The etchKit panel stores all user preferences and data in the browser’s localStorage. Nothing is saved to the database or to the server.

Storage keys #

The panel uses the following localStorage keys:

etchkit_prefs stores an object with three properties: viewMode (list or grid), layoutMode (sidebar or full-width), and sortMode (the active sort option). These are restored every time you open the panel so your preferred layout persists across sessions.

etchkit_favorites is an array of item IDs that you have starred. Starring an item adds its ID here. Unstarring removes it.

etchkit_custom holds an array of custom item objects created through the panel UI. Each object contains all the fields you filled in when creating the item (name, type, category, JSON, etc.).

etchkit_recent is an array of up to 10 item IDs representing the most recently opened items, newest first. Opening an item’s detail view adds it to this list.

etchkit_usage is an object mapping item IDs to copy counts. Every time you click Copy JSON on an item, its count increments. This data drives the “Most used” sort option.

etchkit_tool_swatches stores the last-used state of the Color Swatches tool as an object with color and name properties. When you reopen the tool, it picks up where you left off.

Error handling #

All localStorage reads and writes are wrapped in try/catch blocks. If the browser blocks storage access (private browsing mode, quota exceeded, or storage disabled), the panel continues to work normally. You just lose persistence. Preferences reset to defaults on each session, and custom items or starred items are not saved.

Scope #

localStorage is scoped per browser and per site origin. Your etchKit data on site-a.com is completely separate from site-b.com, even in the same browser. And data saved in Chrome is not visible in Firefox on the same machine.

This also means if you manage multiple WordPress sites with etchKit installed, each one has its own independent set of preferences, starred items, and custom items.

Clearing data #

You can wipe all etchKit localStorage data through the Settings menu in the panel. The “Clear saved data” option removes every key listed above. This is irreversible, so export your custom items first if you want to keep them.