FAQ

Where does my data go?

On your machine. Self-hosted Pad stores everything in a single SQLite database at ~/.pad/pad.db. No cloud, no sync, no telemetry, no analytics. The CLI and web UI both read from the same file.

On Pad Cloud (app.getpad.dev), your data lives on our managed PostgreSQL with encrypted backups. See Privacy for details.

Does it work offline?

Self-hosted Pad: yes, fully. The whole binary plus its embedded web UI run locally with no network dependency.

Pad Cloud: no — by definition it's a hosted service.

Does Pad collect telemetry or analytics?

Self-hosted Pad: no. We don't phone home, don't track usage, don't send crash reports anywhere. The binary you run is the binary you can audit.

Pad Cloud: standard server access logs only — IP and user-agent for rate limiting and abuse detection. No third-party analytics, no advertising trackers. See Privacy.

How do I update?

If you installed via Homebrew:

brew upgrade xarmian/tap/pad

If you downloaded a binary, grab the latest from GitHub Releases.

If you built from source:

cd /path/to/pad-clone
git pull
make install

Database migrations run automatically on first start of the new binary — no manual migration step.

Can I migrate from Linear / Notion / Jira?

Pad has pad workspace import which accepts a JSON export. Currently there are no first-party importers from other tools, but the JSON schema is documented in the REST API reference and the CLI has a working workspace export for the reverse direction.

The pragmatic path most users take: export from your existing tool to CSV, write a small script that POSTs each item to /api/v1/workspaces/{ws}/collections/{coll}/items, run it once, done.

Is Pad Cloud the same product as self-hosted Pad?

Same engine, different operational model. Pad Cloud runs the same Go binary, the same SvelteKit UI, the same conventions and playbooks. The hosted version adds: managed Postgres, encrypted backups, OAuth sign-in, team billing, no operator burden.

You can self-host Pad for solo use indefinitely (LAN, Tailscale, home VPN — see Self-Hosting). For team setups, Pad Cloud is the supported path.

What's the license?

Apache 2.0. See LICENSE on GitHub. You can use, modify, and distribute Pad freely; commercial use is allowed.

How do AI agents work with Pad?

Pad ships with a /pad skill that any major AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Amazon Q, JetBrains Junie) can install via pad agent install. The agent then manages your project through natural language — /pad what should I work on next?, /pad I finished the auth refactor, mark it done, etc.

See Agent Integration for the full setup.

Does Pad work in a multi-user team?

On Pad Cloud, yes — that's its primary use case. On self-hosted, the binary supports multi-user via user accounts + workspace invitations + roles (owner / editor / viewer), but operating it for a team is your responsibility — backups, TLS, account recovery, capacity. Most teams find Pad Cloud simpler.

Where can I get help?