First Launch
When you open localWiki for the first time, the app walks you through a short onboarding flow to set up your encrypted vault.
Create your master password
Choose a strong master password
Your master password encrypts the local SQLite database where all pages, keys, and secrets are stored. localWiki enforces a minimum of 8 characters — use something long and unique.
Confirm your password
Re-enter the password to confirm.
Write down your recovery phrase
After the vault is created, localWiki generates a 12-word recovery phrase and displays it on screen. This phrase is the only way to regain access to your vault if you forget your password.
- Write the 12 words down on paper in the exact order shown.
- You can hover to copy the phrase temporarily (the clipboard is auto-cleared after 60 seconds).
- Click Continue to proceed to the verification step.
Verify your recovery phrase
localWiki asks you to type back three randomly selected words from the phrase to confirm you have written it down correctly. Once all three words match, click Continue to finish vault setup.
Vault created
localWiki initializes the database and drops you into the onboarding wizard.
Never store your recovery phrase digitally. Never share it. If you lose both your password and your recovery phrase, your data cannot be recovered. localWiki uses Argon2id key derivation and AES-256-GCM encryption — there is no backdoor.
Onboarding wizard
After your vault is created, a short wizard introduces the core concepts:
- Workspaces — Logical containers for organizing your pages and keys. The wizard creates a default workspace for you.
- Pages — Your wiki documents. The wizard shows you how to create your first page.
- Project Keys — Securely stored API tokens and environment variables tied to a workspace.
- Sync — An overview of P2P sharing. You can skip this and set it up later.
Each step is skippable. The entire flow takes under a minute. Once complete, you land on the dashboard with your default workspace ready to go.
What happens behind the scenes
On first launch, localWiki creates its data directory:
| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\localWiki\ |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/localWiki/ |
| Linux | ~/.local/share/localWiki/ |
The encrypted SQLite database, configuration, and logs all live in this directory.