Foundry VTT Data Storage

Foundry VTT Data Storage

Domain: Foundry VTT Module/​System Development Status: Production-Ready Last Updated: 2026-01-04

Overview

Foundry VTT provides three primary storage mechanisms: Flags (document-attached), Settings (global config), and Files (external storage). Choosing the wrong method is a common source of bugs and performance issues.

When to Use This Skill

• Deciding where to store module/​system data
• Implementing document-specific custom properties
• Creating module configuration options
• Handling large datasets that impact performance
• Migrating data between storage types

Quick Decision Matrix

Flags

Flags attach key-value data to Documents (Actors, Items, Scenes, etc.).

Basic Usage

// Set a flag
await actor.setFlag('my-module', 'customProperty', { value: 42 });

// Get a flag
const data = actor.getFlag('my-module', 'customProperty');
// data === { value: 42 }

// Delete a flag
await actor.unsetFlag('my-module', 'customProperty');

// Direct access (read-only)
const value = actor.flags['my-module']?.customProperty;

Namespacing

Always use your module ID as the scope:

// CORRECT - Uses module ID
await doc.setFlag('my-module-id', 'flagName', value);

// WRONG - Generic scope causes collisions
await doc.setFlag('world', 'flagName', value);

Batch Updates

// BAD - Three database writes
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'flag1', value1);
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'flag2', value2);
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'flag3', value3);

// GOOD - Single database write
await actor.update({
  'flags.myModule.flag1': value1,
  'flags.myModule.flag2': value2,
  'flags.myModule.flag3': value3
});

Nested Flag Operations

// Delete nested key (V10+)
await doc.unsetFlag('myModule', 'todos.completedItem');

// Alternative: Foundry deletion syntax
await doc.setFlag('myModule', 'todos', { '-=completedItem': null });

Pitfalls

1. Periods in Object Keys Break getFlag:

// BROKEN - Period in key causes issues
await doc.setFlag('myModule', 'data', { 'some.key': 'value' });
const result = doc.getFlag('myModule', 'data');
// result !== { 'some.key': 'value' } - Data corrupted!

// WORKAROUND - Use class instance (treated as complex object)
class MyData {
  constructor(data) { Object.assign(this, data); }
}
await doc.setFlag('myModule', 'data', new MyData({ 'some.key': 'value' }));

2. Inactive Module Throws Error:

// UNSAFE - Throws if module not installed
const value = doc.getFlag('optional-module', 'flag');

// SAFE - Handle missing module
const value = doc.flags['optional-module']?.flag ?? defaultValue;

Settings

Settings store global configuration with different scopes.

Scope Types

Registration

Hooks.once('init', () => {
  // Client setting - per-device
  game.settings.register('myModule', 'theme', {
    name: 'UI Theme',
    hint: 'Select your preferred theme',
    scope: 'client',
    config: true,
    type: String,
    choices: {
      light: 'Light',
      dark: 'Dark'
    },
    default: 'light',
    onChange: value => applyTheme(value)
  });

  // World setting - shared, GM-only
  game.settings.register('myModule', 'enableFeature', {
    name: 'Enable Feature',
    hint: 'Turns on the special feature for all users',
    scope: 'world',
    config: true,
    type: Boolean,
    default: false,
    requiresReload: true  // V10+ prompts user to reload
  });
});

Hidden Settings with Menus

For complex config, hide the setting and use a FormApplication:

// 1. Register menu button
game.settings.registerMenu('myModule', 'configMenu', {
  name: 'Advanced Configuration',
  label: 'Configure',
  icon: 'fas fa-cog',
  type: MyConfigApp,
  restricted: true  // GM only
});

// 2. Register hidden backing setting
game.settings.register('myModule', 'config', {
  scope: 'world',
  config: false,  // Hidden from settings UI
  type: Object,
  default: { option1: true, threshold: 10 }
});

// 3. Access in FormApplication
class MyConfigApp extends FormApplication {
  getData() {
    return game.settings.get('myModule', 'config');
  }

  async _updateObject(event, formData) {
    await game.settings.set('myModule', 'config',
      foundry.utils.expandObject(formData)
    );
  }
}

Setting Types

// Choices dropdown
game.settings.register('myModule', 'mode', {
  type: String,
  choices: { a: 'Option A', b: 'Option B' },
  default: 'a'
});

// Number with range slider
game.settings.register('myModule', 'volume', {
  type: Number,
  range: { min: 0, max: 100, step: 5 },
  default: 50
});

