---
title: Telemetry
description: Learn about varlock's anonymous usage analytics and how to opt out
---

import ExecCommandWidget from "@/components/ExecCommandWidget.astro";

The `varlock` CLI collects **anonymous telemetry data** about usage to help us understand how the tool is being used and to make it better. Participation is optional, and you may opt-out at any time.

## What We Collect

We track general usage information, and the environment in which `varlock` is being used. Specifically we collect _anonymous_ information about:
- Which varlock command is being invoked
- Version and settings for varlock, Node.js, and any plugins
- General system/machine information
- Anonymous user + project ID

**We will never collect any of your config files or environment variables.**

## How to Opt Out

You can opt out of analytics in three ways:

### Using the CLI

Run the following command to permanently opt out:


<ExecCommandWidget command="varlock telemetry disable" />

This will create/update a configuration file saving your preference at `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/varlock/config.json` (defaults to `~/.config/varlock/config.json`).

_You may re-enable telemetry by running `varlock telemetry enable`_

### Using an Environment Variable

You can also opt out temporarily by setting the `VARLOCK_TELEMETRY_DISABLED` environment variable:

```bash
export VARLOCK_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true
```

This could be set in a specific terminal session, while running a specific command, in a Dockerfile, or in a CI/CD pipeline.

### With a project config file

You can also opt out at the project level by creating a `.varlock/config.json` file in your project root with the following content:

```json title="my-app/.varlock/config.json"
{
  "telemetryDisabled": true
}
```

## Privacy

- All analytics data is completely anonymous
- No personal or sensitive information is collected
- Data is only used to improve the product
- You can opt out at any time
- Analytics are handled by [PostHog](https://posthog.com/), a privacy-friendly analytics platform

## Data Usage

The anonymous usage data helps us:
- Understand which features are most used
- Identify areas for improvement
- Make informed decisions about future development
- Prioritize bug fixes and new features

If you have any questions about our analytics or privacy practices, please [start a discussion](https://github.com/dmno-dev/varlock/discussions) on GitHub.
