> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.qrtub.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Exporting a Collection Backup

> Downloading a JSON snapshot of a Collection's settings, field schema and page template — and why its Items are deliberately not in the file

A Collection backup is a single JSON file you download on demand. Open **Settings → Admin →
Backup & restore**, choose **Manage backup**, then **Download Backup**. The file is named after
the Collection and the date, like `heavy-equipment-2026-08-22.json`.

## What is in the file

* **Details** — name, description, cover image and the "what is one Item called" label
* **The full field schema** — every field, its type, labels, allowed values, defaults and
  required flags
* **Collection settings** — link generation mode and Item ID mask, scan behavior default,
  default destination
* **The active page template** — the page design Items in this Collection render
* **Per-Item page overrides** — any page customization saved against an individual Item

## What is not in the file

**Items are not included.** This is the one thing everyone assumes and it is worth being blunt
about: a Collection backup captures the *shape* of a Collection, not its contents. Restoring one
will not bring your equipment records back.

Export Items separately as CSV from the Item grid. Keep the two files together if you are
archiving a Collection properly — the JSON restores the structure, the CSV restores the rows.

Also absent: Links (they belong to the team, not the Collection, and survive independently),
print batches, and anything team-level such as members or billing.

Because Items are excluded, the per-Item page overrides in the file are recorded against an Item
identifier rather than an internal database ID. They reattach only if Items with matching
identifiers exist wherever you import the file — otherwise they are skipped with a warning.

## When to take one

* **Before a destructive change** — reworking a field schema, or replacing a page design you may
  want back.
* **To reuse a setup** — a finished Collection exported as a backup becomes your own reusable
  starter, better fitted than any system template. See [Creating a New Collection From a
  Backup](/collections/new-collection-from-backup).
* **To move a setup to another team** — the file has no team baked into it; you choose the team
  when you import.

Backups are manual and on demand. Nothing is scheduled, and QRtub does not keep old versions of
this file for you — the copy you download is the copy you have.

## Related

* [Importing a Collection Backup](/collections/import-backup)
* [Creating a New Collection From a Backup](/collections/new-collection-from-backup)
* [Exporting Items to CSV](/import-export/exporting-items)
* [Deleting a Collection](/collections/deleting-a-collection)