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Exporting Data Snapshots

You can export your data from Convex using Snapshot export, which you can find in the settings page of your project in the dashboard.

Alternatively, you can export the same data with the command line:

npx convex export --path ~/Downloads
Snapshot export is in beta

Snapshot export is currently a beta feature. If you have feedback or feature requests, let us know on Discord!

When you request an export, Convex will generate a ZIP file with all documents in all Convex tables in your deployment. This may take a few seconds or a few minutes, depending on how much data is in your deployment. You can download the ZIP file by clicking on the link in the Latest Snapshot table.

Each export is a consistent snapshot of your data at the time of your request. The ZIP file's name has the format snapshot_{ts}.zip where ts is a UNIX timestamp of the snapshot in nanoseconds. The export ZIP file contains documents for each table at <table_name>/documents.jsonl, with one document per line.

Exported ZIP files also optionally contain data from file storage in a _storage folder, with metadata like IDs and checksums in _storage/documents.jsonl and each file as _storage/<id>.

Latest Export View

Using the snapshot​

Exported ZIP files can be imported into the same deployment or a different deployment with the CLI.

npx convex import path/to/snapshot.zip

What the snapshot doesn't contain​

The snapshot ZIP file only contains the documents for your tables. In particular it lacks:

  1. Your deployment's code and configuration. Convex functions, crons.ts, auth.config.js, schema.ts, etc. are configured in your source code.
  2. Pending scheduled functions. You can access pending scheduled functions in the _scheduled_functions system table.
  3. Environment variables. Environment variables can be copied from Settings in the Convex dashboard.

FAQ​

Can I use snapshot export as an automated backup?​

Right now, you can only access one export at a time, so this is not an automated backup system. You are welcome to download your tables routinely, and feel free to chime in on Discord if you would like to see better support for backups.

Are there any limitations?​

Each export is accessible for up to 14 days (if no more exports are requested). There is no limit to how many exports you can request.

Snapshot export uses database bandwidth to read all documents, and file bandwidth if the export includes file storage. You can observe this bandwidth in the usage dashboard as function name _cli/export. Check the limits docs for pricing details.