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Import, export, and incremental backups

Export#

From Settings → Export, context menus (Space/Folder/List), item modal, or Export this view:

  • Backup — a re-importable .inventtasks.json archive. Use it when you want a portable copy that can be imported back into InventTasks. It includes item data, configuration, saved views, docs, templates, attachments, and shared workspace state where applicable.
  • Readable — CSV, Markdown, HTML, or pretty JSON for reporting, printing, sharing, or reviewing outside the plugin. These files are not meant to be imported back as a full restore.

Scopes: workspace, Space, Folder, List, single item, saved view. HTML/Markdown can embed images or export an _exports/ folder with image files.

Use export when you want a deliberate archive: before a large reorganization, before moving data between vaults, or before sending a subset of items to someone else.

Import#

Import backup loads .inventtasks.json at the matching scope (workspace down to single item). Name collisions receive numeric suffixes; the import summary lists renames.

During import, InventTasks keeps relationships consistent by remapping item IDs and parent links when needed. Import is best for restoring or moving a known archive. It is not the same as the automatic incremental backup described below.

Incremental backup#

Incremental backup is a fast per-workspace safety net. It is designed for recovery after accidental edits, broken sync, or a bad bulk operation.

  • Enable under Settings → Incremental backup
  • Storage: plugin folder, .inventtasks-backups in workspace, or custom desktop path
  • Tune snapshot interval, journal debounce, retention, size cap, and Markdown body storage mode
  • Snapshot now or Restore… (into new folder for preview, or overwrite with automatic safety snapshot)

It uses two kinds of backup files:

  • Snapshots — restore points containing the current state of the workspace.
  • Journal entries — smaller change records written after file changes. On restore, InventTasks starts from the needed snapshot and replays later journal entries.

Markdown body storage modes#

The Markdown body storage setting controls how much raw Markdown is written into incremental backup entries:

  • Auto: full raw markdown up to size limit — the recommended default. Markdown files smaller than Max raw markdown file size (KB) are stored exactly as raw text. Larger Markdown files are stored in a compact fallback form: parsed frontmatter plus body text. They can still be restored, but YAML formatting/order/comments may be normalized because the file is rebuilt instead of copied byte-for-byte.
  • Always full raw markdown — stores every Markdown file exactly. Best fidelity, larger backups.
  • Frontmatter/settings only — stores metadata and configuration but skips Markdown body text. Smallest backups, but not suitable if item descriptions, long notes, or doc pages must be recoverable.

Binary files, such as attachments and images, are stored as base64 so they can be restored with the backup chain. For a full portable archive intended for long-term storage or transfer, use Export → Backup in addition to incremental backup.

Use JSON export for portable archives; incremental backup for frequent local recovery between syncs.