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Help Center · Saving your work

Where your work lives.

The Goal Bank gives you three storage options. All three keep your work on your own device (or in cloud storage you already use) — there is no "our servers" option, and that's intentional. Here's what each one is and when to pick it.

Option 1 · Default

Browser Storage

When you first use the Goal Bank, everything is saved automatically inside your web browser on the computer you're using. Nothing to set up, nothing to click — it just works.

Good for: drafting a quick IEP in one sitting; exploring the tool; anything where the work won't live longer than your current browsing session.

What to know: browser storage can be wiped if you clear browsing data, if your browser crashes badly, if your school reimages your Chromebook, or if you switch computers. If your work matters to you, we strongly recommend also setting up Desktop Storage or downloading a Backup File regularly.

Option 2 · Recommended upgrade

Desktop Storage

Desktop Storage saves a live copy of everything to a file on your computer that you choose. Every edit you make auto-writes to that file in the background — no click required.

How to set it up:

  1. On the Goal Bank home page, find the Storage strip.
  2. Click Move to Desktop Storage.
  3. Your browser opens its save-file dialog. Pick a location and a name (we suggest IEP-backup.json). Click Save.
  4. That's it. Every change from now on auto-writes to that file.

Tip — the district-sync trick: If your district uses OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud, save the file inside a folder that's already synced. Your work then rides along with your district's approved cloud — following you across devices — without ever touching our servers.

What to know:

  • Desktop Storage is available in Chrome, Edge, and most Chromium-based browsers. Safari and Firefox don't support it; those browsers fall back to Browser Storage + manual Backup Files.
  • After a full browser restart, some browsers ask you to re-grant access to the file — you'll see a Reconnect to file button. One click and it's back.
  • You can change the file at any time (Change file) or turn the feature off (Turn off Desktop Storage). Turning it off doesn't delete the file — it just stops updating it.

Option 3 · Universal fallback

Backup Files

Any time you can click Download backup (all students) on the Goal Bank home page. You get a JSON file with all your students' IEPs inside. Keep it wherever you keep your other work files.

To restore from a backup, click Import backup file on the same page and pick the file. It replaces the current set of students with whatever's in the file — if you had anything else in progress, download a backup of that first.

Backup Files work in every browser, including Safari and Firefox. They're the universal "export your work" button.

Our recommendation

If you're on a Chrome or Edge device and you have OneDrive or Google Drive: set up Desktop Storage pointed at a synced folder. That's the durable, cross-device answer and it takes one click per month.

If you're on Safari, Firefox, or anything else: download a Backup File at the end of each IEP session and keep the files somewhere you trust.

Related: Exporting your goals covers what's actually inside a Backup File, and why it's safe even if it ends up in someone else's hands.