ThunderSweep Help Center
Getting Started
Connect Your Accounts
Click the ThunderSweep icon in your browser toolbar, then click "Connect Account". You'll be asked to sign in with Google and grant access to your Gmail and Google Drive.
Start a Scan
Once connected, click "Scan Gmail & Drive". ThunderSweep will scan your emails and Drive files locally for sensitive information like tax documents, SSNs, and financial records.
Review Results
After the scan completes, click "View Full Results" to open the dashboard. You can filter, search, download, or delete sensitive emails from there.
How Scanning Works
What We Detect
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Tax Documents | W-2s, 1099s, tax returns, IRS forms |
| Financial | Bank statements, credit card statements, loan documents |
| SSN | Social Security Numbers in filenames or email body text |
| Medical | Medical records, prescriptions, HIPAA documents |
| Legal | Contracts, legal agreements, court documents |
| Business | EINs, LLC documents, business filings, incorporation papers |
| Employment | Pay stubs, offer letters, I-9s, W-4s |
| Suspected | Attachments with sensitive keywords that couldn't be fully verified |
Supported File Types
ThunderSweep scans the content of: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, TXT, RTF, ODT, ODS, and ZIP archives. Files over 10 MB are scanned by filename only.
Limitations & Unsupported Files
- Native Google Docs/Sheets: Files created directly in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) cannot be downloaded and natively encrypted into the Vault. You must export them (e.g., as PDF or DOCX) in Google Drive before vaulting.
- Read-Only Shared Files: If a file is shared with you as "Viewer", ThunderSweep can successfully copy the file's content, encrypt it, and save it to your Vault. However, it cannot automatically delete the original because you lack edit permissions. After vaulting, you must manually right-click the file in Google Drive and select "Remove".
- Images & Scans: Image formats (PNG, JPG) and scanned PDFs without OCR text currently cannot be scanned for text keywords, though they can still be manually vaulted using ThunderVault Dropoff.
Understanding Results
Results are grouped by email conversation (thread). Each result shows:
- Subject — The email subject line
- Sender — Who sent the email
- Date — When the email was received
- Files — Attachment filenames that triggered the detection
- Categories — What type of sensitive content was found (tax, financial, SSN, etc.)
Suspected Items
Items marked as "Suspected" have filenames containing sensitive keywords but could not be fully verified (e.g., the file content couldn't be read). Review these manually to determine if they need action.
Deleting Emails
To delete sensitive emails:
- Select emails using the checkboxes in the results table
- Click "Delete Selected"
- You'll be offered to download attachments or a CSV report before deleting
- Confirm the deletion to move the emails to Trash
Real-Time Monitoring (Shield/Family)
Shield and Family subscribers get continuous background monitoring and real-time outbound protection for both Gmail and Google Drive. ThunderSweep will:
- Inbound Gmail: Automatically scan incoming emails in the background and send you desktop alerts if sensitive information hits your inbox.
- Inbound Drive: Monitor your Google Drive for newly added or modified files containing sensitive data.
- Outbound Gmail: Scan attached files and email body text for PII (SSNs, credit card numbers, etc.) while you are composing an email.
- Show a warning banner inside the compose window if sensitive outbound content is detected.
Outbound scanning does not block sending — it's an informational warning so you can review your attachments before clicking Send.
Privacy & Security
- No Backend Servers: ThunderSweep is a standalone app that operates entirely within your local browser. We have no backend servers to collect, process, or store your data.
- Permissions are to the Tool, not the Developer: When you grant Google permissions, you are giving the tool running locally on your computer the ability to organize your files, not granting a person or remote company access to your data.
- 100% Local Processing: All scanning happens directly on your device. No email or Drive content is ever sent to external servers.
- ThunderSweep requests read-only access for scanning, plus modify access only for the Vaulting and delete features.
- Scan results are stored locally in your browser's storage and never uploaded anywhere.
- You can disconnect your account at any time from the extension popup.
- License validation uses Gumroad's API — only your license key is sent, never your email content.
Vault — Button Guide
File Actions (⋯ menu)
Open
Decrypts the file and opens it in a secure temporary preview. Nothing is permanently decrypted to your disk.
↩ Restore to Drive
Decrypts the file and places it back in your Google Drive as a regular file. Use this to permanently un-vault a document.
↩ Restore to Gmail
Puts an archived email back into your Gmail inbox, exactly as it was.
📥 Export .eml
Downloads an archived email as a standard .eml file you can open in any email client (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.).
📅 Set Expiry / Edit Expiry
Set a personal reminder date to review or remove a file from your Vault. This does not auto-delete the file or expire any shared link — it simply sends you a notification so you remember to take action. Useful for tax records you only need for 7 years, contracts with renewal deadlines, or any time-sensitive document you don't want to forget about.
🔗 TS Share
Securely send the file to another ThunderSweep user. Files are encrypted end-to-end — only the recipient can open them. Free plan: 5 sends/month. Shield: unlimited.
🏷️ Tags
Add custom labels to organise your files (e.g. "2024", "reviewed", "urgent"). Tags appear as filter shortcuts in the sidebar.
🗑️ Delete
Moves the file to Trash. Files in Trash can be restored for up to 30 days before permanent deletion.
Toolbar Buttons (Bulk Actions)
Select All
Checks all visible files so you can act on them in bulk. You can also check files individually using the checkbox on each row.
Restore Selected
Decrypts and restores all checked files to Google Drive in one go.
TS Share
Sends all checked files to a recipient as a single encrypted transfer. The recipient must have ThunderSweep installed to accept.
TSxport
Packages all checked files into a standard password-protected ZIP file. Ideal for sharing with someone who doesn't have ThunderSweep — they can open the ZIP with any standard app (7-Zip, WinZip, WinRAR, Keka). Set a strong password and share it separately from the file, never together.
Troubleshooting
Scan seems stuck or very slow
Large inboxes can take several minutes. If the scan shows no progress for over 60 seconds, try pausing and resuming, or close the popup and reopen it. Your scan progress is saved.
"Unable to connect" error
Make sure you're signed into Gmail in your browser. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your account. If using multiple Google accounts, ensure the correct one is selected.
No results found but I know I have sensitive emails
ThunderSweep scans emails from the last few years. Very old emails or emails with unsupported attachment types may not be detected. Try running the scan again — it will pick up where it left off.
Download or delete not working
These features require a paid plan (Scan Unlock, Shield, or Family). If you have a license key, enter it in the popup or dashboard sidebar to activate.
"You're offline" message
ThunderSweep needs an internet connection to access the Gmail API. Check your network connection and try again.
Extension not showing in toolbar
Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin ThunderSweep. If you don't see it, go to
chrome://extensions and make sure it's enabled.
Plans & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 scans/week, view up to 3 results per scan |
| Clean Sweep | $14.99 one-time | Unlock all results from one scan, download & delete |
| Shield | $4.99/mo | Unlimited scans, all results, real-time inbound & outbound monitoring, security score |
| Family | $9.99/mo | Everything in Shield for up to 5 Gmail accounts |
Managing Your Subscription
How do I cancel or unsubscribe?
Because ThunderSweep does not have backend servers or maintain user accounts, we do not store your payment information. All payments and subscriptions are handled securely through Gumroad.
If you need to cancel your Shield or Family subscription, you must do so directly through your Gumroad receipt or account:
- Open the email receipt you received from Gumroad when you purchased (Search your inbox for "ThunderSweep").
- Click the Manage membership or Generate License Key link.
- Click Cancel Subscription at the bottom of the page.