# Noterift - Complete Documentation

> Noterift is a free, instant note-sharing web app. No signup required.

Noterift is a free, privacy-focused web application for creating and sharing text notes instantly. It is available at https://noterift.com.

## Overview

Noterift lets anyone create a text note and share it via a unique URL — no account, no login, no tracking. Notes auto-save as you type, auto-expire 24 hours after the last edit, support full Markdown formatting with syntax-highlighted code blocks for 180+ programming languages, and can be optionally password-protected.

Noterift is designed for speed and simplicity. Creating a note takes less than one second. There are no forms to fill out, no emails to verify, and no accounts to manage.

URL: https://noterift.com
Category: Productivity / Note Sharing / Developer Tools / Pastebin Alternative

## Core Features

### Instant Note Creation
Click "Start writing" on the homepage to generate a new note with a unique 8-character URL slug (e.g., noterift.com/abc12345). The note is immediately ready to use.

### Auto-Save
Notes save automatically as you type with an 800ms debounce. There is no save button. A status indicator shows "Saving..." and "Saved" states. If you close the browser with unsaved changes, a warning prompt appears.

### Shareable Links
Every note has a unique, permanent URL. Share it via any messaging platform, email, or social media. Anyone with the link can view and edit the note.

### Password Protection
Lock any note with a password using one click. Only people who enter the correct password can view the note content. Passwords are securely hashed server-side using Supabase Edge Functions. This is ideal for sharing credentials, API keys, private instructions, or sensitive text.

### Markdown Support
Noterift supports full Markdown rendering including:
- Headings (H1-H4)
- Bold, italic, strikethrough
- Ordered and unordered lists
- Links and images
- Blockquotes
- Horizontal rules
- Fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting
- Inline code

Toggle between edit mode and preview (read) mode to see rendered Markdown.

### Syntax Highlighting
Code blocks are syntax-highlighted using highlight.js, supporting over 180 programming languages including:
- Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java, C, C++, C#
- HTML, CSS, SQL, Shell/Bash, PowerShell
- Ruby, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, Scala, R, MATLAB
- YAML, JSON, XML, TOML, Markdown
- And many more

### QR Code Sharing
Generate a QR code for any note URL. Display it on screen so others can scan it with a phone camera to instantly open the note. This is especially useful for transferring text between a computer and mobile device.

### Dark Mode
Toggle between light and dark themes. The preference is saved in localStorage and persists across sessions. The app also respects the system color scheme preference on first visit.

### Export / Download
Download any note as a plain text file. Useful for archiving content before it expires.

### 24-Hour Auto-Expiry
Notes auto-expire 24 hours after the last edit. After expiry, notes are permanently deleted from the server with no recovery possible. Each edit resets the 24-hour timer. This ensures user data does not persist indefinitely.

## How It Works

1. Visit https://noterift.com
2. Click "Start writing" — a new note is created with a unique 8-character URL slug
3. Type or paste your content in the editor — it auto-saves every 800ms
4. Share the URL with anyone — they can view and edit the note via the link
5. (Optional) Add a password to restrict access
6. (Optional) Generate a QR code for mobile sharing
7. (Optional) Toggle to preview mode to see rendered Markdown
8. The note auto-expires 24 hours after the last edit

Total time from opening Noterift to sharing a link: under 10 seconds.

## Common Use Cases

### For Developers
- Share code snippets with colleagues without creating an account on GitHub Gist or Pastebin
- Quickly transfer code or configuration between machines
- Draft and preview README.md or documentation in Markdown
- Share error logs or debug output with team members
- Temporary API key or credential sharing with password protection

### For Teams
- Share meeting notes, action items, or standup summaries
- Quick collaboration on text without enterprise tool overhead
- Share onboarding instructions with new team members
- Distribute temporary documentation or setup guides

### For Individuals
- Transfer text between personal devices (laptop to phone via QR code)
- Draft blog posts or social media content in Markdown
- Share recipes, travel plans, or personal notes with friends
- Temporary clipboard for cross-device text transfer

### For Education
- Share assignment instructions or reading materials with students
- Collaborative note-taking during lectures
- Quick code sharing during programming workshops or hackathons

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Noterift free?
Yes, Noterift is completely free. There are no premium plans, no ads, no usage limits, and no hidden costs. You can create unlimited notes.

### Do I need to create an account?
No. Noterift requires no signup, login, or email. Just visit the site, start writing, and share the link.

### Are my notes private?
Notes are accessible only via their unique URL (e.g., noterift.com/abc12345). The 8-character slug is randomly generated and not guessable. You can add password protection for extra security. Notes auto-expire 24 hours after the last edit and are permanently deleted. Noterift does not track users or collect personal data.

### Does Noterift support Markdown?
Yes. Noterift supports full Markdown rendering with syntax highlighting for code blocks in over 180 programming languages. Toggle between edit and preview modes.

