Terms of Service

1. The service we provide

WithinGuide provides AI-generated conversational support intended to help you reflect on personal questions, explore patterns of thought and behaviour, and consider perspectives related to mindfulness, personal change, and spiritual inquiry.

The guides are designed for general information, reflection, and personal exploration. They do not know your full circumstances and cannot reliably assess your needs, situation, or safety. Using the service does not create a professional, therapeutic, medical, counselling, or other fiduciary relationship between you and WithinGuide.

2. Not medical advice or therapy

WithinGuide is not a healthcare provider and does not provide medical care, mental-health treatment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, counselling, or crisis intervention. The guides are not a substitute for a licensed or otherwise appropriately qualified professional.

By using WithinGuide, you acknowledge and agree that:

• the service does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical or mental-health condition;
• its responses are not medical, psychological, psychiatric, or other professional advice;
• it should not replace a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, counsellor, or emergency responder;
• it may misunderstand what you say, give incomplete or inaccurate information, or provide a response unsuitable for your circumstances; and
• you are responsible for deciding whether and how to act on any information or suggestions it provides.

Do not use WithinGuide to make decisions that require professional assessment or urgent clinical judgement. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, seek advice from a qualified health professional.

3. Safety and urgent help

WithinGuide is not monitored as an emergency service. It may not recognise a crisis or respond appropriately to urgent risk, and you must not rely on it to keep you or another person safe.

If you may harm yourself or someone else, are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges to self-harm, or are in immediate danger, stop using the service and seek immediate human help. Contact your local emergency number, a crisis service or helpline in your country, or a qualified health professional. If possible, reach out to someone you trust.

4. Free access and possible donations

The core WithinGuide service is currently available free of charge, with no account or signup required. We may invite users to make voluntary donations if operating costs make this helpful to keeping the service running. A donation will not be required to access the free option.

We may introduce optional paid features in the future. Any applicable terms, features, and charges will be explained before you choose to use or purchase them. We do not promise that every feature will remain free or that the service will remain unchanged indefinitely.

5. Privacy

WithinGuide is designed to be used without providing your name or other identifying information. We do not ask you to enter your identity to use the core service, and we do not store chat logs as part of the service's intended operation.

Information you type may still be processed by the AI model or other technical providers needed to deliver responses. Do not include information you would not want processed, and avoid sharing identifying details, passwords, financial details, or other highly sensitive information.

Privacy practices may be described in more detail in our Privacy Policy. If future optional features involve saving conversation information or other data, we will explain the relevant arrangements before you choose to use those features.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• use WithinGuide for unlawful, fraudulent, abusive, or harmful purposes;
• attempt to bypass rate limits, security controls, or access restrictions;
• use bots, scripts, or other automated means to scrape, overload, or misuse the service without our permission;
• interfere with the operation of the site or another person's access to it;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to systems, accounts, data, or infrastructure; or
• use the service in a way that violates applicable law or infringes another person's rights.

We may restrict or suspend access where we reasonably believe the service is being misused or its security, availability, or other users are at risk.

7. AI-generated responses

Responses are generated by artificial intelligence, not written or individually reviewed by a human professional. AI systems can produce confident-sounding statements that are incorrect, inconsistent, outdated, biased, or inappropriate.

Use your own judgement, verify important factual information independently, and seek qualified advice when appropriate. A response should not be treated as a definitive statement of fact, a professional recommendation, or a guarantee of any particular outcome.

8. Availability and changes

We may update, change, suspend, restrict, or discontinue any part of WithinGuide at any time. We aim to keep the service useful and available, but do not guarantee uninterrupted access, error-free operation, availability at any particular time, or compatibility with every device or browser.

We may also change the AI models, guides, features, or technical providers used by the service. Such changes may affect the style, quality, or content of responses.

9. Disclaimer and limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, WithinGuide is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without promises or warranties that the service will be accurate, reliable, suitable for your needs, secure, or uninterrupted.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operators of WithinGuide disclaim liability for loss, injury, damage, or adverse consequences arising from or connected with your use of, or inability to use, the service; your reliance on AI-generated responses; decisions or actions you take or do not take after using the service; service interruptions; or errors, omissions, or loss of data.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary loss or damage, including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or opportunity, arising out of or in connection with the service.

You agree to use the service at your own discretion and risk. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any right, guarantee, remedy, or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. In particular, if you are a consumer in Australia, nothing in these terms is intended to exclude or limit rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law or other applicable non-excludable laws.

10. Indemnity

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the operators of WithinGuide against third-party claims, liabilities, losses, and reasonable costs arising from your unlawful use of the service, your material breach of these terms, or your infringement of another person's rights.

This clause does not require you to indemnify us for loss or liability to the extent caused by our own negligence, misconduct, breach of law, or other conduct for which liability cannot legally be shifted to you. It does not limit any rights that cannot lawfully be limited.

11. Changes to these terms

We may revise these Terms of Service from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. By continuing to use WithinGuide after updated terms take effect, you agree to the revised terms to the extent permitted by law. If you do not agree, you should stop using the service.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws that apply in the jurisdiction where the service operator is established, except where mandatory consumer protection laws require otherwise. Any disputes are subject to the applicable courts and dispute-resolution rules, subject to any non-excludable rights you may have.

13. Contact

If you have a question about these terms, please use the feedback form provided on the WithinGuide website.