Which FileNest tools actually keep working files local?
This is not a blanket 'privacy-first' slogan. The matrix below separates each current production workflow by where file contents are processed, whether they leave the device, whether FileNest stores the source file, and the explicit OCR cloud exception.
7 browser-local workflow families · 1 explicit cloud exception
Compiled from the current production tool disclosures, Trust Center and active processing architecture. It describes working-file content boundaries without mislabeling ordinary account, quota, analytics or billing metadata as fully offline behavior.
Pinned production commit: 03a8d40c.| Workflow | Processing location | Working file leaves device? | Source file stored by FileNest? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batch file renaming | Browser local | No | No |
| Image conversion, resize, compression and enhancement | Browser local | No | No |
| PDF merge, split, extract and images-to-PDF | Browser local | No | No |
| CSV, TSV and JSON conversion | Browser local | No | No |
| Duplicate-file detection | Browser local | No | No |
| Text to DOCX, PDF, TXT, Markdown and HTML | Browser local | No | No |
| OCR · Local Privacy mode | Browser local | No | No |
| OCR · High Accuracy mode | Transient cloud | Yes | No |
What 'local processing' actually means
Batch file renaming
Filename rules, ordering, conflict checks and packaging of downloadable copies run in the current browser.
Account features may store rule templates or account-level metadata; working-file contents are not uploaded for renaming.
Image conversion, resize, compression and enhancement
These image-processing paths run locally in the browser and the generated images are downloaded directly by the user.
Authenticated or quota-based flows may create account, quota and job metadata; source images are not uploaded for these operations.
PDF merge, split, extract and images-to-PDF
Currently supported PDF merge, split, page extraction and JPG/PNG-to-PDF operations run in the browser.
Quota and job state may be recorded by the server; PDF or image contents are not uploaded for these operations.
Encrypted PDFs, PDF OCR and PDF-to-Office are not currently supported.
CSV, TSV and JSON conversion
CSV/TSV/JSON parsing, preview and output serialization run in the current browser.
Signed-in accounts may create quota and job metadata; table or JSON contents are not uploaded for conversion.
Duplicate-file detection
Files are prefiltered by byte size and then compared using SHA-256 fingerprints computed in the browser.
FileNest does not automatically delete files and does not need file-content uploads to compare fingerprints.
Text to DOCX, PDF, TXT, Markdown and HTML
Entered text, preview, built-in templates, custom backgrounds and document generation continue in the current browser.
Generation counts may enter account quota and job records; body text and background images are not stored by FileNest just to generate the document.
OCR · Local Privacy mode
Recognition runs in the current browser and selected JPG, PNG or WebP source images are not uploaded.
The browser may download OCR language or runtime assets on first use; account quota and job metadata may still be recorded.
Local mode does not mean a fully offline website; page assets, optional analytics and account features may still use the network.
OCR · High Accuracy mode
The current production version transiently sends user-selected images to Cloudflare Workers AI for that recognition request.
The current FileNest disclosure is that OCR source images are not written to R2, KV or the FileNest database; returned text still requires human review.
This is an explicit cloud exception and must not be conflated with Local Privacy OCR. This report must be updated when the production OCR architecture changes.
What this matrix does not claim
- 'Browser local' describes where working-file contents are processed; it does not mean the entire website is offline. Page assets, accounts, quotas, optional analytics and billing may still use the network.
- This is not a comprehensive privacy audit of the browser, operating system, extensions or third-party network environment.
- High Accuracy OCR is an explicit cloud exception. If the production OCR architecture changes, FileNest must update this report rather than reuse an outdated claim.