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FAQ

General​

Does Branda need an account or an internet connection?​

No. Branda stores everything locally on your Mac and has no account, sync service, or cloud backend. The only network access happens for website link assets: the status bar app loads a link's preview image in the background, and Quick Look loads the live page while you preview it. Creating or updating a link never contacts the website.

Which macOS versions are supported?​

macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Where is my data stored? Can I back it up?​

In ~/Library/Application Support/Branda/, as human-readable JSON files plus the original files of your file-based assets. To back up, copy that folder; to restore, copy it back. The status bar app picks up a restored backup automatically. See Where your data lives.

Can I share a brand library with my team?​

Not directly — Branda has no built-in sharing. Because the data is plain files, you can copy the data folder to another Mac. Branda records the owner of every organization, brand, and asset as the macOS user who created it.

Installation​

macOS says the installer is from an unidentified developer​

Branda releases are not notarized by Apple. Double-click Branda.pkg a second time and choose Open Anyway, or allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security. See Installation.

I can't find the app after installing​

Branda has no Dock icon and no window — look for its icon in the status bar, or press ⌘⌥B. If the icon is hidden behind the notch or by a menu bar manager, the shortcut still works.

branda-cli: command not found​

The installer places branda-cli in /usr/local/bin. Make sure that directory is on your PATH.

Using Branda​

My keyboard shortcut does nothing​

Another app may already own the combination. Branda then shows a warning badge on the gear button in the popover, and its settings tell you which shortcut could not be registered. Pick a different combination in the settings (⌘, in the popover) or with branda-cli settings set. Shortcuts need at least two modifiers.

branda-cli says Missing required argument: name (or color shorthand) for a hex color​

Your shell treated the # as the start of a comment. Quote the hex code — "#FF0000" — or leave out the #: FF0000.

Can I use SVG files?​

Yes. SVGs are regular image assets (--type image with a .svg file) and are additionally checked for being well-formed.

Does Branda convert between RGB and CMYK?​

No. A color is stored exactly as you enter it, either as RGB or as CMYK. You can switch a color asset between the two modes, but you supply the new channel values yourself. The status bar app converts CMYK to RGB only for displaying the swatch.

Do changes made with branda-cli show up in the menu?​

Yes. While the popover is open, changes from branda-cli — or from a restored backup or file sync — appear within about two seconds, without interrupting what you are doing.

What happens when I delete an organization or a brand?​

Deletes cascade: deleting an organization deletes all its brands and their assets; deleting a brand deletes all its assets. Both the CLI and the app ask for confirmation first and tell you how many items will go with it. There is no undo, so keep a backup of your data folder.

How do I quit Branda?​

Open the settings (gear button or ⌘, in the popover) and click Quit branda.

Licensing​

Can I use Branda at work?​

Branda is source-available, not open source. Using it for any commercial purpose requires written permission from MPOWR IT GmbH — see the Licence.