your data privacy and ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This page covers the tools and features available to help you exercise your data rights.
Overview
The GDPR grants individuals in the European Union specific rights over their personal data. As a Pingward user, you have the right to access, export, and delete your data at any time. Pingward provides self-service tools for these operations directly within the application, so you do not need to contact support.
Key GDPR features in Pingward:
- Data Export --- download a complete copy of all your data in JSON format
- Account Deletion --- permanently delete your account and all associated data
- Cookie Consent --- control how Pingward uses local storage and cookies
- Audit Logging --- all data export and deletion actions are logged for accountability
Data Export
What's Included
When you export your data, Pingward compiles a comprehensive JSON file containing all data associated with your account and workspace:
| Data Category | Details Included |
|---|---|
| User Profile | Email, name, account creation date, last login |
| Workspace | Workspace name, subscription plan |
| Tests | Name, URL, HTTP method, test type, status, frequency, creation date |
| Test Results Summary | Per-test totals: result count, success/failure counts, average response time |
| Issues | Error category, severity, status, first/last seen, occurrence count |
| Integrations | Name, type, active status, creation date |
| Routing Rules | Name, active status, priority, creation date |
| Incidents | Title, status, severity, source, creation and resolution dates |
| On-Call Schedules | Name, timezone, creation date |
| Heartbeat Monitors | Name, status, expected interval, creation date |
| Maintenance Windows | Name, start/end times, status |
| Billing Records | Period start/end, total amount, payment status |
| Contact Methods | Type (email, SMS, phone, Slack), value, priority, verification status |
| Team Memberships | Workspaces you belong to, your role, join date |
Sensitive Data Handling
The export includes metadata and summaries rather than raw response bodies. API keys, webhook secrets, and other credentials are not included in the export for security reasons.
How to Export
- Go to Settings (gear icon in the sidebar)
- Click the Account tab
- In the Export Your Data panel, click Export Data
- Wait for the export to complete (this may take a few seconds for large workspaces)
- Your browser will automatically download a JSON file named
pingward-export-YYYY-MM-DD.json
The export happens in real time --- Pingward queries all your data and assembles the file on demand. There is no delay or queuing.
Export Format
The export is a single JSON file with the following top-level structure:
json
{
"exportedAt": "2026-02-22T15:30:00Z",
"user": {
"id": "...",
"email": "you@example.com",
"firstName": "Jane",
"lastName": "Doe",
"createdAt": "2025-06-15T10:00:00Z",
"lastLoginAt": "2026-02-22T14:00:00Z"
},
"workspace": {
"id": "...",
"name": "My Workspace",
"plan": "Pro"
},
"tests": [ ... ],
"testResultsSummary": [ ... ],
"issues": [ ... ],
"integrations": [ ... ],
"routingRules": [ ... ],
"incidents": [ ... ],
"onCallSchedules": [ ... ],
"heartbeatMonitors": [ ... ],
"maintenanceWindows": [ ... ],
"billingRecords": [ ... ],
"contactMethods": [ ... ],
"teamMemberships": [ ... ]
}Each section contains an array of objects with the fields described in the table above. The file is standard JSON and can be opened in any text editor, imported into a database, or processed with tools like jq.
Account Deletion
What Gets Deleted
Account deletion permanently removes all data associated with your account. The exact scope depends on your role in the workspace:
If you are the sole Owner:
All workspace data is deleted, including:
- All tests and their configurations
- All test results and execution history
- All issues and issue history
- All alert integrations and routing rules
- All status pages, components, and subscribers
- All heartbeat monitors, pings, and events
- All incidents and on-call schedules
- All escalation policies
- All maintenance windows
- All billing records and usage data
- All API keys and team invites
- All notification logs and security audit logs
- Performance baselines and degradation events
- Your user account and contact methods
- The workspace itself
If you are a non-Owner member:
- Your team membership is removed from the workspace
- Your API keys for the workspace are revoked
- Your contact methods are deleted
- Your user account is deleted
- The workspace and its data remain intact for other members
How to Delete
- Go to Settings (gear icon in the sidebar)
- Click the Account tab
- Scroll down to the Delete Account section (marked with a red border)
- Read the warning about permanent data loss
- Type your workspace name exactly as shown to confirm
- Click Delete My Account
The deletion is processed immediately. You will be signed out and redirected to the home page.
Important Notes
- This action is irreversible. Once your account is deleted, there is no way to recover any of the data. There is no grace period or undo option.
