A File Changed. You Don't Know How. That Is the Problem.

During development, file changes can happen fast. A save, a deletion, a move, a rename — or even an automatic change made by a tool. And suddenly you are wondering: What exactly changed? What was deleted? Can I still get the previous version back?

Meet CodeFootprint

CodeFootprint is a Mac app I built to solve exactly this problem.

You select a project folder to monitor, and CodeFootprint quietly records every change to your text and code files — edits, deletions, timestamps, and full diff details. All stored locally on your machine.

What It Does

Tracks file changes in any local folder you choose
Records diffs — see exactly what was added, removed, or modified
Shows timelines — know precisely when each change happened
Recoverable history — review previous versions when something goes wrong
Background operation — no workflow interruption, it just records silently

Not a Git Replacement

CodeFootprint is not meant to replace Git or any code editor. It works more like an independent local record of real file changes. Whether changes come from your editor, terminal, Finder, scripts, or other development tools — CodeFootprint captures them all, as long as they happen inside your selected folders.

AI Workflow Integration

One feature I find especially useful: CodeFootprint supports exporting trace files. You can export your change history and share it with different AI tools for analysis, debugging, review, or handoff.

If you work across multiple AI tools (and who does not these days), this reduces repeated explanation and helps the next tool understand what happened before.

Privacy First

CodeFootprint runs fully on device:

No account required
No cloud services
No project files uploaded anywhere
All records stored in your chosen local location

Built for developers who care about privacy and local control.

Who Is It For

Independent developers, programmers, students, creators — anyone who writes code, modifies projects, debugs files, or uses AI tools for development. Sometimes the biggest problem is not that a file changed, but that you no longer know exactly how it changed.