April 15, 2026
Hash it, stash it, share it
Show HN: SmallDocs - A CLI and webapp for private Markdown reading and sharing
Private Markdown in a link? HN loves it—then asks how big it can go
TLDR: SmallDocs shares Markdown by stuffing it into the part of a link that isn’t sent to the server, promising private previews and easy styling. HN loves the idea but instantly asks how big these links can get and whether it helps cut AI token costs—privacy meets practicality in one hash-filled debate.
SmallDocs dropped on HN with a bold promise: paste your Markdown into the part of a link after the #, and boom—private, instant preview and share. The dev says nothing hits the server; the browser decodes it locally. Cue the crowd leaning in with raised eyebrows and popcorn. The first vibe check? Size anxiety. One user cut straight to it with, “Is there a size cap?” Suddenly the thread’s imagining megabyte-long links that look like base64 beach balls and whether browsers—or your poor chat app—will choke on them.
But it’s not all worry. Another voice cheers, “Markdown style editing looks very easy and convenient,” and the aesthetic crowd is here for the built‑in styling that travels with the link via simple front‑matter. Meanwhile, the AI‑obsessed are doing math in the margins: “Will it reduce token consumption as well?” If you’re piping agent (AI assistant) reports around, that’s code for: can this cut my bill? Between privacy flexes—no server sees your text, says the dev—and the practicality checks—how long can a link be before it breaks?—HN turned this into a showdown of privacy vs. practicality. Verdict so far: neat idea, great vibes, a few big questions, and lots of memes about shoving your entire report “into the hash.”
Key Points
- •SmallDocs (SDocs) is an open-source CLI and web app for instant Markdown previewing and sharing.
- •SDocs embeds compressed base64 document content in the URL fragment, which is not sent to the server, ensuring privacy.
- •The sdocs.dev web app performs client-side decoding and rendering; the server does not access document contents.
- •Users can apply complex styling and charts; styles persist via YAML Front Matter included in the Markdown.
- •Installation and use are simple: “npm i -g sdocs-dev” and “sdoc path/to/file.md”; additional commands include “sdoc schema” and “sdoc charts.”