Question 1

How does a writing goal tracker calculate my daily word count?

Accepted Answer

This writing goal tracker calculates your daily word count from the difference between word-count logs, not from the raw number you type in. Log 1,200 words in the morning and 1,500 in the evening, and it records 300 words for that day — the delta since your last entry — rather than re-counting your entire draft as new writing. That's why the first log of the day always sets a starting point, and every log after it only measures what changed.

Question 2

What's the difference between a daily goal and a total goal?

Accepted Answer

A daily goal resets its target every day — for example 500 words — and rewards you for hitting that number today, which is what builds your streak. A total goal, by contrast, tracks progress toward one fixed number like 50,000 words for a NaNoWriMo novel or 80,000 for a full manuscript, and doesn't reset; it simply reflects your manuscript's current total word count against that target. Switch between the two anytime without losing your logged history.

Question 3

How is my writing streak calculated?

Accepted Answer

Your streak counts the number of consecutive days you've hit your daily word goal, walking backward from today. If today isn't over yet and you haven't hit the goal, the streak doesn't break — the tracker checks yesterday instead, since an unfinished day shouldn't erase a real streak. The moment a full day passes with the goal unmet, the streak resets to zero the next time you check it.

Question 4

Do I have to paste my whole manuscript every time?

Accepted Answer

No — you can simply type your current total word count into the number field if you already know it from your word processor or writing app. The paste box is there for convenience: if you paste your draft instead, the tracker counts its words live with the Intl.Segmenter API and fills in the number for you, so you never have to open a separate word counter to check your total.

Question 5

Is my manuscript text stored anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. Only the word count number is ever saved — never your actual text. If you use the paste box, the draft is counted the moment you type using the Intl.Segmenter API and then discarded; it's never written to localStorage or sent to a server. If you want to check your document's word count without logging a goal at all, the [Word Counter](/) does the same live counting with nothing saved afterward.

Question 6

Can I track more than one project at a time?

Accepted Answer

Not directly — this tracker holds one goal, one running total, and one session history at a time, stored per browser. If you're juggling multiple manuscripts, track them in separate browser profiles, or reset progress between projects using the Reset Progress button, which clears the streak and history so you can start the next project clean.

Question 7

What happens if I clear my browser data?

Accepted Answer

Your goal, streak, and session history disappear, because everything is stored in your browser's localStorage rather than on a server — there's no account to log back into and recover it from. If you write across multiple devices or clear your cache regularly, treat this tracker as a daily motivation check-in rather than your permanent record, and keep your actual manuscript backed up separately — the [Text Diff Checker](/compare-text) is a quick way to confirm nothing changed unexpectedly between versions.

Writing Goal Tracker

Why Use This Writing Goal Tracker?

How to Use the Writing Goal Tracker

Writing Goal Tracker — Frequently Asked Questions

Further reading

Why Use This Writing Goal Tracker?

How to Use the Writing Goal Tracker

Writing Goal Tracker — Frequently Asked Questions

Further reading

Explore More Free Text Tools