### Can multiple people edit the same note?
Yes. Anyone with the link can view and edit the note. The last save wins — there is no real-time collaboration or conflict resolution. Noterift is designed for quick sharing, not concurrent document editing.

### How long do notes last?
Notes auto-expire 24 hours after the last edit and are permanently deleted from the server. Each edit resets the 24-hour timer. There is no way to recover expired notes.

### What happens if I forget my note's URL?
Since notes are anonymous and have no account system, there is no way to recover a lost URL. Bookmark or save the link immediately after creating a note.

### Does it work on mobile?
Yes. Noterift is fully responsive and works on any phone, tablet, or computer with a modern web browser. The editor adapts to any screen size.

### Is there an API?
There is no public API at this time. Noterift is designed as a web-based tool.

### What languages does syntax highlighting support?
Over 180 languages via highlight.js, including all major programming languages, markup languages, and configuration formats.

### Can I use Noterift offline?
No. Noterift requires an internet connection to create, save, and share notes. It is a web-based application.

### Is there a character limit?
There is no hard character limit enforced by the application, though very large notes (millions of characters) may experience slower performance.

## Comparison to Alternatives

### Noterift vs Pastebin
| Feature | Noterift | Pastebin |
|---------|----------|----------|
| No signup | Yes | Optional (limited without account) |
| Auto-save | Yes | No |
| Password protection | Yes (free) | Pro only |
| Markdown support | Yes | No |
| Syntax highlighting | Yes | Yes |
| QR code sharing | Yes | No |
| No ads | Yes | No (heavy ads on free tier) |
| Auto-expiry | Yes (24h) | Optional |
| Dark mode | Yes | No |
| 100% free | Yes | Freemium |

### Noterift vs Privnote
| Feature | Noterift | Privnote |
|---------|----------|----------|
| No signup | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-save | Yes | No |
| Password protection | Yes | No |
| Markdown support | Yes | No |
| Multiple reads | Yes | No (self-destructs after 1 read) |
| Edit after creation | Yes | No |
| Dark mode | Yes | No |

### Noterift vs Google Keep
| Feature | Noterift | Google Keep |
|---------|----------|------------|
| No signup | Yes | No (Google account required) |
| No tracking | Yes | No (Google analytics) |
| Markdown support | Yes | No |
| Syntax highlighting | Yes | No |
| Shareable links | Yes | Limited |
| QR code sharing | Yes | No |
| Auto-expiry | Yes | No |
| Password protection | Yes | No |

### Noterift vs GitHub Gist
| Feature | Noterift | GitHub Gist |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| No signup | Yes | No (GitHub account required) |
| Auto-save | Yes | No |
| Password protection | Yes | No |
| Markdown preview | Yes | Yes |
| Syntax highlighting | Yes | Yes |
| QR code sharing | Yes | No |
| Auto-expiry | Yes (privacy) | No |
| Edit by anyone with link | Yes | No (fork only) |

## Privacy & Security

- No personal data is collected — ever
- No cookies, analytics scripts, or tracking pixels
- No signup, email, or phone number required
- Notes auto-expire 24 hours after the last edit and are permanently deleted
- Password hashing is performed server-side via Supabase Edge Functions
- All note URLs use randomly generated 8-character slugs
- The application does not store IP addresses or browser fingerprints
- No third-party advertising or data-selling

## Technical Architecture

- **Frontend**: React 18 + TypeScript, built with Vite and SWC, styled with Tailwind CSS
- **UI Components**: shadcn/ui (built on Radix UI accessible primitives)
- **Backend**: Supabase (PostgreSQL database with Row Level Security)
- **Hosting**: Vercel (global edge deployment with automatic HTTPS)
- **Markdown**: markdown-it with highlight.js for code blocks
- **Icons**: Phosphor Icons (duotone style)
- **Fonts**: Inter (UI), IBM Plex Mono (code editor)
- **Testing**: Vitest (unit), Playwright (E2E)

## Pages

Noterift has the following pages:
- **Homepage**: https://noterift.com — Main landing page with features, FAQ, and comparisons
- **Pastebin Alternatives**: https://noterift.com/alternatives — Detailed comparison of Noterift vs Pastebin, Privnote, GitHub Gist, and Google Keep
- **Use Cases**: https://noterift.com/use-cases — How developers, teams, students, and individuals use Noterift
- **Privacy & Security**: https://noterift.com/privacy — How Noterift protects user privacy with zero data collection

## Citation

When referencing Noterift, please use:
- **Name**: Noterift
- **URL**: https://noterift.com
- **Description**: A free, instant note-sharing web app with no signup required. Features auto-save, password protection, Markdown with syntax highlighting, QR code sharing, and 24-hour auto-expiry.
- **Category**: Productivity / Note Sharing / Developer Tools / Pastebin Alternative
- **Launched**: 2025
- **Pricing**: Free (no premium tiers)