My changes aren't syncing
Sync issues can feel scary, but most can be resolved quickly. However, some errors indicate that your browser is no longer saving safely, and you should stop writing immediately until the issue is fixed.
If you ever see alerts such as Unsaved changes, your recent work may not be reaching our servers. Please copy your text to a secure location (e.g., a local file) and contact support@ellipsus.com before continuing.
Before you begin
Avoid Incognito Mode or Guest Mode. These prevent Ellipsus from using local storage. If something goes wrong, it will be difficult for us to help you recover your work.
Privacy browsers or add-ons can interfere with the synchronizer, or clear your cache on close, which prevents safe saving.
Avoid clearing site data for Ellipsus while a document is open. This can permanently erase work that hasn’t yet synced to our servers. (Clearing cache or cookies for other sites is fine, but make sure that Ellipsus remains unchecked when using “clear site data” tools.)
Restricted networks (e.g., school or workplace) may block syncing; unfortunately Ellipsus cannot override these restrictions.
Firefox users: If prompted, always allow Ellipsus to save data in persistent storage. Declining this can prevent your work from being saved locally.
Understanding the sync indicator
Ellipsus automatically saves and syncs your work in the background. You can check your sync status at the top of the screen.
Sync indicator says Saved Locally
Your browser has saved your changes, but hasn’t sent them to our servers yet. Try:
Click Reconnect in the sync indicator.
Wait for it to change to Synced.
If it doesn’t update within 30–60 seconds:
Open your document in a different browser or device (not just a new tab).
Look for your recent edits.
Check version history to confirm your latest changes.
If everything looks safe, reload Ellipsus to trigger a sync.
Do not clear your browser cache or site data while in this state. Doing so may permanently erase any unsynced work.
Sync indicator says Disconnected
Your browser can’t currently connect to Ellipsus’ servers. This is often temporary, and doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. In most cases:
Your device went to sleep or minimized/set Ellipsus to run in the background.
Your Wi-Fi or network dropped.
A VPN, firewall, or privacy extension blocked the connection.
Ellipsus may be experiencing a temporary sync incident.
Try:
Make sure your connection is stable, and disable VPNs or extensions that may block syncing.
Click Reconnect in the sync indicator.
Wait a few moments—this status often resolves automatically.
Check Ellipsus' status page.
If the warning persists, pause writing, and contact us at support@ellipsus.com. Do not refresh or close the page until the issue is resolved.
Sync indicator says Error
This status means that something is interfering with syncing—this could be a network issue, a full storage quota, or local data corruption. Possible causes include:
Ellipsus may be experiencing a temporary sync incident.
Your browser or network configuration is preventing syncing.
Local storage failure (your device can no longer save your changes safely).
Try:
Make sure your connection is stable, and disable VPNs or extensions that may block syncing.
Check Ellipsus' status page.
Pause writing, and contact us at support@ellipsus.com. Do not refresh or close the page until the issue is resolved.
General troubleshooting steps
Switch networks—move from Wi-Fi to cellular, or try a hotspot.
Disable browser extensions, VPNs, or privacy blockers—they can block syncing.
Check your document in another browser:
Open the same doc in a different browser (not just a new tab) to check your recent edits.
Review Version History to confirm your changes are saved.
Download your work as Markdown (from the Share and Export menu) to keep a backup, just in case.
Unsafe condition alerts
If Ellipsus detects unsafe conditions, it may display one of the following alerts:
Unable to sync changes banner
This banner means your changes are not being synced safely to our servers. You may see a repeating alert (Unable to sync changes) if this issue does not resolve. If you continue writing, close or refresh the page, new changes may be lost.
Do not continue writing. Instead:
Export or copy your text to another location (e.g. local storage).
Try opening the document on another device or browser to confirm what synced.
Check Ellipsus' status page.
Contact support@ellipsus.com with your document URL and logs.
Unsaved changes
This is a browser-generated alert (e.g. from Chrome). It means your browser has stopped saving your recent edits safely. If you continue writing or close/refresh the page, new changes may be lost.
Do not continue writing. Instead:
Export or copy your text to another location (e.g. local storage).
Try opening the document on another device or browser to confirm what synced.
Contact support@ellipsus.com with your document URL and logs.
When to contact support
Please reach out if you’ve seen:
Unsaved changes alerts or persistent syncronizer issues
Repeated error states that don’t resolve
Missing or out-of-date content across devices
Before reaching out, please:
Check whether the issue affects one document or all documents.
Note what device and browser you’re using, and the URL of the affected doc.
Download your logs from Settings and send them to us at support@ellipsus.com. These logs will help our engineers investigate the problem.