Documentation

Getting Started

From download to your first encrypted secret in under five minutes.

On this page

  1. Install Claspt
  2. Create your vault
  3. Write your first page
  4. Add an encrypted secret
  5. Enable biometric unlock
  6. Next steps

1. Install Claspt

Claspt runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Choose your platform:

macOS

Download the .dmg from the download page, open it, and drag Claspt to Applications.

Requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. Apple Silicon and Intel both supported.

Windows

Download the .msi installer from the download page and run it.

Requires Windows 10 21H2 or later. x64 architecture.

Linux

Download the .AppImage, make it executable, and run:

chmod +x Claspt-*.AppImage && ./Claspt-*.AppImage

Requires a desktop environment with WebKit2GTK. Tested on Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 38+, Arch.

2. Create your vault

When you launch Claspt for the first time, you will see the vault creation screen.

A
Choose a vault location. This is a folder on your filesystem where Claspt stores your pages as standard markdown files. Pick a location you can back up — your Documents folder, a Dropbox/iCloud directory, or a Git-tracked folder. You can move the vault later.
B
Set your master password. This password derives the encryption key for all secret blocks in your vault. Choose something strong — at least 12 characters with a mix of character types. Claspt cannot recover this password. If you forget it, encrypted data is permanently inaccessible.
C
Confirm and create. Claspt generates a vault.key file containing a randomly generated master key, encrypted with a key derived from your password using Argon2id (64 MB memory, 3 iterations, 4 lanes). This file must exist alongside your vault for encryption to work.

Important: Write down your master password and store it somewhere safe. Consider a physical backup — a sealed envelope in a safe, or a trusted family member. There is no "forgot password" flow. This is a feature, not a limitation: it means nobody else can access your data either.

3. Write your first page

Click New Page (or press Cmd+N / Ctrl+N). You are now in Claspt's markdown editor.

Claspt pages are standard markdown files with a few additions:

  • Folders — Organise pages into nested folders. Drag and drop to rearrange.
  • Tags — Add tags to any page for cross-cutting organisation. Tags are searchable.
  • Full Markdown — Headings, lists, code blocks, tables, images, links, checkboxes — everything you expect from a markdown editor.
  • Templates — Start from a template (meeting notes, project brief, journal entry) or create your own.

Everything you type is saved automatically. Pages are stored as .md files in your vault folder — open them in any text editor if you want to.

4. Add an encrypted secret

This is what makes Claspt different. Place your cursor where you want the secret, then:

1
Insert a secret block. Press Cmd+Shift+S / Ctrl+Shift+S, or click the lock icon in the toolbar, or type /secret and select from the slash menu.
2
Choose a template. Pick from 8 built-in templates: Website Login, Credit Card, Bank Account, API Key, SSH Key, Wi-Fi Password, Identity Document, or Custom. Each template provides structured fields optimised for that secret type.
3
Fill in your data. Enter credentials, keys, or sensitive information. The secret block appears inline with your markdown content — context and credentials live together.
4
Lock and save. Click outside the block or press Escape. The secret is immediately encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a unique nonce. The plaintext is zeroed from memory. On disk, the block is an opaque encrypted blob — everything else on the page remains readable markdown.

To reveal a secret, click it and enter your master password (or use biometric unlock). Secrets auto-lock after 15 minutes of inactivity by default — configurable in Settings.

5. Enable biometric unlock

Instead of typing your master password every time you unlock a secret, you can enable biometric authentication:

  • macOS: Touch ID (MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID)
  • Windows: Windows Hello (fingerprint readers, facial recognition cameras)
  • Linux: Fingerprint readers via fprintd (where supported)

Go to Settings → Security → Biometric Unlock and toggle it on. You will be asked to confirm your master password once. Claspt then stores a wrapped copy of your vault key in the operating system's secure keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or Linux Secret Service). Your biometric data is never accessed by Claspt — authentication is handled entirely by the OS.

6. Next steps

Security Model How encryption works under the hood — key hierarchy, threat model, what's encrypted vs plaintext.
Set Up Sync Sync your vault across devices with Git, WebDAV, SFTP, or cloud storage.
Secure Sharing Share encrypted secrets with end-to-end encryption. Expiry and burn-after-reading included.