Export your data
Your data is yours. The export tool packages a complete copy of your community's content into a single archive you can download and keep, so you always have your own backup no matter what.
An export is a snapshot of the moment you generate it. Make a fresh one after big changes, and keep the file somewhere safe.
Generating an export
Open the export tool. In the admin panel, find Export Data under System & Developer in the sidebar, or search for Export in the top search box.
Click Generate export. The archive is built in the background, so you can keep using the admin panel. Small boards finish in seconds; large communities can take a few minutes.
Refresh and download. When the page shows Your export is ready, the Download button hands you a zip file named after your board.
What is inside
The zip contains plain, portable files you can open with any text editor or process with any programming language:
meta.json: your board's name, address, the export date and record counts.
groups.ndjson: your member groups.
users.ndjson: your members, with their username, email address, group and activity stats.
forums.ndjson: your categories and forums, including how they nest.
topics.ndjson: every topic with its title, author and dates.
replies.ndjson: every post, with its content and author.
The .ndjson files hold one record per line as JSON. That keeps even a huge board's export easy to stream and process without loading everything at once.
What is not included
Uploaded files such as attachments, avatars and gallery media. Including them would make archives enormous; they stay served from your board.
Private messages. Your members' private conversations stay private.
Passwords. Password hashes never leave the platform.
Good to know
Generating a new export replaces the previous one, so download the current file first if you want to keep both.
Only administrators can generate and download exports.
The export contains member email addresses. Treat the file with the same care you treat your member list.