Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Does SnippetHub work offline?

Yes! SnippetHub is built with an offline-first architecture. All snippets, folders, tags, and settings are stored locally in Chrome’s indexed storage. You can create, edit, search, expand, and copy snippets without an active internet connection. When you reconnect, changes automatically synchronize to Firebase in the background.

Is my data private and secure?

Yes. SnippetHub operates with strict privacy standards:

SnippetHub never sells your data or utilizes your snippet content for advertising or model training.
All analytics metrics (streaks, characters saved, usage counts) are computed strictly on your local machine.
Cloud data transfers occur over encrypted HTTPS connections directly to authenticated Firebase services.

Can I format code in multiple programming languages?

Yes. SnippetHub integrates with Highlight.js, supporting auto-detection and syntax highlighting for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, HTML/CSS, JSON, YAML, SQL, Shell/Bash, Markdown, and more.

How do dynamic placeholders and interactive variables work?

When a snippet contains system tokens like {{date}} or {{time}}, SnippetHub computes today’s timestamp at the exact millisecond of copy or expansion. If your template contains custom variables like {{client:Client Name}}, an interactive fill-in modal prompts you for input and automatically injects your response into the final text.

Features & Customization

How does Vault Export (.zip) integrate with Obsidian and Notion?

SnippetHub’s Vault Export produces a standard PKZIP archive organized into folder directories. Each snippet is formatted as an individual Markdown file containing YAML frontmatter (title, category, tags, keyword, folder, created, updated, favorite, pinned). You can unzip the archive directly into your Obsidian vault folder or import it into Notion or Logseq with zero manual formatting required.

How does SnippetHub copy and paste between Rich Text, Plain Text, HTML, and Markdown?

SnippetHub supports four distinct copy & paste formats across cards, Quick Look, and the snippet editor:

✨ Rich Text (rich): Simultaneously writes text/html and text/plain via the ClipboardItem API so word processors and email clients (Google Docs, Word, Outlook, Gmail, Slack, Notion) preserve bold text, headings, clickable links, and lists, while code editors receive clean fallback text.
📄 Plain Text (plain): Strips all HTML tags and Markdown formatting, writing strictly unstyled text/plain to your clipboard so you can paste into any rich text editor without carrying over source styles.
📝 Markdown (markdown): Converts rich HTML into clean GitHub-Flavored Markdown syntax (.md).
🌐 HTML (html): Copies or pastes the raw HTML source markup (</>).

You can set your global default copy format from the toolbar or Avatar settings menu, right-click any Copy button to pick a format on the fly, or use the split + Add button (⌘V / Ctrl+V) to paste clipboard content directly into a new snippet in any of the four formats.

How does the Daily Activity Streak engine work?

Your daily streak increments by +1 for each consecutive day you use SnippetHub (by copying, expanding, inserting, creating, or editing snippets). If you were active yesterday but haven’t used a snippet yet today, your streak is safely preserved through a grace period until the end of the day. Furthermore, snippet timestamps (lastCopied, updatedAt, createdAt) act as an intelligent fallback so your progress is never lost.

Can I change my keyword expansion trigger key?

Yes! SnippetHub supports multiple trigger keys including ; (Semicolon), / (Slash), ! (Exclamation), , (Comma), @ (At), # (Hash), : (Colon), and ~ (Tilde). You can change this setting at any time from the Trigger dropdown in the avatar menu.

How do custom folder emojis and colors work?

When creating or editing a folder, you can pick from curated emoji chips (or enter any custom emoji character) and choose a curated color swatch (or select any custom HEX color). The selected emoji and color accent dot appear in the folder dropdown, on snippet cards, and in management menus.

How does drag-and-drop ordering interact with pinned snippets?

Pinned snippets always stay grouped in the top partition of your list. You can freely reorder snippets within the pinned group and within the unpinned group using the drag handles. Your custom order is persisted across browser restarts and synchronized with your cloud account.

Can I pop out SnippetHub into a standalone window?

Yes! Click the Pop out to window icon (⧉) in the top-right header (directly to the left of your avatar). SnippetHub will launch in an independent companion window (450x780px default) and automatically close the side panel. It retains all authentication, synchronization, and clipboard features. SnippetHub remembers your window size and monitor position, automatically restoring your preferred dimensions on future pop-outs. When you want to return to the side panel, click the Pop in to sidebar icon (↘) to re-open the panel and dismiss the popup.

How does SnippetHub protect my privacy when typing passwords or credit card numbers?

SnippetHub is built with an automatic sensitive-field exclusion engine. The in-page text expander and floating autocomplete pill will never inspect caret position, evaluate keystrokes, or trigger expansions inside:

Password input fields (<input type="password">)
Hidden or file inputs (type="hidden", type="file")
Form fields with autocomplete="current-password", autocomplete="new-password", or autocomplete="cc-*"
Any input or container marked with the data-no-snippets attribute.

How secure is my data in Firebase Cloud Firestore?

Your snippet library is protected by strict Google Cloud Firestore Security Rules (v2):

User-Level Isolation: Every query and document mutation requires authenticated ownership (request.auth.uid == userId). Other users or third parties cannot read, modify, or delete your snippets.
Server-Side Validation: Firestore enforces size limits (max 1MB per document, max 500 chars per title) and type safety before writes are accepted.
Privilege Separation: Content scripts running in web pages cannot communicate with Firestore; all database access is mediated through an isolated background service.

Yes. SnippetHub fully supports both Google Single Sign-On and native Email/Password accounts. You can create a new account directly inside the extension, log in with an existing email, or use the Forgot Password feature to receive a secure password reset link in your email inbox.