Do I need an account?
No. A vault is a local folder. Optional AI assistance uses a random per-install token for rate limiting, not a user account.
Can I read the notes without sudonotes?
Yes. They are Markdown with a small frontmatter header under prompts/ and ideas/.
Does it save automatically?
Yes. Saves are queued after edits and flushed on close. Ctrl/Cmd + S forces a pending save immediately.
Does sudonotes sync devices?
No. You may place the vault in a synced folder, but the current app does not merge simultaneous edits. Let one device finish syncing before editing on another.
Where are backups?
Outside the vault in the app data directory. Settings shows the exact path. A .bak is a ZIP and
can be restored into a new empty folder.
Does local-first mean no network?
Core editing and storage are local. AI assistance sends the current note when enabled and invoked; the model catalog and update checker make metadata-only requests. See Privacy.
Do I need my own AI API key?
No. The optional sudonotes service holds the provider key. Turning AI assistance off leaves all core note features available.
Does choosing a model run the prompt?
No. It records intent and lets review consider model metadata. Copy the prompt into the tool where you intend to run it.
What is IDEAS.md?
It is the uppercase project-root mirror created when you link a vault idea to a project. The vault note is canonical; the mirror makes context available beside the code and is normally gitignored.
Will a coding agent automatically implement IDEAS.md?
No. A local agent can read the file only with project access, and the file grants no authority by itself. Give an explicit, bounded handoff.
Is there a browser app?
Not yet. The current product is the desktop app. Browser behavior described in the docs is visibly marked planned.
Can I delete .sudonotes/?
Yes, while the app is closed, if you accept that search rebuilds and the vault AI preference resets to on. Your note content is elsewhere, but making a backup first is still sensible.