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:

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 and 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

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.

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.