Local‑First Web App Starter

A minimal, production‑ready starter for building local‑first web apps using only HTML, CSS, and Vanilla JavaScript.

No backend. No accounts. No tracking. Your data stays in the browser.

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Why Local‑First?

Most small tools don’t need servers, databases, or user accounts. Local‑first apps are:

• ⚡ Instant (no network latency)
• 🔒 Privacy‑friendly
• 💸 Cheap to run (static hosting)
• 📦 Easy to maintain
• 📴 Fully offline

This starter gives you a clean foundation to ship those kinds of tools fast.

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Features

• ✅ Offline‑first (works without internet)
• ✅ localStorage abstraction (easy to swap for IndexedDB later)
• ✅ Single‑page architecture
• ✅ Installable PWA
• ✅ Zero dependencies
• ✅ Clean, modern UI baseline
• ✅ Easy to extend

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Project Structure

local-first-web-app-starter/
├── index.html        # App shell
├── style.css         # Minimal modern styling
├── app.js            # App logic
├── storage.js        # Local-first data layer
├── manifest.json     # PWA config
├── service-worker.js # Offline caching
└── README.md

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Quick Start

Just open index.html in a browser.

For full PWA support (service worker):

npx serve

(or any local static server)

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Example Use Cases

This starter is ideal for:

• Habit trackers
• Journals
• Note apps
• Writing tools
• Generators
• Dashboards
• Personal utilities

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Core Files

index.html

storage.js — Local‑First Data Layer

app.js

service-worker.js

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Design Philosophy

• Simple over clever
• Readable over abstract
• Local by default
• Progressively enhanced

This is meant to be copied, forked, and adapted—not treated as a framework.

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When to Upgrade

If your app grows, you can:

• Replace localStorage with IndexedDB
• Add encryption at rest
• Sync optionally (user‑controlled)
• Add export/import

The structure supports all of this without refactoring.

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License

MIT — use it however you like.

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Author

Built for people who like fast, quiet software.

More tools → https://www.yuzool.com