---
title: Working with boards
description: How Backpocket reads Backlog.md projects, preserves task files, handles offline state and reports write conflicts.
---

# Working with boards

Backpocket treats the Markdown files in a Backlog.md repository as the source of truth. It does not
import a board into a separate hosted database.

## Read and find work

In Flight combines active tasks from the projects you have added. Projects shows one board at a
time, and Search uses the on-device cache so results remain available when a source is temporarily
offline. A stale or unavailable project is shown as partial data instead of hiding the rest of the
board.

## Make supported edits

Backpocket can update supported task fields, checklist items and append-only sections. Its editor
changes only the relevant byte range. Unknown frontmatter keys, unrecognised sections and unrelated
formatting stay in place.

If section markers are ambiguous or frontmatter cannot be parsed safely, the file is read-only.
Backpocket does not guess at a repair.

## Writes and conflicts

A write never silently overwrites a newer repository version. If the source changed after
Backpocket read it, the app presents the conflict instead. Interrupted, unauthorised and conflicted
writes remain visible in the outbox so the change does not disappear when you leave a screen.

## Local data

Project configuration, cached board data and pending writes are stored on the device. Removing a
project removes Backpocket's connection to it; it does not delete the source repository or folder.
See the [privacy policy](../privacy.md) for the complete data-handling summary.