Roam Research Docs · Help & user documentation

Encrypted Graphs

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Limitations of encrypted graphs

Warning #.bg-red-200

• If you forget your password for an encrypted graph
  • We cannot retrieve or reset it, and we cannot recover your encrypted notes
• Roam Depot and roam/js extensions running in an encrypted graph will have access to the unencrypted data
  • If you want to be sure your notes are secure do not use roam/js extensions that you did not write yourself
  • Roam Depot extensions undergo a review process which includes a security review, so they should be okay for most purposes.
    • If the data is very critical, you may want to not use any Roam Depot extensions either
• Quick Capture is disabled
• Existing graphs cannot be encrypted
  • We recommend creating a new encrypted graph and importing the existing graph, then delete the existing graph
• Backups and Exports of the graph are not encrypted
  • Backups and exports currently do not contain the unencrypted images and media files
    • We hope to add this in the future
• Offline Graphs on the desktop app do not encrypt the images / media files you upload
  • The media files are stored on your computer, unencrypted
• You can still share an encrypted graph with someone else, but they need the password used to encrypt it to access the graph
  • In the future we hope to release the ability to have multiple password to a graph
• Load times of encrypted graphs may be longer than non encrypted
• The Roam Backend API can't read an encrypted graph, but the Roam Append API works: you can capture into an encrypted graph with an append-only [API token](Create API Tokens)
  • The same rule applies to Roam MCP: connected AI tools can only append to today's daily note on an encrypted graph. For full AI access, the Local MCP on the desktop app works with the decrypted graph on your device
• More Info
  • Images and media files are encrypted only on hosted graphs
    • This may effect the load time of them
    • Offline Graphs on the desktop app do not encrypt the images / media files you upload
  • Roam only encrypts blocks, pages, and media files
    • Some metadata about your graph is not encrypted
      • For example whether block text is centered or a heading is not encrypted, but the actual content of the block is
    • Developer
      • These keys are encrypted
        • :user/display-name :user/email :create/email :edit/email :node/title :block/string :user/uid :user/photo-url :entity/attrs :block/props :ent/emojis :user/settings
• How do I change my password?
  • In the settings panel
    • 
• How do I create an encrypted graph?
  • {{video: https://www.loom.com/share/5f7cea684d154559a16d0167cd53f93b}}
• How can I verify that my graph is encrypted?
  • {{video: https://www.loom.com/share/338bd42b80b647aaa0bed3082c53dccd}}