Where Did the Output Go: Local History and Finding Your Files
"Where did that compressed video go" is the eternal question of processing tools. Understand the three layers where outputs live — results area, browser downloads, local history — and recovery is just opening drawers.
The three layers of output storage
Layer one is the results area: after processing, the output is referenced locally on the result card — preview, comparison, download button all live there. Its lifetime is the current page session: page open and unrefreshed, it persists.
Layer two is the browser download folder: every clicked download left a copy there — the sturdiest resting place, and the first place to look. Layer three is local history: the tool records processing entries (filename, time, parameters, output metadata) in the browser’s local database, browsable from the history drawer — output blobs are not kept by default, with an opt-in retention switch.
The recovery order
When output goes missing, search in this order: browser downloads first (search by filename — outputs keep the source name plus a processing suffix); then the tool’s history drawer (filter by time and tool, reopen the result from the record); neither found — check whether "clear browsing data" ran, since clearing site data clears local history with it.
One easily missed point: processing in incognito/private mode leaves no history — fine for one-off use, but never for anything that matters.
Three habits that prevent loss
Download immediately when processing completes: the results-area reference dies with the session — a downloaded file is the only true "saved". Enable output retention for important jobs: with retention on, the history drawer can re-download outputs, a recycle bin of sorts. Keep meaningful names: outputs carry suffixes (_compressed, _clip) — preserve them when renaming so every file announces what was done to it.
The local-first architecture’s "nothing uploaded" means no cloud backup — the price of privacy and the reason for habit: important outputs rely on your downloads and archiving, not a platform.