Game: WoW Forever and Retail. Version: 1.1.7.
Bindsafe keeps snapshots of Blizzard keybindings, action-bar slots, and macros for each character. It reminds you to save and reload after changes, checks for missing entries after login, and can restore a saved setup. Save & reload makes the game write the snapshot and current setup to disk.
Install
Use the CurseForge app first. Select your Forever and Retail game installation, search for Bindsafe, and install the matching release. The catalog lists https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/bindsafe.
For a manual install, place the release folder at World of Warcraft/_forever_/Interface/AddOns/Bindsafe/. Keep Bindsafe.toc directly inside that folder, with its Lua files and media beside it. Avoid an extra nested release folder. Fully close and restart the game, then enable the addon for the character in the AddOns list.
For Retail, use World of Warcraft/_retail_/Interface/AddOns/Bindsafe/. Keep each client's installation separate.
Quick start
- Open
/bindsafe setupand review what a snapshot covers. - Arrange your bindings and bars, then click Save & reload to establish a saved baseline.
- Open Details to compare a selected save and review the four reminder and login/logout settings.
Slash commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/bindsafe, /bsafe | Toggle the window. Both names accept all subcommands. |
/bindsafe reload | Capture a snapshot and reload the UI. |
/bindsafe save | Capture a manual snapshot without reloading. |
/bindsafe keep | Accept the current setup as the new baseline. |
/bindsafe restore | Restore the latest eligible save; bars only restore for a matching specialization. |
/bindsafe check | Print missing bindings, action slots, macros, and other differences. |
/bindsafe details | Open the window with details expanded. |
/bindsafe setup, guide, tutorial | Open the setup guide. |
/bindsafe help | Print command help. |
Settings and controls
Defaults below describe a new installation. Existing saved choices can carry forward after an update.
| Setting or control | Default | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remind me to save | On | Details | Show a reminder after unsaved binding, bar, or macro changes. |
| Check at login | On | Details | Compare loaded setup with a suitable snapshot and offer restoration for missing entries. |
| Save at logout | On | Details | Capture on normal logout once initialization has settled and outside combat. |
| Login message | On | Details; final guide page | Print introductory chat reminders. |
| Selected snapshot | First, most recent row | Main window save rows | Choose the restore and comparison target. The button uses this selection; the slash command separately selects the latest non-suspect save for your specialization. |
| Details visibility | Compact view initially | Details button | Expand the difference list and settings. |
| Window position | Initial layout | Drag window; setup reset button | Save placement; Reset window position recenters it. |
| Minimap position | 160 degrees | Drag minimap icon; setup reset button | Remember placement; Reset minimap button restores it. |
Features and windows
What a snapshot contains
A snapshot records bindings available through the Blizzard keybinding list, action slots 1–180, and account and character macros. Up to eight snapshots are retained per character. The compact window displays the three most recent saves; click a row before Restore to choose it. Details shows differences, with missing entries in red.
Save captures the setup in memory. Save & reload captures it and reloads so WoW writes saved data. A disconnect or forced close before a normal save can still lose changes that never reached disk. This addon does not create an independent background disk backup.
Login checks and intentional changes
The first login creates an initial snapshot. Later checks wait for bars to load and retry over roughly 40 seconds before treating still-missing entries as a loss. Checks also wait out combat. A trained spell rank counts as the same action when the comparison can identify it.
The slash Restore action selects a suitable latest save for your current specialization. Manually selecting a save from another specialization can still restore bindings and macros, but its action bars are skipped. This protects the current specialization's bar layout.
If you removed something on purpose, Keep current saves that choice as the new baseline. Not now dismisses the prompt without replacing saves; the same loss is remembered so it does not keep prompting at each login. The restore prompt does not use Escape as an accidental choice.
Restore behavior and limits
Restoration runs outside combat. It restores macros, bindings, and then compatible action slots. Entries that cannot be placed are reported. Spells and items must be available; supported mount and equipment-set actions use the relevant game functions. Flyouts, companions, and pets can require manual placement. Click-cast bindings and custom addon bindings outside the Blizzard binding list are not captured.
Restoring saved entries is not a promise to erase every extra action currently on your bars. Review the result and accept the reload prompt to persist it. Macro restoration is limited by the game's macro capacity and available functions.
Save reminders and logout
Changes settle briefly before comparison. A reminder appears after the setup has remained dirty for about 20 seconds, checked outside combat. Later hides the reminder until another change. This is elapsed dirty time, not a guarantee of 20 accumulated seconds spent outside combat.
Normal logout can still save a snapshot when entries appear missing. It labels that snapshot logout, items missing and preserves a good save during trimming. Turning Save at logout off stops these automatic logout captures; manual Save and Save & reload remain available.
Windows, minimap, and both clients
The main window emphasizes Save & reload, Restore, and three recent saves. Details exposes Save, Check, the difference list, and settings. Drag the window to move it. Left-click the minimap icon to toggle the window; right-click opens a menu with Setup guide and More from Korivash. Drag the icon to move it. Setup includes reset buttons for both positions. More from Korivash is available from the expanded window.
The same release includes Bindsafe.toc for Retail and Bindsafe_Camelot.toc for Forever. Keep both files as shipped. There is no need to rename a TOC. Snapshot behavior is shared, but supported actions and specialization information depend on the client.
FAQ
Is Save alone enough before closing the game forcefully?
It captures a snapshot, but use Save & reload to make WoW write it to disk first.
Why were my action bars skipped on restore?
The selected snapshot belongs to another specialization. Bindings and macros can still restore.
Why did a spell rank change not trigger a warning?
The comparison treats recognized ranks of the same spell as the same action.
I removed a macro deliberately. What should I choose?
Use Keep current to make your intentional setup the baseline.
Does Not now delete or replace a save?
No. It dismisses and remembers that prompt without replacing snapshots.
Why are some slots still empty?
The action may be unavailable or unsupported for placement. Read the skipped-slot message and fill those slots manually.
Can I restore during combat?
No. Retry after combat.
How many backups are kept?
Up to eight per character; the compact window shows the latest three rows.
Troubleshooting and saved data
BindsafeDB stores preferences and character snapshots account-wide. On Retail, its file is _retail_/WTF/Account/<Account>/SavedVariables/Bindsafe.lua; Forever has its own equivalent file. The two client installations do not share snapshots automatically. Keep a closed-game backup before manually changing saved data.
The addon does not appear. Check the game installation selected in CurseForge, the folder name above, and the AddOns checkbox for this character. A full game restart is needed when adding an addon or new files; a UI reload is not a substitute for that first restart.
A manual update seems to disappear. Check whether CurseForge is managing the same folder. An app update or reinstall can replace a hand-installed build. Keep a backup outside AddOns and use one update method for that installation.
Settings are missing or reverted. WoW writes saved settings during a normal logout or UI reload. Back up saved files while the game is closed. Account data is normally under _forever_/WTF/Account/<Account>/SavedVariables/Bindsafe.lua, with a .lua.bak backup when present. Do not confuse that file with the addon's source files in Interface/AddOns. A different account or game installation has a different saved-data folder.
Something still looks wrong. Use the recovery controls described above, then reload. For help, include the addon version, game flavor, what you clicked, and the exact error text: https://discord.gg/YxFRuEPSxZ.
Recent changes
- 1.1.7 — Added More from Korivash.
- 1.1.6 — Improved setup reopening and unfinished first-run offers.
- 1.1.5 — Added setup guide and window/minimap reset controls.
- 1.1.4 — Login checks wait and retry while action bars load, including combat delays.