Temporary Online Management Function for M3U8 URLs Based on IndexedDB

Today, the M3U8 Player has undergone a feature optimization, adding an M3U8 URL favorites function, which is implemented based on IndexedDB. This article explains why this function was developed, as well as the characteristics and limitations of IndexedDB.

Why This Function Was Implemented

When using M3U8 Player, I noticed that currently, users can only enter an M3U8 URL to play content. If a user wants to reuse an M3U8 URL they used the previous day, they have to search through files to find it. While this is feasible, it is not convenient. Therefore, a favorites function was added. If users find the video quality of a certain M3U8 URL satisfactory, they can save it as a favorite. The website stores the data locally on the user’s device rather than on a server. This allows users to access the previously used M3U8 URLs the next day.

Limitations of This Function

From the very beginning of building this website, the goal was to avoid storing user data. Therefore, the data saved via this favorites function is stored in IndexedDB. IndexedDB data may be lost under the following circumstances:

• Active user cleanup: IndexedDB data will be deleted when users manually clear browser data (including cache, website data, or storage for specific domains).
• Private/incognito browsing: In the browser’s private mode, some browsers automatically clear all temporary data—including IndexedDB—when the session ends (i.e., when all private windows are closed).
• Insufficient storage space: When the device’s storage space is severely insufficient, the browser may clean up some local storage data according to its own policies, and IndexedDB may be targeted for cleanup.
• Browser malfunctions or corruption: Corrupted browser files, crashes, or abnormal shutdowns may damage the IndexedDB database files, leading to data loss.
• Domain-related operations: If the website domain expires, is deleted, or the browser marks it as a malicious site and cleans up its data, the associated IndexedDB storage may also be removed.
• Browser version upgrade or migration issues: In rare cases, major browser version upgrades may cause storage format compatibility issues, resulting in inaccessible data (which is equivalent to data loss).

Therefore, under normal circumstances, this function can help users save their favorite M3U8 URLs. However, it is highly recommended to keep an additional copy of the URL data for easy recovery if any of the above issues occur.