# Backup/Export Best Practices

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Tags:** devonthink3\
**Created:** [August 2, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151 "2022-08-02T17:31:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 6:45am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/21 "2022-08-03T06:45:28Z")

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> [@rmschne](#):
>
> For this, _index_ the files into DEVONthink.

No, I prefer the files contained in the Devonthink database  
And I’m comfortable with the export as part of my backup process

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/22 "2022-08-03T06:59:17Z")

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> [@DTLow](#):
>
> No, I prefer the files contained in the Devonthink database

Ok. Up to you. I guess I’m puzzled how you access the data “independent of DEVONthink” if the files are inside DEVONthink database? You accessing the files inside the DEVONthink “package” with Finder or other apps?

Edit: to clarify as I’m curious, of the many options under the Menu: File → Export, which do you use? To database archive (which I use in a weekly automated script)?

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**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 1:03pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/23 "2022-08-03T13:03:37Z")

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> [@rmschne](#):
>
> of the many options under the Menu: File → Export, which do you use?

My backup process includes

1. direct backup of the database files (software TimeMachine/Arq, hourly incremental)
2. File \> Export \> Files and Folders (weekly, full) (also backed up by Arq)

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**Author:** ![jmanko16](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@jmanko16](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/jmanko16)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/24 "2022-08-03T14:07:29Z")

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Thank you. This is very helpful. I think my initial thought process was the same about keeping files in the database and wanting to export as part of my weekly backup.

Can I ask how big your database are and how you divide them up? I was planning to use multiple database but the export might be easier if it is one big database that I can export rather than multiple weekly. Since my use case is a lot of iOS/iPadOS I could just use those devices on demand rather than downloading whole database.

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/25 "2022-08-03T14:12:08Z")

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> I was planning to use multiple database but the export might be easier if it is one big database that I can export rather than multiple weekly.

I would not make a decision on the division of data based on the possibility of doing exports at some point.

Also, using a shallow sync with a gigantic database is not a surrogate for using smaller, more focused databases.

Organize based on actual needs and uses of the data you’re working with.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/26 "2022-08-03T14:25:14Z")

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> [@jmanko16](#):
>
> Can I ask how big your database are and how you divide them up?

I have a 15GB database with 30,000 records  
Just a single database (for now)

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**Author:** ![Stephen\_C](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/stephen_c/32/8107_2.png) [@Stephen\_C](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Stephen_C)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/27 "2022-08-03T14:27:13Z")

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If by any chance you’re tempted to try a little AppleScript there’s [an interesting thread here](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-all-open-databases/50932/13) (starting where I have linked it) about automating export of open databases. I use a script weekly which saves me a lot of time—based on what was discussed in that thread.

Edit: added the link!

Stephen

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/28 "2022-08-03T14:31:41Z")

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> [@Stephen\_C](#):
>
> I use a script weekly which saves me a lot of time

Thanks, I need to look into automating my process  
It’s a little more complicated with Export\>Files&Folders

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**Author:** ![system](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/2X/4/4e6ff70c96be2eb307a274d890bba8d71ba671b3.png) [@system](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/backup-export-best-practices/72151/29 "2025-08-02T14:32:08Z")

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