Import and Export Data

WhichNotes makes it easy to import your existing notes and export your data whenever you need it. Your data is yours - you should be able to move it freely.

Exporting Your Data

Why Export?

Backup: Keep a local copy of all your notes
Migration: Move to another system if needed
Archive: Save snapshots of your knowledge base
Analysis: Process your data with external tools

How to Export

Open your profile (click your avatar → Profile)
Find the Export section
Click "Export All Notes"
Download JSON file: whichnotes-export-YYYY-MM-DD.json

The export completes instantly, even with hundreds of notes.

What's Included in the Export?

Your export file contains:

✅ All your notes

Note content
Titles and summaries
Creation dates
Note types (text/URL)

✅ All connections

AI-generated connections between notes
Similarity scores
Connection explanations

✅ All tags

Your manual tags
Tag associations with notes

✅ Metadata

Export date and time
Total note count
WhichNotes version

❌ Not Included:

Account settings
Subscription information
Password or authentication data

Export File Format

JSON Structure

Your data exports as JSON for easy parsing:

{
  "exportDate": "2024-12-28T20:00:00.000Z",
  "noteCount": 42,
  "version": "1.0",
  "notes": [
    {
      "id": "uuid",
      "content": "Note content here",
      "title": "Note title",
      "type": "text",
      "tags": ["tag1", "tag2"],
      "createdAt": "2024-12-01T10:30:00.000Z",
      "topics": ["AI-extracted", "topics"],
      "connections": [...]
    }
  ]
}

Using Your Export

Convert to Markdown: Use a script to convert JSON to .md files Import to Notion: Transform JSON to Notion's import format Analyze in Python: Load JSON for data analysis Backup to Cloud: Store in Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

Importing Data

Supported Import Formats

Currently, WhichNotes supports:

✅ WhichNotes JSON (our own export format) ✅ Plain text (creates individual notes)

🔜 Coming Soon:

Markdown files
Notion exports
Obsidian vaults
Apple Notes
Evernote exports

How to Import

Prepare your file: Ensure it's in WhichNotes JSON format
Go to Profile → Import/Export section
Click "Import Notes"
Select your file
Confirm import

⚠️ Important:

Importing adds notes, it doesn't replace existing ones
Duplicate notes can be created if you import the same file twice
AI processing runs for all imported notes

Import Behavior

New Notes: Imported notes get new IDs and creation dates Connections: AI regenerates connections based on content Tags: Imported tags are preserved Conflicts: No automatic merge - duplicates may occur

Migration Guide

From Another App to WhichNotes

Step 1: Export from Original App

Export your notes to a compatible format (JSON, Markdown, or plain text)

Step 2: Convert if Needed

If your export isn't WhichNotes JSON:

Use our conversion tool (coming soon)
Or manually format your data
Or contact support for help

Step 3: Import to WhichNotes

Follow the import steps above

Step 4: Verify

Check note count matches
Verify tags are preserved
Review a sample of notes
Wait for AI processing to complete

From WhichNotes to Another App

Step 1: Export Your Data

Get your WhichNotes export (JSON file)

Step 2: Convert Format

Transform JSON to your target app's format:

Markdown files for Obsidian
CSV for spreadsheets
HTML for static websites

Step 3: Import to New App

Follow the new app's import process

Automatic Backups

Recommendation

Export regularly:

Weekly for active users
Monthly for casual users
Before major changes (bulk delete, etc.)

Setting Up Automatic Backups

Schedule exports: Set a reminder to export weekly/monthly
Save to cloud: Upload exports to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
Version control: Keep multiple versions (don't overwrite old exports)

Example naming: whichnotes-backup-2024-12-28.json

Import/Export Best Practices

For Exports

✅ Export before deleting many notes ✅ Export before account deletion ✅ Store exports safely (encrypted cloud storage) ✅ Test exports by importing to a test account ✅ Keep multiple versions (weekly, monthly)

For Imports

✅ Verify file integrity before importing ✅ Start with small test imports (10-20 notes) ✅ Review imported notes for formatting issues ✅ Clean up duplicates if they occur ✅ Wait for AI processing to complete before evaluating

Data Privacy & Security

Your Data is Safe

No lock-in: Export anytime, no restrictions
Complete exports: Everything you created
Your ownership: Data belongs to you
No hidden data: Everything you see is what you get

Export Security

⚠️ Exports are unencrypted JSON - secure them yourself
💡 Don't share exports publicly - they contain all your notes
🔒 Encrypt before cloud backup for extra security

Troubleshooting

Q: Export file is too large A: JSON files can be large with many notes. This is normal. Compress (zip) before storing.

Q: Import failed A: Check that your file is valid JSON. Use a JSON validator online. Contact support if issues persist.

Q: Some notes didn't import A: Check the file for formatting errors. Some characters might cause issues.

Q: Can I export just some notes? A: Currently, exports include all notes. Selective export is planned.

Q: Will imported notes connect to existing notes? A: Yes! AI processes all notes and creates connections across imported and existing notes.

Planned Features

Coming soon:

🔜 Selective export (choose notes/tags)
🔜 Scheduled automatic exports
🔜 Direct integrations (Notion, Obsidian)
🔜 Export to Markdown files
🔜 Import from popular note apps
🔜 Incremental import (merge, not duplicate)

Next Steps

Need help with import/export? Contact us.