FAQ

Do I need an account?

No. The editor works immediately with notes stored in your browser. An account — GitHub — is what gives you a backup and sync across devices.

Where exactly are my notes?

Two places: IndexedDB in this browser, and .md files in your GitHub repository. Nowhere else. Your data.

Is it really free?

The editor is, permanently. Your notes live in your GitHub account, so there is no storage cost to pass on. Plans.

Is it open source?

Yes — Apache-2.0. github.com/praneeth132006/ForkLeaf.

Why does it want access to all my repositories?

repo is the narrowest classic OAuth scope that can write to a private repository; GitHub has no per-repository classic scope. It is also the only scope asked for — nothing about your profile, email, organisations or gists is requested alongside it. If you only keep public notes, public_repo is offered on the sign-in page as Public repositories only. Signing in.

Can I use a repository I already have?

Yes — any repository you can write to, on any branch, and optionally scoped to a single subdirectory. Repositories.

Can I edit the files outside ForkLeaf?

Yes. Edit them on github.com, in VS Code, in Obsidian, or with sed. ForkLeaf picks up the changes on its next sync.

Will it spam my commit history?

No. Consecutive edits are squashed into one commit under strict conditions. Syncing & commits.

Can it open a pull request instead of committing?

Yes. Propose changes in the status bar puts your edits on a branch and opens a pull request — including against a repository you cannot push to, which ForkLeaf forks for you first. What notes-as-commits gets you.

Does it work offline?

Fully. Writing, diagrams and exports all work with no network; changes queue and push on reconnect. Syncing.

Can two people edit the same note at once?

Not simultaneously. Concurrent edits are detected and you choose which version to keep, rather than being silently merged. Conflicts.

Which diagram types are supported?

Flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, state machines, ER diagrams, Gantt charts, mind maps, pie charts, user journeys, timelines, git graphs and quadrant charts. Diagrams.

Can I import from Notion, Obsidian or Bear?

Not through the app. Export Markdown from the other tool, commit it to your notes repository with git, and ForkLeaf will show it on the next sync.

Is there a mobile app?

No, but the web app works on a phone browser. The editor is intentionally desktop-first — the sidebar and properties panel collapse on small screens.

Can you read my notes?

No. There is no ForkLeaf database holding them, and note content is only ever in flight through the API proxy on its way to GitHub. Your data.

What is tracked?

Anonymous feature-usage events through Firebase Analytics — never note content, titles or repository names.

How do I delete everything?

Delete the repository on GitHub, clear site data in your browser, and revoke the OAuth app. Step-by-step in Your data.