Tools: New Share Your Web App State Via Url — No Backend Required 2026

Ever wanted users to share their exact setup in your web tool — without a database, accounts, or server?

Here's a pattern I use in my tools: encode the entire app state into the URL. One click, one link, fully restored.

You build a client-side tool. Users configure settings, enter data, tweak options. Then they want to share their exact configuration with a teammate.

Traditional solution: database + user accounts + share endpoints. That's a whole backend for one feature.

That's it. ~20 lines of code. No server, no database, no auth.

Combine URL sharing with localStorage presets for power users:

I used this pattern in Keyword Mixer — a PPC keyword combination tool. Users set up keyword groups, match types, and negative keywords, then share the exact setup with their team via a single URL.

The ?q= parameter carries everything. Click a shared link → tool opens with the exact configuration → generate combinations immediately.

✅ Configuration-heavy tools (settings, filters, presets) ✅ Small-to-medium state (< 1KB JSON) ✅ Tools where sharing = collaboration

❌ Large datasets (use IndexedDB + export instead) ❌ Sensitive data (use encryption or server-side) ❌ Frequently changing state (use WebSocket or SSE)

Source: Dev.to