IN THIS ARTICLE

What does the Sastrify browser extension do?


The Sastrify browser extension tracks business SaaS tool usage to help organizations assess overall engagement with their software tools. It focuses exclusively on SaaS-related URLs and does not monitor general web browsing activity.


By monitoring SaaS usage, the extension also helps identify instances of shadow IT—unapproved or unmonitored software tools that employees may use without the organization’s knowledge. Detecting these tools supports compliance efforts, reduces security risks, and promotes a consistent and controlled software environment.

What does Sastrify browser extension track and monitor?


The extension will only track the access and interaction within SaaS applications accessed through the organization's email and the following associated data points: URLs, access times, and session activities.


These activities include:

  • Number of clicks
  • Number of keystrokes (keydown events)
  • File upload events (only the fact that a file has been uploaded, not the file itself)


We strictly exclude non-business application URLs to ensure compliance with privacy standards.

Which parts of the collected data are stored in the database?


Only the following four pieces of information are stored in the database:

  • Date of usage

  • Employee ID

  • Asset ID (the specific tool being tracked)

  • Usage score (low, medium, or high)

What happens to the rest of the data, like clicks or file uploads?


Other details—such as click counts, file upload events, session duration by hostname, and employee email—are logged temporarily for short-term reference only. They are not saved in the database.

Does the extension track non-SaaS URLs or other browsing activity?


No. The extension is specifically designed to ignore non-SaaS URLs and does not track or transmit any general browsing activity.

How does the extension help identify shadow IT?


The extension detects patterns in the SaaS URLs you visit, helping to identify tools that are in use but not yet approved or monitored by your organization. This visibility supports efforts to manage security, compliance, and cost risks associated with shadow IT.

Where is the logged data stored?


All logged data is stored on servers located in Ireland (EU), in compliance with EU data protection regulations.

How is employee privacy protected?


  • The extension only monitors SaaS tool usage—not general web browsing

  • It never stores personal browsing data

  • User authentication ensures that only authorized employees’ SaaS activity, tied to their corporate profiles, is captured

  • Usage linked to personal email addresses is never collected

How can we, as Sastrify clients, benefit from the browser extension and the data it collects?


By collecting insights on SaaS usage, the browser extension helps organizations

  • Measure engagement—understand how frequently tools are used and assess overall adoption

  • Optimize spending—align subscriptions with actual usage to reduce costs and ensure employees have access to the right tools

  • Identify shadow IT—detect unapproved tools in use to support better security, compliance, and IT governance

After the admin completes the installation, is the extension ready to use, or is any additional action required?


Completing the admin installation is only the first step. Each user must still log in with their work email address to activate the extension. This user-level activation is required for the extension to start working.

Which email should I use to log into the extension?


Each user must use the work email address listed in your company’s employee directory, as synced from your organization’s employee list source in Sastrify.

Why am I not seeing any data after installing the extension?


There are a few common reasons why data may not appear right away:

  • The extension was installed but not yet activated (you need to log in with your work email).

  • You just activated the extension, and data is still being processed.

  • The email you used to activate the extension is not recognized in your company’s employee list synced with Sastrify.

When does data start showing up in the Sastrify Radar?


After successful activation, it may take some time for tools to appear in the Sastrify Radar. The user must actively browse using the profile where the extension is installed so the system can detect and log SaaS tool usage.

Why isn’t my tool usage showing up in the Sastrify Radar, even though I activated the extension?


There are a few reasons why your usage may not yet appear in the Sastrify Radar:

  • Timing—It may take some time after activation to collect and process enough activity data.

  • Detection logic—Our system is continuously improving how it identifies tools based on browser tab activity. Some tools may not be recognized immediately as we refine detection to minimize false positives and missed entries.

Do users need to be logged into Sastrify for this information to be collected?


No. As long as the browser extension that sits on your employees' browsers is properly enabled (they need to add the browser extension, log in using their work or company email, and activate it using the activation email that is triggered when the setup process is performed—see the "How to setup Sastrify for Chrome browser extension" section above), it will collect the data and push it seamlessly to your Sastrify platform.

I use my work Chrome browser with my personal profile because I have all my personal bookmarks there. Will the browser extension also track my usage of the apps I access using my personal Gmail or email address?


No. The Sastrify browser extension is very strict about what it collects and what it does not collect. It only collects usage data of the SaaS applications that are accessed using your company email address, which is the email address you use to log in to the extension. It does nothing beyond that.

I installed the extension, but my name isn’t showing in the ‘Connected Users’ list. Why?


This usually means you haven’t activated the extension yet. If you have, it’s likely that the email you used isn’t recognized in your company’s verified employee list. Try logging out of the extension and logging back in using the correct work email as listed in the employee data provided to Sastrify.

Our company installed the extension for multiple users, but not all are appearing as connected. Why?


Only users who have completed activation—by logging into the installed extension with their work email—will appear as connected. We do not track installations, as that data is managed by Google; we only track successful activations.