Private Markdown editing
Private Online Markdown Editor: What Stays in Your Browser?
By KenRich · Last updated: August 15, 2026
An online Markdown editor should make it clear what happens to your draft. This guide explains browser-local editing, analytics consent, downloads, and when a desktop app is the better choice for long-term files.
The short answer
VeloWrite's normal web editor does not upload the Markdown you type to VeloWrite servers. The browser keeps the working draft in local storage on the same device, which lets a refresh recover the draft without creating an account.
That is useful for a quick draft, but it is not the same as a backup. Browser storage can be cleared, is tied to one browser profile, and should not be the only copy of an important document.
# Draft boundary
## In the browser
- Type and preview a Markdown draft
- Keep the working copy in local browser storage
- Download the source when it matters
## On your device
- Keep the real `.md` file in a folder you control
- Use the desktop app for local open and saveDraft boundary
In the browser
- Type and preview a Markdown draft
- Keep the working copy in local browser storage
- Download the source when it matters
On your device
- Keep the real
.mdfile in a folder you control - Use the desktop app for local open and save
NoteThe browser is a convenient starting point. The downloaded Markdown file is the durable source.
Browser-local drafts are convenient, not permanent
Local browser storage is a good fit for a short note, a temporary outline, or a document you are still deciding whether to keep. It avoids an account and keeps the first step low friction.
It is a weaker fit for a long manuscript, a client document, or a project knowledge base. Download the Markdown source regularly, or move the document to the desktop app once it becomes part of your normal work.
Analytics is separate from your Markdown draft
VeloWrite asks before loading its optional analytics and performance scripts. If you decline or do not choose, those scripts are not loaded. This can make traffic and performance dashboards show fewer visits than the actual site receives.
That consent choice does not upload the text of your Markdown draft. It controls whether basic site usage and performance signals are sent to the analytics service. You can review the policy before making a choice.
| Action | What it affects |
| --- | --- |
| Write a draft | Your local browser editing state |
| Download Markdown | A file saved by your browser |
| Allow analytics | Optional site usage and performance signals |
| Decline analytics | No optional analytics scripts for that browser || Action | What it affects |
|---|---|
| Write a draft | Your local browser editing state |
| Download Markdown | A file saved by your browser |
| Allow analytics | Optional site usage and performance signals |
| Decline analytics | No optional analytics scripts for that browser |
NoteThe document workflow and the optional measurement workflow are separate.
Download the source before you share the result
Markdown download preserves the editable source. HTML export helps when another tool needs rendered markup, and PDF export gives you a fixed review copy. Each output serves a different purpose.
For an important document, keep the `.md` source beside any HTML or PDF export. If the export needs correction later, the source is the file you can edit instead of trying to recover text from a finished PDF.
```text
project-notes/
├── project-notes.md
├── project-notes.html
└── project-notes.pdf
```project-notes/
├── project-notes.md
├── project-notes.html
└── project-notes.pdf
NoteThe Markdown file remains the editable source; HTML and PDF are review or delivery copies.
When a desktop Markdown editor is the better choice
Use the VeloWrite desktop preview when you need to open and save files in a local folder, work without a network connection, keep recent files, or review local history snapshots.
The desktop app does not turn the document into a cloud record by default. It works with files on your device, so your normal backup habits still matter: Git, a backup drive, File History, Time Machine, or a synced folder can protect the source outside the editor.
A practical privacy check before you start
Decide how sensitive the document is, whether the browser is an appropriate place for the first draft, and where the durable source will live. For a private note, local browser editing may be enough. For a work document, download the source and keep it in the project folder.
If you are unsure, start with a non-sensitive sample. Confirm the editor behavior, export the file, inspect the result, and then choose the workflow you want for real documents.
## Before writing something important
1. Decide whether a browser draft is appropriate.
2. Keep personal or confidential details out of a disposable test.
3. Download the `.md` source before closing the tab.
4. Store the source in a folder you already back up.
5. Use the desktop app when local files and offline work matter.Before writing something important
- Decide whether a browser draft is appropriate.
- Keep personal or confidential details out of a disposable test.
- Download the
.mdsource before closing the tab. - Store the source in a folder you already back up.
- Use the desktop app when local files and offline work matter.
NotePrivacy is easier to manage when the storage decision is made before the document becomes important.