Guide

Storage and local-first guide

What ChalkReel saves, what stays local, how account sync works, why relinking happens, and how to manage storage.

Storage

Your source footage stays local

Uploading a video gives ChalkReel browser access for playback and recording without sending the original footage to a backend.

Review, annotation, and recording happen in your browser.
Your source file remains on your machine.
You choose when to download or share a finished exported breakdown.

Storage

What ChalkReel saves in your browser

ChalkReel stores the project information needed to reopen your workspace in the current browser profile. Signed-in accounts can also keep selected projects and finished recordings in the cloud.

Saved data includes settings, moments, clips, notes, tags, and the annotations and timing attached to saved moments or clips.
Annotations left only on the general canvas are not recovered unless you save them in a moment or clip.
Browser-produced recording artifacts may also be stored locally.
Final exports you want to keep should be downloaded to your machine.

Storage / Accounts

Cloud project sync is for editable project state

When you are signed in, you can choose which local projects sync to your account from the Studio header or Library. After a project has a cloud copy, future local saves update that private snapshot in the background.

Cloud projects include editable review state such as clips, moments, notes, timing, settings, and saved annotations.
Cloud projects do not upload the original source video or local recording files.
Unsync removes the cloud copy while keeping the local project in the current browser.
Restoring a cloud project puts it back in the Library; opening it may still ask you to relink the source video.

Storage / Accounts

Cloud recording sync is for finished takes

Signed-in users can save completed WebM recordings to their account from Review or sync local saved recordings from Library. This is separate from editable project sync and separate from public sharing.

Review can save a completed recording to your account, then use the same cloud control to remove that account copy while keeping the local recording.
Library can sync, unsync, restore, or remove account-owned recordings; Restore downloads the WebM back into local browser storage with available breakdown details.
Removing a cloud recording deletes the private cloud video and hides the account row from the app; active public share links must be removed first if they depend on that cloud recording.

Storage

Why source video relinking happens

Saved projects remember information about the source video, but browsers do not permanently embed arbitrary local files into a project.

Reopening a project may ask you to select its original source video again.
ChalkReel compares file metadata to help identify mismatched footage.
Relinking reconnects saved annotations and clips with the local video file.

Storage

Browser storage has limits

Local browser storage is convenient, but it is still controlled by your browser, browser profile, and device.

Clearing site data or using private browsing can remove saved projects and recordings.
Signed-in cloud projects and cloud recordings can be restored across browsers or devices, but source-video files stay on the device where they were selected.
Storage pressure may affect data the browser keeps available.

Storage

Manage and recover local work

Use Library to open projects, restore cloud projects or recordings, retrieve local recordings, and manage browser-held data.

Open saved projects or restore cloud projects, then relink original footage when prompted.
Restore cloud recordings when you need a finished take back on the current device.
Unsync removes an account copy while keeping the local item; Delete Local removes the browser copy while keeping the account copy.
Download recording exports you want to keep outside the browser.
Delete individual recordings or clear local data only after saving important work.