Help & Guide | Thooval

Download & Install

Thooval is a native macOS app for Apple Silicon Macs. Here's how to get it running:

1

Download the DMG

Click the Download button on the homepage to grab the latest .dmg file.

2

Open the installer

Double-click the .dmg to mount it, then drag Thooval into your Applications folder.

3

First launch

Open Thooval from Applications. If macOS warns about an unverified developer, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

✦ Thooval currently supports Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later). Intel support is planned.

Activate your License

Thooval gives you a 7-day free trial with all features unlocked — no credit card, no account needed. When your trial ends, you'll be prompted to enter a license key.

Buying a license

A license key costs a one-time fee of $5. After purchase you'll receive a key by email. To activate:

Open Thooval and click Activate License when prompted.
Paste your license key into the field and press Activate.
Done — Thooval is now yours forever.

💡 Your license is tied to your purchase email, not a specific device. You can use it on any Mac you own.

The Editor

Thooval uses a WYSIWYG editor — what you see while writing is exactly what your readers will see on your blog. There's no raw Markdown syntax cluttering the screen.

Under the hood, every post is stored as a plain .md (Markdown) file in a folder you choose on your Mac. You own the files — not us.

💡 Because your posts are plain Markdown files, you can open and edit them in any text editor — VS Code, Obsidian, iA Writer — at any time.

Creating Posts

To write a new blog post:

Click New Post in the sidebar.
Give your post a title — this becomes the headline on your blog.
Write your content in the editor. Changes save automatically.
When you're happy, mark the post as Published and hit the Publish button to push it live.

Draft posts are saved locally but won't appear on your live blog until you publish.

Formatting

The editor supports all standard formatting via toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts:

Bold — ⌘B
Italic — ⌘I
Headings — H1, H2, H3 from the toolbar
Links — select text, press ⌘K, paste your URL
Bullet & numbered lists — toolbar or - / 1. at the start of a line
Block quotes, code blocks, and horizontal rules via the toolbar
Images — drag and drop into the editor

Connect GitHub

Thooval publishes your blog to GitHub Pages — a free hosting service from GitHub. You need a free GitHub account and a Personal Access Token to connect.

1

Create a GitHub account

If you don't have one, sign up for free at github.com. It takes under a minute.

2

Generate a Personal Access Token

Thooval uses a GitHub PAT to push your blog on your behalf. Follow the guide below to create one.

3

Paste the token into Thooval

Go to Settings → Publishing, paste your token, and save. Thooval will verify it and connect to your account.

4

Choose or create a repository

Pick an existing repo or let Thooval create a new one. Your blog will be published to your-username.github.io/repo-name.

✦ GitHub Pages hosting is completely free for public repositories. You never pay for hosting.

Generate a Personal Access Token

A Personal Access Token (PAT) is like a password that lets Thooval push files to your GitHub repository on your behalf — safely and without ever seeing your GitHub password.

Step 1 — Open GitHub Token Settings

While logged in to GitHub, navigate to:

Profile photo (top-right) → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)

Or go directly: github.com/settings/tokens

Step 2 — Generate a new token

1

Click "Generate new token" → "Generate new token (classic)"

The classic token gives Thooval the specific permissions it needs.

2

Add a note

Give it a descriptive name like Thooval Publishing so you know what it's for later.

3

Set expiration

Choose No expiration so you don't have to regenerate it periodically. If you prefer a time limit, 1 year is a good balance.

4

Select the required scopes

Tick the following checkboxes — nothing more, nothing less:

repo — Full control of private/public repositories (needed to push your blog files)
workflow — Required if you use GitHub Actions to deploy

5

Click "Generate token"

GitHub will show your token once. Copy it immediately — you won't be able to see it again.

💡 Treat your token like a password. Don't share it or commit it to a repository. If it's ever exposed, go to GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → Tokens and delete it, then generate a new one.

Step 3 — Paste it into Thooval

Open Thooval and go to Settings → Publishing.
Paste your token into the GitHub Token field.
Click Save. Thooval will verify it and show your GitHub username confirming the connection.

✦ Your token is stored securely in macOS Keychain — not in a plain text file. Thooval never sends it to any server other than GitHub's own API.

Publish Your Blog

Once GitHub is connected, publishing is a single click:

Click the Publish button in the top toolbar.
Thooval builds a static HTML site from your Markdown posts.
The built site is pushed to your GitHub repository automatically.
Your blog is live within seconds at your GitHub Pages URL.

Only posts marked as Published appear on the live site. Drafts stay private on your Mac.

💡 Want a custom domain like yourblog.com? You can point any domain to GitHub Pages — Thooval doesn't lock you into a subdomain.

Google Analytics

Track your visitors and see which posts get the most reads — without leaving Thooval.

Step 1 — Get your Measurement ID

Go to analytics.google.com and sign in.
Create a new property for your blog's URL.
Under Data Streams, select your Web stream.
Copy your Measurement ID — it looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX.

Step 2 — Add it to Thooval

In Thooval, go to Settings → Analytics.
Paste your Measurement ID and save.
Click Publish — Thooval will embed the GA tag in every page automatically.

✦ It can take up to 48 hours for data to appear in your Google Analytics dashboard after the first publish.

Comments via Giscus

Let readers leave comments on your blog posts — powered by GitHub Discussions. It's free, spam-resistant, and readers only need a GitHub login.

Step 1 — Set up Giscus

Make sure your blog's GitHub repository is public.
Go to github.com/apps/giscus and install the Giscus app on your repo.
Enable Discussions on your repo: go to your repo → Settings → scroll to Features → tick Discussions.
Visit giscus.app, enter your repo details, choose a Discussion category, and copy the Repo ID and Category ID.

Step 2 — Enable in Thooval

Go to Settings → Comments in Thooval.
Toggle Enable Giscus comments.
Paste in your Repo ID and Category ID, then save.
Hit Publish — a comments section will appear at the bottom of every post.

💡 All comments are stored as GitHub Discussions in your repo — you can moderate them directly from GitHub.

FAQ

Do I need to know Markdown to use Thooval?

No. The WYSIWYG editor means you never see raw Markdown — just format using the toolbar. But if you prefer typing Markdown, you can, and it'll render live.

Where are my files stored?

On your Mac, in a folder you choose. Every post is a plain .md file. Nothing is sent to our servers.

What happens to my blog if I stop using Thooval?

Nothing bad. Your Markdown files stay on your Mac, and your blog stays live on GitHub Pages. You can always publish manually or switch tools — the files are yours.

Is there a monthly fee?

No. Thooval is a one-time $5 purchase. No subscriptions, no renewals, no surprises. GitHub Pages hosting is also free.

Can I use a custom domain for my blog?

Yes. GitHub Pages supports custom domains. Point your domain's DNS to GitHub's servers and configure it in your repo settings — Thooval will detect it automatically on the next publish.

I lost my license key. What do I do?

Check the email you used to purchase — the key is in your receipt. If you can't find it, reach out via the GitHub repo and we'll help.