Known limits & expectations
Tessera is intentionally small and file-based. These are the main constraints to be aware of when you rely on it for real work.
Data & portability
| Topic |
Limit |
| Storage model |
Plain files only. There is no built-in cloud sync, account system, or encrypted vault beyond what your OS provides. |
| Project shape |
One flat set of notes per project folder. There are no sub-vaults or nested projects inside a project. |
| Note identity |
The note ID is the .md filename (without extension). Renaming the file outside the app may confuse order/tags until you refresh or fix order.json / tags.json. |
| Card title |
The title shown on a card can be edited in the UI for readability, but it does not rename the underlying file. The persistent name is still the note ID / filename. |
Editing & undo
| Topic |
Limit |
| Undo / redo |
Scoped to the Markdown editor while it is open. History does not span sessions and resets when you close the editor for that note. |
| Concurrent edits |
If the same file is edited in Tessera and in another program, the last write wins. There is no merge or live collaboration. |
| Topic |
Limit |
| Formats |
Images: PNG, JPEG, GIF, SVG, WebP (as supported by the preview pipeline). |
| Context menu |
“Download image” is not provided; files already live on disk under the note’s folder. |
Search & scale
| Topic |
Limit |
| Search |
In-memory / client-side search over loaded note metadata and content. Very large projects may feel slower; there is no server-side index. |
| Grid |
All notes are shown on one scrollable grid. Extremely large note counts will stress layout and scrolling; the app is tuned for dozens to hundreds of cards, not tens of thousands. |
| Topic |
Limit |
| Distribution |
Source-distributed only for now (no prebuilt binaries). Build locally with the included scripts for your platform. |
| System theme |
In-app light/dark is independent of the OS theme; use the header toggle in Tessera. |
Out of scope (by design)
- Real-time collaboration or shared editing
- Built-in Git UI (you can still use Git in the project folder yourself)
- End-to-end encryption or online backup
- Mobile-native clients
If you need these, Tessera can still be a staging tool: export-friendly Markdown and folders work well with other systems.
Note: live refresh is not yet implemented. Concurrent editing of the same project (for example Tessera open while a human or agent edits the same files elsewhere) is not recommended because the last write wins. Asynchronous workflows are generally safe: let the external process finish, then reopen/reload the project in Tessera before continuing.