Frequently asked questions

What exactly does "stored only on your device" mean?

Everything you type (roster, layout, chart, rules) is saved in your browser's localStorage, a small storage area built into the browser itself, scoped to this site and this browser on this device. It is not a cloud database; nothing about it is transmitted anywhere as part of normal use. Practically, that means it stays put when you close the tab or restart your computer, but it does not follow you to a different browser or a different device, because there's no account to sync it. If you clear your browser's site data, or use a private/ incognito window that discards storage on close, the data goes with it. Export a JSON backup (below) if you want a copy that survives any of that.

What can Deskplan (the company/developer) see?

Nothing about your roster, ever. Deskplan has no server that stores or receives class data. There is no database, no upload step and no account, so there is nothing for us to see, log or accidentally lose. The only network calls the app makes are for its own static files (the page, styles and code) and a cookieless visit-counting beacon (Cloudflare Web Analytics) that carries no page content. The beacon cannot see student names, because they never appear in a URL or a request it has access to. Pro license activation sends your license key to a small server function and nothing else, plus the id of this browser's existing activation if it has one, so that re-entering your key doesn't use up a second one.

Is Deskplan FERPA certified?

No such certification exists for a tool like this, and we don't claim one. What's true and verifiable: FERPA-friendly by design: we never receive student data, so there's nothing to disclose, breach or need a data processing agreement for. That's a description of how the product works, not a compliance certification.

How do I back up my chart?

Use "Export backup" in the app. It downloads a single JSON file with everything in it (roster, layout, chart, rules), which you save wherever you'd normally save a file. Your computer, a shared drive, wherever you like. That choice, and any upload, is entirely yours to make. Deskplan never does it for you.

How do I restore it?

Use "Import backup" and pick the file. An invalid or corrupted file is rejected with a clear error and changes nothing. A backup that's larger than the free tier's limits (say, exported after buying Pro, then imported on a free-tier device) loads in full, visible and exportable, but read-only until it's within free limits again or Pro is unlocked. It is never trimmed or deleted to make it fit.

What does the free version include?

One class of up to 40 students, every layout preset (rows, pods, U-shape, pairs), drag-and-drop and one-click randomize, any 2 seating rules, printing, and JSON backup/restore. That's the whole tool, and it doesn't expire.

Is Pro available now?

Deskplan Pro isn't on sale yet — the free version is complete and usable today. It's a one-time $9 (no subscription) for unlimited classes, unlimited rules with one-click auto-arrange, printouts without the footer line, and PNG export. The pricing page has the full details, including what a license covers and the refund promise: pricing page.

How many devices does one license cover?

One license covers one teacher on all of their own devices. Entering your key again on a device that already has it doesn't use up another activation; there is a cap of 10 activations so a key can't be passed around a whole staffroom.

I lost my key, or I'm getting rid of a computer.

If you still have the computer, open Deskplan on it and choose Manage license → Release this device: the activation goes straight back to your license. Polar, our merchant of record, hosts a customer portal: sign in with the email you bought with to see and copy your license key, or replace it if it ever leaks. Open your Polar customer portal. There is no account to recover. Your key and your receipt live with Polar, and your seating charts live on your own device.