Your source files stay in the folders you choose. doXmind stores editor-only state in hidden JSON sidecars beside those files. The source and its current sidecar together are the complete editable document.

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What each file contains

For Markdown, the filename extension is removed from the sidecar name. For PDF and spreadsheet files, the source extension remains part of the sidecar name.

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Keep source and sidecar together

Move, copy, restore, and back up both files. The app does this automatically when you manage documents from the workspace sidebar. If you use Finder or another tool, include the hidden sidecar yourself.
Do not manually edit or delete .doxmind sidecars. For PDFs and spreadsheets, removing a sidecar removes saved edits that have not been exported.

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Other local files

  • A .doxmind folder inside a workspace can hold local workspace metadata.
  • A <sidecar>.lock file coordinates migration. It is small, can remain afterward, and should not be deleted manually.
  • A <sidecar>.bak file is a copy of the pre-migration sidecar.
  • A <sidecar>.corrupt-* file preserves unreadable data for recovery.
  • App-level settings and metadata live under ~/.doxmind, separately from document content.
For an everyday backup, preserve the full workspace folder, including hidden files. If a migration error tells you to restore a .bak, close doXmind first and follow the exact recovery path shown by the app. Preserve the current sidecar before replacing it, and confirm that the backup belongs to the same source document.

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Privacy and network access

doXmind does not upload documents, provide cloud sync, or require an account. Update checks contact the release service. A web bookmark preview directly requests the target page and referenced images from your Mac. Document storage remains local. Folders stored in iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or another synced location can still be uploaded by that provider according to its settings.