Where Local Todos Are Stored
Understanding local storage for free tier todos
Overview
Free tier todos are stored locally in VS Code's workspace storage. They're tied to your workspace and don't sync across devices.
Storage Location
Local todos are stored in VS Code's workspaceState. This is:
- Automatic: No files created in your project
- Workspace-specific: Each folder has its own todos
- Persistent: Survives VS Code restarts
Technical Details
VS Code stores workspace state in its internal database:
// macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/workspaceStorage/
// Windows
%APPDATA%\Code\User\workspaceStorage\
// Linux
~/.config/Code/User/workspaceStorage/Each workspace has a unique folder containing a state.vscdb SQLite database.
What's Stored
Each todo has:
- ID (UUID)
- Text content
- Created timestamp
- Completed status
Backup Considerations
Local todos are backed up when you back up VS Code settings. However, they're tied to the workspace path, so:
- Moving a folder may lose todos
- Renaming a folder may lose todos
- Different machines have separate todos
Upgrading to Pro
When you upgrade to Pro:
- Sign in with your Pro account
- Local todos remain accessible
- New Pro features (issues, sprints) sync to cloud
- Local todos can be migrated to issues if desired
Data Isolation
Local todos are completely private:
- Never sent to any server
- Never included in telemetry
- Only accessible from your machine