Where Does Standard Notes Store Local Data?
Standard Notes desktop keeps its encrypted database in Electron's userData folder. Local data paths and backup locations for every OS.
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Standard Notes is an Electron app, so its local data follows Electron's userData convention: the appData directory with Standard Notes appended. That folder holds the encrypted local database, session state and Chromium storage. Your notes also exist on the sync server, but the local copy is what the app actually reads.
Backups are a first-class feature rather than an afterthought. The desktop app writes automatic encrypted backups daily while running, and the location is shown under Preferences, Backups with an Open Location button. For a full export, the same screen downloads encrypted or decrypted backups on demand.
Where Standard Notes stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\Standard Notes
Standard Electron userData location. Holds the encrypted database, IndexedDB state and Cache folders. Reinstalls are safe: sign back in and the database rebuilds from sync. Automatic backup location is shown in-app under Preferences, Backups.
~/Library/Application Support/Standard Notes
Confirmed by Standard Notes' own reinstall advice, which names this exact folder. Delete it for a true clean slate, after exporting a backup. Chromium Cache and GPUCache subfolders can grow large; they are safe to clear while the app is closed.
~/.config/Standard Notes
Follows Electron's $XDG_CONFIG_HOME or ~/.config convention. Same contents as other platforms: encrypted database plus Chromium storage. If the app fails at startup with a userData error, an unset or odd XDG_CONFIG_HOME is worth checking first.
Frequently asked questions
does standard notes work offline
Yes. The desktop and mobile apps work fully offline, and sync catches up when connectivity returns. Offline copies are part of the design, not an accident. Keep the automatic backup location in mind anyway, since sync is not a versioned archive.
how do i restore notes after reinstalling standard notes
Sign back in on the fresh install. Your notes re-download from sync and the local database rebuilds. Anything created offline after your last sync is the only thing at risk, which is exactly what the automatic encrypted backups in Preferences, Backups protect.
where are standard notes automatic backups
In the desktop app under Preferences, Backups, the automatic encrypted backups section shows the current location with an Open Location button. Download a manual backup from the same screen in encrypted or decrypted form; decrypted exports arrive as a zip of plain-text notes.
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