// File picker
game.settings.register('myModule', 'backgroundImage', {
  type: String,
  filePicker: 'image',  // 'audio', 'video', 'any'
  default: ''
});

// DataModel for validation (recommended)
game.settings.register('myModule', 'validated', {
  type: MyDataModel,
  default: {}
});

onChange Behavior

// Client scope: fires only on this client
game.settings.register('myModule', 'clientSetting', {
  scope: 'client',
  onChange: value => {
    // Only runs locally
  }
});

// World scope: fires on ALL clients
game.settings.register('myModule', 'worldSetting', {
  scope: 'world',
  onChange: value => {
    // Runs everywhere when GM changes it
    // Re-fetch to ensure consistency
    const current = game.settings.get('myModule', 'worldSetting');
  }
});

Files

Use file storage for large datasets or exportable data.

When to Use Files

• Data > 100KB that would slow document operations
• Export/​import functionality
• Asset management (images, audio)
• Sharing data between worlds

FilePicker Upload

// Upload a file
const file = new File(
  [JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)],
  'export.json',
  { type: 'application/​json' }
);

await FilePicker.upload(
  'data',           // source: 'data', 'public', 's3'
  'myModule/​data',  // target directory
  file,
  {},
  { notify: true }
);

Reading Files

// Fetch and parse JSON
async function loadData(path) {
  const response = await fetch(path);
  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Failed to load ${path}`);
  return response.json();
}

const data = await loadData('modules/​myModule/​data/​config.json');

Lazy Loading Pattern

Store file reference in flag, load on demand:

// Store reference
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'dataFile', 'myModule/​data/​actor-123.json');

// Load when needed
async function getActorData(actor) {
  const path = actor.getFlag('myModule', 'dataFile');
  if (!path) return null;
  return loadData(path);
}

Common Mistakes

Wrong: Flags for Module Config

// BAD - Config doesn't belong on a random document
await game.user.setFlag('myModule', 'globalConfig', config);

// GOOD - Use world setting
game.settings.register('myModule', 'globalConfig', {
  scope: 'world',
  config: false,
  type: Object
});

Wrong: Large Data in Flags

// BAD - Slows every actor update
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'history', arrayWith10000Entries);

// GOOD - Store in file, reference in flag
const file = new File([JSON.stringify(history)], `${actor.id}-history.json`);
await FilePicker.upload('data', 'myModule/​history', file);
await actor.setFlag('myModule', 'historyFile', `myModule/​history/​${actor.id}-history.json`);

Wrong: Client Setting for Shared State

// BAD - Each user sees different value
game.settings.register('myModule', 'gameRule', {
  scope: 'client',  // Wrong scope!
  type: Boolean
});

// GOOD - World scope for shared rules
game.settings.register('myModule', 'gameRule', {
  scope: 'world',
  type: Boolean
});

Migration Between Storage Types

Flag to Setting

Hooks.once('ready', async () => {
  const version = game.settings.get('myModule', 'schemaVersion') ?? 0;

  if (version < 2) {
    // Collect data from actor flags
    const migrated = {};
    for (const actor of game.actors) {
      const old = actor.getFlag('myModule', 'oldData');
      if (old) {
        migrated[actor.id] = old;
        await actor.unsetFlag('myModule', 'oldData');
      }
    }

    // Store in setting
    await game.settings.set('myModule', 'migratedData', migrated);
    await game.settings.set('myModule', 'schemaVersion', 2);

    ui.notifications.info('MyModule: Migration complete');
  }
});

Setting to File (Large Data)

async function migrateToFile() {
  const largeData = game.settings.get('myModule', 'bigSetting');

  // Export to file
  const file = new File(
    [JSON.stringify(largeData, null, 2)],
    'migrated-data.json',
    { type: 'application/​json' }
  );
  await FilePicker.upload('data', 'myModule', file);

  // Update setting to path reference
  await game.settings.set('myModule', 'dataPath', 'myModule/​migrated-data.json');
  await game.settings.set('myModule', 'bigSetting', null);
}

Implementation Checklist

• Use module ID as flag scope (never 'world' or generic names)
• Register settings in init hook
• Use scope: 'world' for shared config, scope: 'client' for preferences
• Batch flag updates with document.update() when setting multiple
• Use files for data > 100KB
• Handle missing flags/​settings with defaults
• Add requiresReload: true for settings that need refresh (V10+)
• Use DataModel for setting validation when possible

References

• Flags API
• Settings API
• Handling Data Guide
• FilePicker API

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Last Updated: 2026-01-04 Status: Production-Ready Maintainer: ImproperSubset