Gnoke Persist is a JavaScript library for developers who want web apps to recover form values after a refresh and to make browser-based file writes easier to resume. It is not documented as a browser extension for end users. Its three parts—Spirit, Shelf, and Bridge—store recovery data in IndexedDB and coordinate restoration when an app wakes. These are maintainer-described capabilities, not independently verified durability guarantees.
What Gnoke Persist does
The project targets two different failure cases: a user loses unsaved form input, or an app is interrupted while writing a file. Its README describes three components that work together, with an IndexedDB-like database adapter supplied by the integrating application.
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Spirit: recover form values
Spirit records form values in IndexedDB and can restore them after a refresh or lost tab. The project describes capture through a debounced input listener and says it attempts a final sync when the page receives a visibilitychange event. Those mechanisms are intended to reduce lost work; they do not guarantee that every last input has committed before a browser or device shuts down.
Shelf: keep a record of pending writes
Shelf stores a pending file write in IndexedDB before the write is sent to disk. The repository describes a per-filename queue and replay of shelved writes the next time the app wakes. This is a write-ahead recovery design, not proof that every queued write will reach disk in every interruption scenario.
#1 Best Overall
Bridge: coordinate recovery and directory access
Bridge coordinates restoring data, reacquiring access to a previously selected directory, and flushing shelved writes. The README describes this work as part of a wake() call. A user must interact with the browser to reopen directory access when permission is no longer available; the library cannot silently bypass that control.
Which browsers the project lists
The repository’s support matrix distinguishes form recovery from file-system features. It documents support; it is not an independent compatibility test.
Rank #2
| Feature | Browsers listed by the repository | Practical qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit form-state support | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari | These are the project’s stated support targets. |
| SaveNative and Bridge | Chrome and Edge | The project attributes this limitation to showDirectoryPicker() being Chromium-only in its support model. |
Do not assume that a browser listed for form recovery also supports the library’s directory-based file-write workflow.
Privacy and durability cautions
The project says Spirit excludes fields based on sensitive-name terms such as password, token, and secret. A name-based filter is only a convenience: it can miss sensitive data stored under other names, and it does not encrypt data. The author explicitly says the library is not a cryptographic vault, so applications should avoid persisting sensitive values unless they have an appropriate data-handling design.
IndexedDB can retain recovery data, but the project’s own explanation notes that commit timing matters if a process is terminated. Debounced capture and a visibility-change sync are best understood as mitigation attempts. The README’s description of replaying queued writes on the next wake likewise describes intended recovery behavior, not a measured success rate or unconditional guarantee.
Integration and user interaction
Gnoke Persist is intended for developers integrating a script bundle into a web application, not for people looking for a browser setting or add-on to install. The README describes supplying a database adapter, then using the library’s recovery flow to restore form state, reacquire a directory handle when possible, and flush shelved writes during wake().
Rank #4
Directory permissions remain under browser control. As the maintainer puts it, “It’s a durability layer, not a magic wand—you still have to handle the user click to open the door.” An app should plan for the user to grant access again and should communicate clearly when writes remain pending or need attention.
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The repository changelog lists v0.1.2 and describes changes to shared Spirit storage and reset/version-change handling. The author’s article footer still says v0.1.1, so the repository is the more recent of the two version references. The repository identifies the project as MIT-licensed, with attribution to Edmund Sparrow, 2026.
Quick Recap
When it may fit a web app
- Consider Spirit if users enter form data that should be recoverable after an ordinary refresh or tab loss, while ensuring the app handles sensitive data appropriately.
- Consider Shelf and Bridge if the app writes files through supported browser APIs and can design around user-mediated directory permissions.
- Do not treat the library as a substitute for server-side saving, backups, explicit save status, or testing in the target browsers.
- Evaluate the project’s behavior in the app’s own workflows: the reviewed project materials do not provide independent benchmarks or quantified reliability results.
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