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Privacy

Where Deckle keeps your files: browser storage vs downloads

By DeckleUpdated

Deckle keeps the documents you open, and the results you create, in your browser's private storage for the site, so a reload or a closed tab can come back to the same work. A downloaded PDF is a separate file in your own folders. The two are independent: closing a document in Deckle or clearing the site's data removes the browser copy and leaves your downloads alone. Browser storage is not a backup, so download anything you want to keep.

Merge PDF

Three different privacy tasks

Password

Controls access

Metadata

Document properties

Redaction

Selected page content

Choose the change; inspect the saved copy

Conceptual comparison · access, properties and content require separate checks. No single task certifies complete privacy.

Browser storage vs downloaded file

Deckle's browser storage Your downloaded file
Where it lives Private storage for the Deckle site, inside your browser profile Your downloads folder, or wherever you saved it
Who can see it Deckle in that browser; other websites cannot read it Anyone with access to the folder
How long it lasts Until you close the document, clear site data, or the browser frees space Until you delete it
Visible in your file manager No Yes
Moves to other devices No Yes, if you copy, sync or send it
Purpose Convenience while you work The file you keep and share

How to download and keep a result

  1. Run the tool and wait for the result screen and its "Verified:" line.
  2. Choose the download button. Tools that produce several files offer each one, or all of them as one ZIP.
  3. Wait for your browser to show the download as complete.
  4. Open your downloads folder and find the file. Deckle adds a word to the name, such as "(protected)" or "(clean)", so it does not overwrite the original.
  5. Open the file in your PDF reader to check it.

Until a file appears in your folder and opens, treat it as not saved.

How to remove files from the browser

  • Close a document in Deckle's workspace. It is removed from browser storage. If it has results you have not downloaded, Deckle asks first.
  • Clear this site's data in your browser's settings. That removes everything Deckle has stored in that browser. In Chrome and Edge, look under site settings; in Safari, under website data in the privacy settings; in Firefox, under cookies and site data.
  • Private or incognito windows keep site storage only for that session and discard it when the window closes. Some browsers limit storage in private windows; if Deckle cannot use it, it says "Browser storage is unavailable. Try a normal browser window."

None of these touch files you have downloaded. Delete those in your file manager if they should not stay on the device.

When the browser clears storage itself

Browsers limit how much each site can store and can free space when the disk runs low. Clearing browsing history with "cookies and site data" selected also removes it. If that happens, open documents and undownloaded results are gone from Deckle, while the original files on your device and your downloads are unaffected. Choose the file again to start over.

Shared and public computers

Anyone who uses the same browser profile can reach what is stored for the site. On a shared, work or library computer:

  • download the results you need, then close every document in Deckle,
  • delete downloads you no longer need from the downloads folder,
  • or use a private window, which discards site storage when it closes, if your browser lets Deckle store files there.

Continue working without downloading

You can carry a result straight into another tool without downloading it first, for example merge files and then protect the merged copy. Each step creates a new version, and you can go back to the original. Only the final file needs to be downloaded.

Tips

  • Download as soon as you are happy with a result. It is the only copy you control.
  • Keep the original separate. Deckle never changes the file you chose, so it stays wherever it was.
  • Rename downloads clearly. "(unlocked)" or "(clean)" in a name tells you which version you are sending.
  • Do not rely on the workspace as an archive. Storage can be cleared by the browser without warning.

Frequently asked questions

Does Deckle store my files on a server?

No. Open documents and results are stored in your browser on your device. The files are not uploaded.

Will clearing my browser history delete my downloaded PDFs?

No. Downloaded files are ordinary files in your folders. Clearing site data removes only what Deckle stored in the browser.

Why is my document gone when I come back?

The browser may have cleared the site's storage, or you used a private window, or a different browser or profile. Choose the original file again.

Can someone else see my Deckle files on my computer?

Anyone who can use your browser profile can open Deckle and see open documents. Close them on shared computers.

Related tools

Sources