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Backup and Restore

Backup and Restore (found under Settings > Data Management) lets you download a complete copy of your business data and, if you ever need to, restore your business from a previous backup file. This is available on the Standard plan and above.

Exporting a Backup​

  1. Go to Settings > Data Management.
  2. Under Export Data, click Download Backup.
  3. MyBooks prepares a ZIP file containing CSV spreadsheets of your Accounts, Contacts, Items, Transactions, Payments, Ledger entries, and Settings.
  4. Save the file somewhere safe. We recommend taking a backup regularly, and always before a large data operation such as a bulk import.

Restoring from a Backup​

Restoring will overwrite data in your business, and the change cannot be undone. Read this section carefully before you proceed.

  1. Go to Settings > Data Management.
  2. Under Restore Data, choose a Restore Mode:
    • Upsert — adds new records and updates existing ones by matching. Your current data is preserved.
    • Replace — deletes ALL existing data for your business, then restores from the file. This cannot be undone.
  3. Drop your backup ZIP file into the upload area, or click it to browse for the file (maximum size 50 MB, .zip files only).
  4. Click Restore.

⚠️ Warning: Restoring in Replace mode permanently deletes your current data. If you choose Replace mode, MyBooks will ask you to confirm by typing REPLACE into a confirmation box. Once you confirm, all accounts, contacts, transactions, payments, ledger entries, and settings currently in your business are deleted, and your data is rebuilt from the uploaded file. This cannot be undone — there is no way to recover the data that was in place before the restore. Make sure you have a current backup, and that you are certain you want to proceed, before typing REPLACE.

When the restore finishes, MyBooks shows a Restore Complete summary with a count of records imported for each data type (Accounts, Contacts, Items, Transactions, Payments, Ledger Entries, and more), and lists any rows that could not be imported along with the reason.

Plan Requirement​

Backup and Restore requires the Standard plan or higher. If your business is on the Free plan, you'll need to upgrade before you can access Data Management. This also affects the Recycle Bin, which is part of the same module.