# Back up and restore settings Operon can export its portable settings as one JSON file and restore that file in another vault. Use it to move a configuration, test the same setup elsewhere, or keep a settings snapshot. This is a settings backup. It is not a backup of your tasks or vault files. ## Create a settings backup Open **Settings → Operon → Core → Backup & Restore**, then select **Download**. Operon creates a file named like this: ```text operon-settings-backup-20260811T093045Z.json ``` The timestamp uses UTC and includes seconds, so repeated backups are easy to distinguish. Downloading a backup reads the committed settings without changing the vault. External Calendar sources and their URLs are included automatically. A private calendar URL can grant access to that calendar feed, so store the JSON file with the same care as the plugin data it represents. ## What the backup contains The file contains portable Operon configuration. This includes general preferences, pipelines, priorities, user-facing key mapping overrides, custom keys, saved filters, Calendar and Kanban presets, applicable preset favorites, global Table and Gantt preferences, and External Calendar sources. Vault-specific paths and references can also appear in the backup. Operon does not assume that a folder, file, or other vault item from the source exists in the target. You review those references before restoring them. The backup does not contain: - Markdown notes or tasks - `.table` files, including each preset's columns, Task Tree expansion, and Gantt layout - Table file bindings, order, default Table, initialized state, or Table favorites - Working state such as pinned tasks, running timers, or Kanban manual order - Device-local interface positions or Developer API grants - Rebuildable runtime indexes and caches The target vault keeps those excluded values when settings are restored. For the wider storage model, see [Where Operon stores data](/docs/docs-044-where-operon-stores-data/) and [Table files](/docs/docs-114-table-files/). ## Preview and restore a backup 1. Open **Settings → Operon → Core → Backup & Restore**. 2. Select **Choose backup file** and open an Operon JSON backup. 3. Review the compatibility result and the Settings groups that would change. 4. For each required Vault reference decision, choose **Use backup value** or **Keep current value**. 5. Clear any Settings group you do not want to restore. 6. Read and select **I understand the recovery limits**. 7. Select **Restore selected settings**. Operon validates the file and previews the result before writing settings. A malformed, unsupported, or oversized file is rejected without changing the target. A partially compatible backup identifies unsupported groups and preserves the current values for those groups. ## Keep or undo the restored settings After a successful restore, the restored settings are already active. Select **Keep restored settings** to finalize them, or **Undo restore** to return to the settings that were active immediately before the restore. Undo is conditional and available only during the current Obsidian session. It is not a crash-safe disk rollback. If you close the result with `×` before deciding, the pending recovery remains available through **Resume recovery** on the Backup & Restore page. If settings were committed but some Operon features could not refresh, the recovery screen identifies the affected areas. Use **Retry runtime refresh**, keep the restored settings, or undo the restore according to the actions shown for that recovery. ## Reset Operon settings The **Reset settings** section returns portable Operon settings to the current defaults. Operon shows a confirmation first. Confirming does not delete notes, tasks, or `.table` files, and it preserves the same target-owned state that restore excludes. Reset does not provide session Undo. Download a backup first if you may want the current configuration again. ## Tips > [!tip] Keep settings and vault backups together > The JSON file protects portable Operon configuration. Your normal vault backup protects notes, tasks, `.table` files, and the rest of the vault. Keep both when you want a more complete recovery path. See [Sync conflict safety](/docs/docs-047-sync-conflict-safety/). ## FAQ **Can I restore a backup created by an older Operon release?** Operon checks the backup before applying it. A supported older backup can be restored. If only part of it is compatible, the preview identifies that state and preserves unsupported groups. An unsupported file is rejected without changing settings. **Does restoring settings overwrite my tasks?** No. Tasks remain in their Markdown files. **Does the backup include Table presets or their Gantt layouts?** No. Table presets are `.table` vault files, and their Gantt and Task Tree state stays in those files. The settings backup includes file-independent Table preferences and global Gantt defaults and interaction choices. The target keeps its existing Table bindings, order, default, initialized state, and Table favorites. **Why can I undo a restore but not a reset?** Restore creates a conditional undo tied to that restore during the current session. Reset is a separately confirmed return to current defaults and does not create session Undo. **What happens if I close the restore result before choosing?** The recovery remains pending. Return to Backup & Restore and select **Resume recovery**. ## Settings Backup, restore, recovery, and reset controls live in **Settings → Operon → Core → Backup & Restore**. ## Related - [Operon Docs MOC](/docs/docs-001-operon-docs-moc/) - [Gantt view](/docs/docs-139-gantt-view/)