- “I cleared my browser data.” The library lives in the browser profile. Only an export, a synced folder or a cloud copy survives this.
- “I deleted the document.” Deletion is immediate and local. Same three answers.
- “The laptop died.” Anything stored only on that disk is gone. Cloud Sync or a synced folder on an external drive.
- “I edited over the good version.” None of the sync layers is a version history. Dated exports, or the folder under Git, is the fix.
| Layer | What it protects against | Cost |
|---|---|---|
A .quorly export | Cleared site data, deleting the document, moving machines | Free, manual |
| Local Sync to a folder | Browser storage dying, a profile reset; also gives you plain files | Free, automatic |
| Cloud Sync to your Drive | Losing the device entirely | Quorly Pro |
Scroll the table sideways to read every column
The failure modes, and which layer covers them
Layer 1 — export a package
The .quorly export is the document plus its images in one file. It imports back exactly, and it is the format to use for an archive rather than a reader.
- Open the document, choose Export → .quorly, and save it somewhere you back up anyway — an external drive, a synced folder, a cloud folder.
- Do it monthly, and always before a browser update, a reinstall or a new machine.
- Name the file with a date if you want history:
novel-2026-11.quorly.
Layer 2 — Local Sync
Local Sync writes one .quorly file per document into a folder you choose, and reads changes back. Point it at a folder that is itself backed up or versioned, and the drafts become ordinary files with ordinary protection.
- Choose a folder that syncs to a second device or an external disk.
- Conflicts are surfaced rather than merged silently; when one appears, open both copies and keep the right one.
- An SD card is not a backup. A folder that also exists somewhere else is.
Layer 3 — Cloud Sync (Pro)
Pro writes the documents to your own Google Drive through a short-lived token. Quorly never receives the file, and the copy lives in an account you already control, with whatever history and retention Drive gives you.
The routine
- Daily: nothing. The editor saves as you type; Local Sync or Cloud Sync handles the copy.
- Weekly: glance at the synced folder — one file per document, names matching.
- Monthly: export a dated
.quorlyof anything you would hate to lose, and remove the oldest export. - Before a big change: export first, then update the browser, reinstall the app or move machines.
The rule that matters
Two copies, on two kinds of storage, one of them off the device. Everything above is a way of doing that without thinking about it every day. If the only copy of a chapter is in one browser on one laptop, it is not backed up — it is just nearby.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where do my drafts live?
In this browser: the open document in localStorage and the library in IndexedDB. The desktop app keeps its own separate store. Neither is a backup until a copy exists outside the device.
Does Local Sync keep versions?
No. Local Sync writes one .quorly file per document to a folder you choose and surfaces conflicts rather than merging them silently. It is a copy, not a version history; if you want history, keep dated exports or put the folder under version control.
Is Cloud Sync a backup?
It is a copy in your own Google Drive, so it survives losing the device. It is not a version history either: an overwritten file is overwritten in the cloud too. Treat it as one layer, not the whole plan.
Ready when you are
Start writing — free
Open the editor and try it on your own draft.