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Export & import boards

A .deepstate file is one board, complete: every node, connection, entity and narrative, the AI conversations, saved presentations, feed state, all media, and the board's change history. Export to archive a finished investigation, to send a board to someone, or to move it to another computer.

Exporting​

Board select screen → download icon on the board → choose where to save (on Linux you pick a folder and DeepState names the file). A progress dialog shows reading board data → copying media → writing, then offers Show in folder.

The file is a ZIP:

manifest.json     format version, app version, board name, counts
board.json        every row of every board-scoped table
media/            the board's media folder (node media, avatars, thumbnails)
chat-images/      images attached to AI conversations
documents/        Document node files that lived outside the board folder

It is not encrypted. Treat it as you would the investigation itself.

Importing​

Board select screen → Import board… → pick the file. A confirmation shows the board's name, the app version it came from and what it contains, and lets you rename it before importing.

  • Importing creates a new board; it never merges into an existing one. Import the same file twice and you get two boards.
  • IDs are remapped if they collide with anything already on this device, so importing a board you exported from this same machine works and produces an independent copy.
  • Archives from older app versions import: the columns are intersected with the current schema and anything unknown is dropped. Newer archives may lose fields on an older app - update first.
  • Importing counts toward the board limit.

History travels with the board​

The export includes the board's change log, so a board imported on another machine carries its full edit history and can be shared from there, or synced back with the original: an imported copy and its source have a common history and will merge cleanly if you later connect them with an invite code. This is the recommended way to onboard a new collaborator with a large board when a transport would be slow - export, send the file, they import and join.

What export is not​

  • It is not a backup of the app: settings, keys and other boards are not included. See Backup & restore.
  • It is not a report. For something to read, generate a presentation and export the PDF, or ask the assistant to write a summary Note.
  • It is not incremental. For keeping two copies in step, use changes files or a live transport.

Compatibility​

The format is versioned in manifest.json. DeepState reads every version it has ever written. board.json is plain JSON, so the data is recoverable with ordinary tools should you ever need it without the app.