Getting Started

Welcome to Claspt — a personal notes vault that combines markdown note-taking with AES-256 encrypted secret storage. This guide walks you through everything you need to get up and running.

Download and Install

Claspt is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Download the latest version from the home page.

macOS

1. Download the .dmg file.
2. Open the disk image and drag Claspt into your Applications folder.
3. On first launch, macOS may show a security prompt — click Open to confirm.

Note

Claspt is code-signed and notarized for macOS. If Gatekeeper still blocks the app, right-click the app icon and choose Open.

Windows

1. Download the .msi installer.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. Claspt appears in your Start menu after installation.

Linux

1. Download the .deb (Debian/Ubuntu) or .AppImage (other distros) package.
2. For .deb: install with sudo dpkg -i claspt_*.deb.
3. For .AppImage: make it executable (chmod +x Claspt_*.AppImage) and run it directly.

Create a Vault

When you open Claspt for the first time, you’ll be guided through vault creation.

Step 1: Choose a Location

By default, your vault lives at ~/Claspt/. You can pick any directory — a Dropbox folder, an external drive, wherever you like. This is a regular directory on your filesystem; your notes are portable .md files.

Step 2: Set a Master Password

Your master password protects all encrypted secrets in the vault. Claspt uses it to derive an encryption key via Argon2id (a memory-hard key derivation function), which then encrypts a randomly generated 256-bit master key.

Password requirements:

• Minimum 8 characters
• We recommend a passphrase — something long and memorable

Danger

There is no password recovery. If you forget your master password, your encrypted secrets cannot be decrypted. Write it down and store it somewhere safe, or use a password manager.

Step 3: Save Your Recovery Key

After vault creation, Claspt shows you a recovery key. This is a one-time backup that can restore access to your vault if you need to reset your password.

Caution

Copy your recovery key immediately and store it in a safe place (e.g., a password manager, a printed note in a secure location). It is only shown once during vault creation.

What Gets Created

Once you click Create Vault, Claspt sets up this directory structure:

~/Claspt/
  general/                  ← default folder for your pages
  .securenotes/
    config.json             ← vault configuration
    vault.key               ← your encrypted master key (never synced)
    index/                  ← local search index
  .git/                     ← auto-initialized for version history

The vault is also initialized as a Git repository for automatic version history.

UI Tour

Claspt’s interface has four main areas:

Sidebar (Left)

The sidebar is your navigation hub:

• Folder tree — Browse and manage folders. Click a folder to filter the page list.
• Page list — Shows all pages in the selected folder (or all pages if no folder is selected). Pinned pages appear at the top.
• New page button (+) — Create a new page with Cmd+N / Ctrl+N.
• Sort controls — Sort pages by title, date created, or date updated (ascending or descending).
• Density toggle — Switch between compact and comfortable spacing.

Editor (Center)

A CodeMirror 6 markdown editor with:

• Live syntax highlighting for headings, bold, italic, code, and more
• Heading gutter (decorations for h1 through h6)
• Secret block cards that render inline
• Split view (Cmd+\) for side-by-side editing and preview
• Preview mode (Cmd+/) for read-only rendered markdown

Inspector Panel (Right)

Toggle the inspector with Cmd+I / Ctrl+I to see:

• Page metadata — Title, folder, created/updated timestamps
• Tags — Add, remove, and manage tags for the current page
• Version history — Browse Git commits for the current page and restore previous versions

Toolbar

The toolbar at the top of the editor provides quick access to:

• Formatting (bold, italic, headings, code, lists)
• Secret block insertion
• Split view and preview toggles
• Page actions (pin, archive, delete)

Write Your First Note

1. Click the + button in the sidebar or press Cmd+N / Ctrl+N.
2. Type a title at the top of the page.
3. Start writing markdown in the editor.

Here’s some example formatting to try:

# Meeting Notes

**Project:** Website Redesign
**Date:** 2025-01-15

## Action Items

- [ ] Finalize color palette
- [ ] Review wireframes with the team
- [x] Set up staging environment

## Notes

The team agreed on a *minimalist* approach. Key quote:

> "Less is more — focus on content density."

### Tech Stack

| Layer    | Choice       |
|----------|-------------|
| Frontend | React + Tailwind |
| Backend  | Rust (Tauri) |
| Database | SQLite       |

Your page is saved automatically. Every change triggers a Git auto-commit (batched in 5-second windows), so you always have a full history.

Store Your First Secret

Secrets are encrypted values stored directly inside your markdown files. Only you can decrypt them with your master password.

Using the Template Picker (Recommended)

1. Press Cmd+Shift+S / Ctrl+Shift+S to open the secret template picker.
2. Choose a template:

Template	Use Case
Password	Website logins, app passwords
API Key	Service tokens, developer keys
Credit Card	Card numbers, expiry, CVV
SSH Key	Private keys
Env Variable	Environment config values
License Key	Software licenses
Recovery Code	2FA backup codes
Custom	Anything else

3. Fill in the label and value.
4. The secret appears as an inline card in your editor, immediately encrypted with AES-256-GCM.

Viewing and Copying Secrets

• Click a locked secret card to reveal its value.
• Click the copy button to copy the value to your clipboard (auto-cleared after 30 seconds).
• Secrets auto-hide after 30 seconds of being revealed.
• Click again or press Escape to re-lock immediately.

Tip

Secret labels are searchable (so you can find “AWS Access Key” via search), but secret values are never indexed — by design.

What Happens on Disk

In your .md file, the secret block looks like this:

:::secret[AWS Access Key]
enc:v1:aGVsbG8gd29ybGQ...
:::

The enc:v1: prefix indicates an encrypted value. Each block gets a unique nonce on every save, so even unchanged secrets produce different ciphertext.

Next Steps

You’re up and running! Here are some guides to explore next:

• Folders and Organization — Structure your vault with folders, pins, and archives.
• Tags — Label pages for cross-cutting organization.
• Search — Find anything in your vault instantly.
• Editor and Markdown — Deep dive into the editor, media attachments, and full-body encryption.
• Themes and Appearance — Customize colors, themes, and UI scale.
• Secret Blocks — Advanced secret block usage and the :::secret syntax.
• Security Model — Technical deep-dive into the cryptographic architecture.
• Keyboard Shortcuts — Full shortcut reference.