# Storage and backups > Understand where your boards live, keep the browser from clearing them, and check storage health. Source: https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/boards/storage Last verified: 2026-10-23 (checked against FlashBoards app build e22c9a305) Your boards and imported media live in your browser on this device. If the browser clears its data, those files can disappear. Generated outputs are also kept on our servers for a limited time. See [Generation history and errors](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/generation/history-and-errors.md). ## When your data can be lost Local files may be gone if you: * clear browser data or site storage, * use a private or incognito window, * switch to a different browser or device, * run low on disk space, so the browser cleans up on its own. ## Ask the browser to keep your data FlashBoards asks the browser to protect your boards. If it says no, you see **Browser storage may not persist between sessions**. Nothing is lost yet, but the browser may clear files later. ### Chrome and Edge #### Step 1: Open site data settings Open browser **Settings**, then **Privacy and security**, **Site settings**, **On-device site data**. #### Step 2: Keep saving enabled Keep **Allow sites to save data on your device** on. #### Step 3: Add FlashBoards Under **Allowed to save data on your device**, click **Add** and enter `flashboards.yaroflasher.com`. Chrome and Edge decide automatically, so the message may still appear, but the setting lowers the risk. ### Firefox When Firefox asks, click **Allow**. If you dismissed the prompt, open the site permissions for FlashBoards and allow offline storage. ### Safari Safari has no prompt and may clear data for sites you haven't visited for a while. Back up more often. ## Storage warnings When storage runs low, the triangle on the board-name button turns amber (**Browser storage is getting full**) or red (**Browser storage is almost full**). Open the **Boards** dropdown, click the banner, then **Check Health**. The question-mark icon opens the storage health guide. **Settings → Health** uses its own rules, so it may not match this warning exactly. ## Board Health **Board Health** checks one board's media. It can rescue files that so far exist only in the open tab. ### Step 1: Open it Click the archive icon in the **Boards** dropdown, then **Check board health** on the board's row. If a notice at the top says **N media items can still be recovered before reload**, click **Review** instead. ### Step 2: Review the groups Items are grouped as recoverable before reload, saved copy unreadable, or not saved on this device. ### Step 3: Restore Click **Restore** on a row, or **Restore all**, then **Check again** to confirm. **Local media looks healthy.** means the board's local media passed the storage check. It does not verify a backup or remote media. A board with no local media shows **No local files need recovery. Remote media and other board items are not stored here.** If a restore fails, free some space or close heavy tabs and retry, or export the board. Board Health never deletes anything. ![The Board Health window showing saved, recoverable, broken, missing and remote media counts](https://media.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/board-health-modal.w1120.49d7d7e7.webp) > **Warning: Reloading loses unsaved media.** Media shown as recoverable exists only in this tab. Restore it or export the board before you reload the page. ## Check storage health Open **Settings** and select **Health**. ![Settings, Health tab, with localStorage and IndexedDB usage](https://media.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/storage-health-tab.w1400.ed0e1854.webp) **Storage Usage** shows space used by boards and settings (**localStorage**, about 5 MB at most), by media (**IndexedDB**) and by caches, plus **Per-board Media Usage**. Click **Refresh** to update. ### Analyze and clean the board library ### Step 1: Analyze Under **Board library diagnostics**, click **Analyze localStorage**. It looks for empty or missing media and broken links. ### Step 2: Clean broken items If it finds issues, click **Clean Broken Library Items**, then **Clean Library**. A backup is saved first, so you can undo it. ### Remove unused media Under **Find unused media**, click **Analyze**. If it finds unused media, click **Clean Up**, then **Delete All**. Media you started using in the meantime is kept. You can't clean up while boards are loading or a generation is running. In a browser, close other FlashBoards tabs first. While another tab is open, even in the background, the button reads **Close other FlashBoards tabs to clean up storage** and is disabled. **Clear Image Cache** and **Clear Thumbnails** free memory straight away, with no confirmation. > **Warning: Back up before cleanup.** Health can't recover media your browser has already removed. Export boards first, then clean up. ### Export a debug file for support In **Health**, click **Export Storage Debug File** on the **Storage debug file** card. Send the downloaded report to support. ## Remote board storage Published boards use server space, not your browser. **Settings → Storage** shows the **Remote board storage** meter with space used and available. See [Publish a board](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/sharing/publish.md#storage-quota) for per-plan sizes. ## Back up regularly * Export important boards as `.refboard` archives. See [Import and export](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/boards/import-export.md). * Compress heavy videos before importing. See [Media tools](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/media-tools.md). * Download generated outputs before they expire. * If storage is full, export old boards, then delete unused boards or large media. In a browser, media from deleted boards is freed only when FlashBoards is open in a single tab; otherwise close the other tabs and run **Clean Up**. ### Details for troubleshooting - The Boards dropdown warns at 70% full for board data and 75% for overall browser storage, and turns red at 90%. - If a restore fails, the message says whether the file can't be read or browser storage is unavailable. - If a cleanup can't be saved because storage is full, it is undone in that tab. Export a debug file and contact support. - Thumbnails can't be cleared while another FlashBoards tab is using them. - Automatic space recovery when storage is full also runs only when FlashBoards is open in one tab. - If browser board data is cleared or damaged while FlashBoards is open, the open tab restores your boards on the next change. Media the browser already removed can't be restored. ## For agents A connected agent can inspect a summary of storage use and health with `execute_board_action` (`getStorageHealth`) while your local board is open. This only reads the diagnostics; use **Settings → Health** yourself to recover files or clean up. See [Archives and storage](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/integrations/mcp.md#archives-and-storage). ## Related - [Board Archives](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/boards/board-archives.md) - [Import and export](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/boards/import-export.md) - [Settings](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/account/settings.md) - [Troubleshooting](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/reference/troubleshooting.md)