🗒️ Online Notepad

Distraction-free notepad with auto-save to your browser. Multiple notes, find & replace, .txt / .md export, JSON backup. No signup, 100% local, works offline.

What is Online Notepad?

A free online notepad that auto-saves every keystroke to your browser's local storage. Manage up to 50 separate notes side-by-side with a sidebar list, automatic title from the first non-blank line, search across all notes, distraction-free "Zen" mode, find & replace, and live word / character / line counts. Export individual notes as .txt or .md, or back up the entire notepad as a JSON file (and restore on another device). Nothing is ever uploaded, nothing requires an account, and the notepad works fully offline once the page is loaded. Built for quick scratchpads, drafting blog posts, capturing meeting notes, brainstorming, journaling, and any time you need a text editor without launching one.

How to Use

  1. Just start typing — the first non-blank line becomes the note title automatically.
  2. Click "+ New note" in the sidebar to create another note. Up to 50 notes are stored.
  3. Use the search box to filter notes by title or body content.
  4. Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F) to open Find & Replace; replace all instances in one click.
  5. Click "Zen" to enter distraction-free fullscreen mode — press Esc to exit.
  6. Export single notes as .txt or .md, or hit "Backup" for a JSON of all notes.

Why "online notepad" beats Notes / Word for quick text

Native notes apps (Apple Notes, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote) are great for long-term, cross-device note collections — but they all want you to sign in, sync to their cloud, and live inside their UI. For quick text capture — pasting a URL, jotting a phone number, drafting a paragraph — they are heavier than what the moment requires. A browser-based notepad is a one-tab solution that opens instantly, takes no setup, and never asks you to upgrade.

Microsoft Word and Google Docs are the opposite extreme: powerful but slow to launch, opinionated about formatting, and built for documents you intend to keep. For a 30-second scratchpad they are absurd overkill. This tool fits the sweet spot in between — more persistent than a buffer, lighter than Word, and works on any device with a browser.

When to back up vs. when to trust localStorage

localStorage is reliable for everyday use — modern browsers do not casually wipe it. The risks worth planning for:

  • Clearing browser data — happens accidentally when troubleshooting; happens deliberately when you wipe a device. Both wipe localStorage with no recovery.
  • Browser switch / device loss — localStorage is per-domain per-browser. A new browser starts empty.
  • Quota errors on huge notes — if you push a single note past about 4 MB, the browser may refuse the save.
  • Long-term archival — notes you actually want to keep for years should not live only in browser storage.

For everyday scratchpad use, no backup is needed. For anything you would mourn losing, back up monthly.

Distraction-free writing with Zen mode

Zen mode hides the sidebar and chrome — leaving just your text on a clean canvas. Press Esc to exit. The mode is built for first-draft writing, where stopping to switch notes or run find & replace breaks flow. The same auto-save runs in the background, so every word you type is still being persisted.

For long-form writing, the typical workflow: open the note you want to expand, hit Zen, write 10-30 minutes uninterrupted, hit Esc to come back to the full UI for editing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are my notes stored?

In your browser's localStorage — a per-domain storage area that stays on your device. Notes are not synced across devices, are not uploaded, and are not visible to anyone but you on this browser. They survive refreshes and restarts but will be lost if you clear browser data, switch browsers, or use a different device. For cross-device access, use the Backup button to download as JSON, then Restore on the other device.

How private are my notes?

Very. Nothing is ever uploaded — disable your network connection and the notepad continues to work normally. The only places your text exists are: (1) browser localStorage on this device, (2) anything you explicitly download via Export or Backup. Operators of this site cannot read your notes; advertisers cannot read your notes. The flip side is that there is no recovery — if you clear browser data the notes go with it.

Can I use this offline?

Yes — once the page has loaded once, the notepad works offline. The HTML, JS, and CSS are cached by your browser, and all storage is local. Useful on planes, in remote areas, or on devices with intermittent connections.

Does the auto-save have a delay?

About 350 ms after your last keystroke — enough to debounce rapid typing, but fast enough that a quick switch to another tab almost never loses work. The save indicator at the top shows "Saving…" briefly, then "Saved" for 1.5 seconds, then fades to the timestamp of your last edit.

How many notes can I store?

Up to 50 notes total. The cap exists because browser localStorage is typically limited to about 5-10 MB per domain. Long notes may push the limit; if you need more, export old notes as .txt files and delete them.

Can I get my notes back if I clear my browser?

Only if you backed them up first. localStorage is wiped when you clear "site data" in browser settings. Treat the Backup button as your insurance — a JSON file you save once a week takes 2 seconds and protects against any accidental wipe.

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