Privacy & Knowledge Retrieval
The assistant can keep everything on your own machine. This page explains the two parts that relate to privacy: knowledge retrieval, which provides documentation context, and what data is sent where.
Knowledge retrieval (documentation search)
When retrieval is available, the assistant uses Volvicon documentation and tutorial scripts as context to improve version-specific answers. Review generated scripts before running them.
- On the first question after launch, and right after switching models, you may briefly see "Knowledge retrieval is loading — please wait…" while the documentation index starts up. This is expected and clears within a few seconds.
- A green status indicates retrieval is ready for the assistant to use.
- With Local retrieval, this runs on your computer with no internet connection.
Local vs Cloud documentation search
| Local (recommended for privacy) | Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Your computer | Volvicon's managed online service |
| What is sent | Nothing | Your search text (not your data) |
| Internet | Not required | Required |
| Speed | Fast | Slightly faster on first use |
What stays private
| Configuration | Data handling |
|---|---|
| Local provider + Local retrieval | Fully private. Nothing you type, and none of your data, leaves your computer. Works without an internet connection. |
| Cloud provider (Claude or OpenAI) | Your question, recent conversation text, and the documentation snippets used to answer it are sent to the provider. If you approve a generated script, the text it prints is sent back to the provider as well. |
In every configuration:
- Your images, volumes, meshes, and files are never sent anywhere. Only chat text is involved, and only when you choose a cloud option.
- API keys you enter are stored in your user profile on your machine and are never displayed in the chat.
- When you approve a generated script, the assistant receives the text that script printed, so that it can describe the result or correct an error. With a cloud provider that text reaches the provider. Nothing runs, and nothing is sent, unless you approve it in the dialog. See Writing & Running Scripts.
- Your chat history file stays on your computer. When you use a cloud provider, recent conversation text is sent as context whenever you ask another question, including after reopening a saved chat. You can back up, restore, or move the local file — see Chat history.
The two settings are independent: the AI provider decides where your question goes, and the documentation search setting decides where your search text goes. This is the same answer as the tables above, in one picture.
The picture covers what leaves your computer. It does not show the API key, which stays in your user profile, or the chat history file, which stays on your computer.
Use a Local provider with Local retrieval. The assistant then runs entirely offline, which suits secured labs, regulated industries, and confidential industrial or research data.