Your notes stay on your device.

Scratchpad is a local-only notes app. There is no account to create, no server to send your notes to, and no telemetry. This page describes exactly what that means in practice.

The short version

Your notes are stored in this browser using IndexedDB. Nothing leaves the device.
There is no backend. There are no servers we operate that process your content.
There are no analytics, no trackers, no advertising IDs, no third-party scripts.
No requests are made to any external service while you use the app.
If you clear site data or use private browsing, your notes are deleted.

What we store, and where

Scratchpad stores only the local state needed to run the app and protect your work.

Your notes — kept in the browser's IndexedDB database named scratchpad, in an object store called notes. Each note holds its id, title, body, tags, pinned flag, folder, and timestamps.
Folders — kept in the same IndexedDB database, in a folders object store. Each folder holds its id, name, optional color, and sort position.
Drafts and revision history — kept in the same IndexedDB database, in drafts and revisions object stores. Drafts support unsaved-edit recovery. Scratchpad keeps up to ten saved revisions per note.
App preferences — small localStorage entries remember the theme, first-visit state, backup-reminder timing, and sidebar layout (how notes are grouped and which folders are collapsed). They do not contain note content.
Offline app files — the service worker may cache Scratchpad's own HTML, CSS, JavaScript, icons, and manifest. Note content remains in IndexedDB and is not placed in the offline cache.

This data is scoped to this origin. Other sites cannot read it; we cannot read it. Tabs on this origin exchange note ids, timestamps, and change types so Scratchpad can detect edit conflicts, but note titles and bodies are not sent through that channel or off the device.

Storage protection

Where supported, About → Protect local data asks the browser to make this origin's storage persistent. The browser decides whether to grant the request. Persistent storage reduces automatic eviction risk, but it does not replace backups and does not prevent you from clearing site data yourself.

What we don't do

No accounts. There is nothing to sign up for. There is no identity.
No sync. Notes live only in this browser, on this device.
No analytics or telemetry. We don't count visits, clicks, or sessions.
No third-party scripts. Every script and stylesheet is served from the same origin as the app.
No external fonts. Typography uses platform-native fonts only — nothing is fetched from a font CDN.
No cookies. Scratchpad does not set any cookies.

Your data, your control

Use About → Export backup (JSON) for a portable copy of your notes, Trash, and revision history. An encrypted backup protects the same data with a passphrase using the browser's local cryptography APIs. The passphrase and encryption key are never stored; a forgotten passphrase cannot be recovered. You can also export active notes as Markdown or import one or more .md files.

Deleting a note moves it to Trash, where it stays recoverable for 30 days. After that, Scratchpad permanently removes the note along with its drafts and revision history. "Delete forever" and "Empty Trash" remove notes immediately, with no recovery.

Use About → Erase local data and type ERASE to remove every note, draft, revision, folder, and Scratchpad preference from this browser. Clearing site data in browser settings has the same effect and also removes the offline app cache.

Hosting

Scratchpad is delivered as static files from a content delivery network. The host can see the request for index.html and related assets (this is how the web works), but it never sees the contents of your notes — those never leave your browser.

Children's privacy

Scratchpad does not collect personal information from anyone, including children. There is no account, no profile, and no contact form.

Changes to this policy

If the privacy posture of the app ever changes — for example, if an optional sync feature were added later — this page would be updated and would describe the new behavior in plain terms. Any such change would remain opt-in.

Questions

Scratchpad is built by Vinny Carpenter. If something on this page is unclear, the source code is the authoritative record of what the app actually does.