We built the Shopping Buddy to do exactly one job — check products against your plan — and nothing more. Here’s precisely what it can and can’t see, so you can shop with confidence.
What it can see
- The product names that are already visible on the Instacart page you’re viewing.
- It sends those visible product names to VitalPlate to score them against your plan, then shows the Avoid or Caution verdicts back on the page.
What it can’t see or touch
- Your cart. The Shopping Buddy never reads, adds to, or changes your Instacart cart. It’s read-only.
- Your Instacart login. It never touches your Instacart account, password, or payment details.
- Other websites. It runs only on Instacart and on VitalPlate’s own site — nowhere else.
Read-only means read-only: the Shopping Buddy looks at visible product names and shows you verdicts. It does not act on your behalf or place orders.
Where it runs
| Site | Active? |
|---|---|
| Instacart | Yes — reads visible product names and shows verdicts. |
| VitalPlate’s own site | Yes — so it can connect to your account and plan. |
| Every other website | No — the Shopping Buddy does nothing. |
Your account and your data
- A VitalPlate account is required — you sign in with the same passwordless email code as the app, so verdicts reflect your own health profile.
- VitalPlate does not collect or sell personal data. The visible product names are sent only to score them against your plan.
- The scoring is the same engine the app uses — see Understanding your food scores and Nutrients we check.
The Shopping Buddy is decision support, not medical advice — it flags foods to avoid, but it doesn’t recommend foods, and the final choice is always yours. Questions about your data? Contact support.