An open-source Markdown web clipper that writes to your folder.
LocalKeepFlash is a local-first Chromium web clipper. Save readable webpages, exact selections, images, and timestamped YouTube transcripts as portable Markdown and local assets—without putting an account, cloud database, analytics service, or AI in the saving path.
Keep the part of the web you actually need.
LocalKeepFlash turns four common research moments into ordinary files. Each capture keeps its source and useful context instead of producing an anonymous text dump.
Readable webpages
Preserve headings, links, lists, tables, quotes, and code as clean Markdown with the original source attached.
Exact selections
Save the passage that mattered, including its canonical URL and a text-fragment link when the page supports one.
Images with context
Download the original raster image beside a searchable Markdown note instead of leaving only a fragile remote URL.
YouTube transcripts
Keep video metadata, the cover image, chapters, and timestamped captions without using a third-party transcript proxy.
Local-first is an architecture, not a privacy slogan.
When you choose Save, LocalKeepFlash extracts the requested content in the extension and writes it to the directory you selected. Your archive stays made of files you can inspect with any text editor or file manager.
YouTube saves may contact YouTube's own player and caption endpoints with credentials omitted. The selected local folder is not encrypted by LocalKeepFlash; protect it with filesystem permissions and synchronization tools you trust.
What stays local
- Markdown notes and YAML frontmatter
- Downloaded raster images and cover art
- Pending writes and the local archive schema
What is not in the path
- No KeepFlash account or API
- No cloud database or local daemon
- No analytics or advertising tracker
- No AI service processing your captures
Choose a folder. Capture a source. Keep ordinary files.
There is no workspace to configure and no proprietary database to export later. The archive structure is visible from the first save.
Choose the destination
On first install, select the folder that will hold your notes and assets, plus your preferred caption languages.
Capture in context
Use the extension on the current page, selected passage, image, or YouTube video only when you decide to save it.
Use the files anywhere
Open the resulting Markdown in Obsidian, a code editor, a Git repository, or any workflow that understands plain files.
The archive explains itself.
Every note includes versioned YAML frontmatter and a predictable path. Extension updates do not silently rewrite old notes, and a new capture never silently overwrites an earlier one.
- Predictable notes/YYYY/MM and assets/clip-id paths
- Searchable Markdown with source metadata
- No silent overwrites or migrations of old notes
---
schema_version: 1
title: Local-first notes
source_url: https://example.com/article
captured_at: 2026-08-23T07:30:00Z
capture_type: selection
---
> The exact passage you chose to keep.
[Open the original source](https://example.com/article)Choose direct file ownership or a connected research workspace.
LocalKeepFlash and KeepFlash are related, but one is not a teaser for the other. LocalKeepFlash works without a KeepFlash account and never sends captures to KeepFlash.
When local Markdown is the destination.
Use the open-source web clipper when direct ownership, an inspectable saving path, and compatibility with your existing file workflow matter most.
- Portable Markdown and local assets
- No account, hosted service, or AI dependency
- Source available under AGPL-3.0
When the archive needs to become a library.
Use KeepFlash when you want to search across webpages, PDFs, videos, files, and notes, connect related material, annotate sources, and ask AI with the original context visible.
- Full-text and semantic search across source types
- PDF annotations, links, tags, Spaces, and Topic Pages
- Source-grounded AI questions and answers
Install LocalKeepFlash from source.
Version 0.1.0 is currently a developer install rather than a Chrome Web Store release. The repository includes the code, tests, privacy boundary, security policy, and contribution guide.
Requirements
- Node.js 22 or later
- npm
- Chrome or Microsoft Edge 122 or later
0.1.0 is an early release. YouTube extraction depends on interfaces owned by YouTube and may require maintenance when those interfaces change.
git clone https://github.com/dante-is-shipping/LocalKeepFlash.git
cd LocalKeepFlash
npm install
npm run devLoad it in Chromium
Open the browser's extensions page, enable Developer mode, and load .output/chrome-mv3 as an unpacked extension. The onboarding tab will ask for your destination folder and preferred caption languages.
Current boundaries
- PDF viewers and file:// URLs are not supported
- Browser-internal pages and Incognito mode are not supported
- Attachments are limited to 25 MB each and 100 MB per capture
- SVG images remain remote links because they can contain active content
Open-source web clipper FAQ
01What is LocalKeepFlash?+
LocalKeepFlash is a free, open-source, local-first web clipper for Chromium browsers. It saves readable webpages, exact selections, images, and YouTube transcripts directly to a folder you choose as Markdown and local assets.
02Does LocalKeepFlash upload my clips to KeepFlash?+
No. A KeepFlash account and the KeepFlash API are not part of the saving path. LocalKeepFlash writes to your selected directory and never sends captures to KeepFlash.
03Can I use the Markdown files with Obsidian?+
Yes. The output is ordinary Markdown with YAML frontmatter and local asset paths, so it can be opened in Obsidian or another tool that works with plain Markdown files. LocalKeepFlash does not require Obsidian.
04Is LocalKeepFlash available in the Chrome Web Store?+
Not in the current 0.1.0 release. Install it from source by building the Chromium MV3 extension and loading the generated folder as an unpacked extension.
05How is LocalKeepFlash different from KeepFlash?+
LocalKeepFlash is a capture-only, local-file tool. KeepFlash is an optional hosted knowledge workspace for searching across several source types, connecting notes, annotating material, and asking questions with the saved context available.
Save the source. Keep the context. Own the archive.
Read the code, inspect the privacy boundary, install the extension, or contribute the next improvement on GitHub.
AGPL-3.0 · public source · contributions welcome