Can I work offline?

Yes. The first time you use the tool, it is downloaded and stored in your browser.

If you clear your browser storage, you will need to visit tools.chronolator.com to download the relevant tool again.


The Help files are not downloaded automatically. To download an offline PDF copy, click here.

I pressed Save As > txt or Save As > JSON to save my work, but I can't find the saved file

Depending on your browser settings, your work might automatically be saved in your usual Downloads folder.

If you want to be prompted to save it in a particular place, search for instructions relevant to your browser, using a search such as get browser to prompt for download location.

How do I get the latest version?

If you are connected to the Internet, your browser checks if there is a later version and should automatically download it.

If the automatic update does not work, you can force an update by clearing your browser cache. Before you do that, save your chronology in your computer's file system, as work saved only in the browser will be lost.

Save the chronology in your File System

See here for information about saving to the file system.

Clearing the browser cache

At the time of writing this Help, you could clear your browser cache in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox as follows:

  • press Ctrl+Shift+Delete simultaneously on the keyboard. In the resulting panel:
    • In Edge and Chrome, clear Cookies and other site data.
    • In Firefox, clear Offline website data.
    • Close the browser and reopen it.
    • Restart the Browser Tool you want to use. 

How secure is my chronology? Can I password-protect it?

Your chronology is stored in a compressed text format that can only properly be understood by one of the Chronolator Browser Tools. If you open the file in Notepad or any other text editor it appears to be nonsensical. However, anyone can use one of the Chronolator Browser Tools to read it.


You can also password-protect the file, which encrypts it even further. A Chronolator Browser Tool will require the password to be supplied before decrypting and opening it.


See Common Tasks for how to set, change, or remove a password.

Can I save the chronology in a way that does not require one of the Chronolator Browser Tools to open it?

You can do this in two ways:

  • Press the Print button above the chronology table to display it in a new browser tab, and then use the browser's print facilities to print it to a physical printer or save it as a PDF or other file.
  • Use the Copy (formatted) button above the chronology to copy the chronology to the Clipboard, and then Paste it into another program as described next.

Can I save the chronology as a Word document?

Your chronology is stored in a format that can only properly be understood by one of the Chronolator Browser Tools.


You can save a copy in Microsoft Word™ or a similar program by copying it to the system Clipboard using the Copy (formatted) button above the chronology, and then pasting it into another program. See Using the Clipboard.


You can also use the Chronolator Conversion Tool to convert a JSON file to a macro-enabled Word document, but note that you must be allowed to run Word macros to do this. See Chronolator For Word.

What will happen to the Word version of Chronolator?

Chronolator started life in 2000 as a Microsoft Word™ application. Since then, technology has moved on and the Chronolator Browser Tools have taken on most of its functions. A few minor features are yet to be migrated, so a limited version of Chronolator for Word remains available at www.chronolator.com/for-word.htm. A more modern implementation of it providing better integration with the Browser Tools is being investigated.

Please see Chronolator For Word for details about using Chronolator for Word and the Chronolator Browser Tools together.

File types and security

Chronolator Define can process two types of file: JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and txt  (simple text).

  • JSON  files provide a 'bridge' between Chronolator Define and other programs such as Chronolator for Word. JSON  is the least secure format, insofar as anyone with a text editor can open and make some sense of the file.
  • txt files are produced when you save a chronology with one of the tools. If opened in a text editor, the text appears to be nonsense. However, anyone who uses one of the tools will be able to read it. If you want to, you can protect the file with a password by following the instructions under Setting, changing, and removing a password in Common Tasks.