The secret note is the most critical piece of information when using Tornado Cash. It is your only key to accessing the funds you deposit. This note is generated client-side in your browser and is never stored by the Tornado Cash protocol or its developers. If this note is lost, stolen, or deleted, the funds become permanently irrecoverable. The Tornado Cash site stresses this point repeatedly, urging users to store multiple encrypted copies in different secure locations immediately after deposit.