- Export your data first. Before deleting your account, use the data export feature to download a copy of everything. You cannot export data after deletion.
- Owners must be sole members. If you are the workspace Owner and there are other team members, you must either transfer ownership or remove all other members before you can delete your account. This prevents accidental deletion of a shared workspace.
- Non-owner members can delete their own account at any time without affecting the workspace or other members.
- Active subscriptions are not automatically canceled. If you have an active paid subscription, manage it through Settings > Billing > Manage Subscription before deleting your account to avoid continued charges.
- Audit trail. Both data exports and account deletion attempts are logged in the security audit log before the action is performed, ensuring accountability even after deletion.
Cookie Consent
Storage Used
Pingward uses browser local storage for essential application functionality. The following items are stored:
| Storage Key | Purpose | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication token | Keeps you signed in between sessions | Essential |
cookie_consent | Records whether you have acknowledged the consent banner | Essential |
| PostHog analytics | Product analytics for feature usage (in-memory only, not stored in browser) | Analytics |
Pingward does not use tracking or advertising cookies. Product analytics are collected via PostHog using in-memory session data — no cookies or persistent browser storage are used for analytics purposes. Analytics data is sent to PostHog's US-based servers during your session and only applies to logged-in users. PostHog is configured with identified_only person profiles, meaning anonymous visitors are not tracked.
Managing Consent
When you first visit Pingward, a consent banner appears at the bottom of the page explaining that local storage is used for authentication and essential functionality. The banner includes a link to the Privacy Policy.
- Click Got it to acknowledge and dismiss the banner
- Your acknowledgement is stored in
cookie_consentin local storage - The banner will not appear again on the same browser
- To reset your consent, clear your browser's local storage for the Pingward domain
Pingward does not offer granular cookie preference controls because no analytics or marketing cookies are stored. Product analytics use in-memory data only and do not persist on your device.
Your Rights Under GDPR
As a Pingward user, you have the following rights under the GDPR:
| Right | How Pingward Supports It |
|---|---|
| Right to Access | Use the data export feature to download a complete copy of your data at any time. |
| Right to Rectification | Update your profile information, test configurations, and workspace settings through the application UI. |
| Right to Erasure | Use the account deletion feature to permanently remove all your data. |
| Right to Data Portability | Data exports are provided in standard JSON format, making it easy to transfer your data to another service. |
| Right to Restriction of Processing | Pause individual tests to stop data collection for specific endpoints while keeping your configuration intact. |
| Right to Object | You can stop using the service and delete your account at any time. |
| Right to be Informed | This documentation, along with our Privacy Policy, explains what data we collect and how we use it, including product analytics data collected via PostHog. |
If you need to exercise a right that is not covered by the self-service tools described above, contact support at support@pingward.com.
FAQ
Q: How long does a data export take?
Data exports are generated in real time. For most workspaces, the export completes in a few seconds. Very large workspaces with thousands of tests and results may take up to 30 seconds.
Q: Can I export data for a specific date range?
The data export includes all current data. For test results specifically, only results within your plan's retention period are included (results beyond the retention window have already been cleaned up). See Data Retention for details on retention periods.
Q: What happens to shared integrations when I delete my account?
If you are the sole Owner and delete your account, all integrations (Slack, PagerDuty, email, webhooks) are deleted along with the workspace. If you are a non-Owner member, integrations remain intact for the workspace.
Q: Is there a way to recover a deleted account?
No. Account deletion is permanent and immediate. Always export your data before deleting your account.
Q: Does Pingward share my data with third parties?
Pingward uses third-party services only for essential operations (cloud hosting, email delivery, payment processing). See the Privacy Policy for the complete list of subprocessors. Your monitoring data is never sold or shared for advertising purposes.
Q: Does Pingward track my usage?
Pingward uses PostHog for product analytics to understand how features are used and improve the service. Analytics use in-memory session data only — no cookies or persistent browser storage are involved. Only logged-in users are tracked (anonymous visitors are not). Data collected includes page views, feature usage events, your user ID, email, name, and workspace information. Analytics data is sent to PostHog's US-based servers. You can review PostHog's privacy practices at posthog.com/privacy.
Q: How are data exports and deletions audited?
Every data export and account deletion is recorded in the security audit log with the user ID, tenant ID, IP address, and user agent. For account deletions, the audit entry is written before the deletion is performed.
Related Documentation
- Data Retention --- how long test results are stored and automatic cleanup
- Billing & Plans --- manage your subscription before deleting your account
- API Keys --- manage programmatic access to your data