Online Notepad
Open the page, start typing, and your notes are saved in your browser a moment after you stop. You get live word, character and line counts, a one-click copy, and a plain .txt download. There is nothing to install, nothing is uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up.
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Characters
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Your Notes Stay on Your Device
Everything you type is stored only in this browser, on this device, using local storage. Nothing is uploaded to a server and we cannot see what you write. That also means your notes won't follow you to another browser or device, and clearing your browsing data will erase them — so browser storage is not a substitute for real backups. For anything you can't afford to lose, use Download .txt and keep a copy somewhere you back up.
How to Use the Online Notepad
- 1. Type in the box. There is one note, in plain text. Your words are saved to this browser about half a second after you stop typing, so there is no Save button.
- 2. Watch the counts. Words, characters and lines update as you write, underneath the box.
- 3. Take it with you. Copy All puts the whole note on your clipboard, and Download .txt saves it as notes.txt in UTF-8 on your device.
- 4. Start fresh. Clear asks twice: the first press changes the button to Really clear?, and the second deletes the note and its saved copy. Typing anything cancels the question.
What the Three Counts Measure
- Words are runs of characters separated by spaces, tabs or line breaks. A hyphenated word counts as one and a dash set off by spaces counts as one more.
- Characters are everything in the box, including spaces and line breaks. Some characters, such as many emoji, count as two.
- Lines are the pieces of text between line breaks you typed with Enter, blank lines included. A paragraph that only wraps on screen is one line.
Example
You type
Three lines: Buy milk, an empty line, then Call Sam
Words
4
Characters
18 — two eight-letter lines plus two line breaks
Lines
3 — the blank line counts
For counts that follow the rules of an essay brief, with options and a reading-time estimate, use the Word Counter instead.
Where Your Notes Live, and How They Can Disappear
The note is stored in your browser's local storage, which belongs to this site and this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to CitationEasy. That has consequences you should plan for:
- Another browser or device sees nothing. Local storage is not synced.
- Clearing site data deletes it. So does a private or incognito window, where stored data is usually discarded when the window closes.
- Safari can delete it. With cross-site tracking prevention on, Safari removes script-created data from a site you have not clicked or tapped in for seven days of browser use.
- Space is limited. Browsers typically allow about 5 MiB per site, far more than text needs, but not unlimited.
- Two tabs share one note. Whichever tab saved last wins, so keep it open in one tab.
Download anything you cannot lose
Treat the notepad as a scratch pad. Before you close the tab on something that matters, download the .txt or paste it into a document you back up.
Which Tool Do You Need?
| If you want… | Use |
|---|---|
| A plain place to jot, keep and download notes | This Online Notepad |
| To write non-stop for a set time, with no backspace if you choose | Freewriting Tool |
| Detailed counts and a reading-time estimate | Word Counter |
| Your text read aloud | Text to Speech |
| Fixed work and break periods for a writing session | Pomodoro Timer |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where are my notes saved?
- In your browser's local storage on this device, under this site. They are not uploaded, and CitationEasy cannot read them. The save happens about half a second after you stop typing. If the browser blocks local storage, the page still works and says that saving is unavailable.
- Will my notes still be here tomorrow?
- Usually, if you use the same browser on the same device and do not clear site data. They will be gone if you clear your browsing data, use a private window, or switch browsers or devices. Safari with tracking prevention on can also remove them if you do not visit the site for seven days of browser use.
- Can I keep more than one note?
- No. The notepad holds a single note. To keep several, download each as a .txt file and then Clear, or paste each into a separate document of your own.
- How do I download or copy my notes?
- Press Download .txt to save the whole note as notes.txt, a plain text file that opens in any editor. Press Copy All to put it on your clipboard. Both buttons are greyed out while the box is empty.
- Is the online notepad safe for passwords or private information?
- It is not a vault. The text is stored unencrypted in your browser, so anyone who can open this browser profile on your device can read it. Do not keep passwords or other secrets in it.
- Is the online notepad free?
- Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser.