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Overview

Protect your work with LiveCodes backup and restore:
  • Full backups - Save all projects and settings
  • Selective backups - Choose what to include
  • Easy restore - One-click data recovery
  • Export formats - ZIP archives with JSON data

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Creating Backups

1

Open Backup

Click Menu → Backup/Restore
2

Select Data

Choose what to backup:
  • Projects
  • User settings
  • Templates
  • Snippets
  • Assets
3

Create Backup

Click Backup button
4

Download

A ZIP file downloads:
livecodes_backup_2024-03-15.zip
Backup files are created client-side in your browser. No data is sent to servers.

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What to Backup

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Projects

All Saved Projects

Includes:
  • All your saved projects
  • Code in all editors
  • External resources
  • Project configurations
  • Custom settings per project
File format: 
{
  "project-id-1": {
    "title": "My Project",
    "markup": { "language": "html", "content": "..." },
    "style": { "language": "css", "content": "..." },
    "script": { "language": "javascript", "content": "..." }
  },
  "project-id-2": { /* ... */ }
}

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User Settings

User Configuration

Includes:
  • Editor preferences (font, theme, etc.)
  • Default languages
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Tool preferences
  • Feature flags

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Templates

Custom Templates

Your custom starter templates

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Snippets

Code Snippets

Saved code snippets for reuse

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Assets

Asset References

References to uploaded assets (not the files themselves)
Asset backups include URLs and metadata, not the actual files. Files hosted on GitHub Pages remain there.

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Backup File Structure

Extract a backup ZIP to see: 
livecodes_backup_2024-03-15.zip
├── projects.json          # All projects
├── userConfig.json        # User settings
├── userData.json          # User data
├── appData.json           # App data
├── templates.json         # Custom templates
├── snippets.json          # Code snippets
└── assets.json            # Asset references
Each JSON file contains the respective data in a structured format.

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Restoring Backups

1

Open Restore

Go to Menu → Backup/Restore → Restore tab
2

Select Backup File

Click “Choose File” and select your backup ZIP
3

Choose What to Restore

Select which data to restore:
  • All data
  • Only projects
  • Only settings
  • Specific stores
4

Confirm Restore

Click Restore button
5

Reload App

LiveCodes reloads with restored data
Restoring will overwrite existing data. Create a backup of current data first if needed.

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Selective Backup

Choose exactly what to backup:
Check only Projects to backup:
  • All saved projects
  • No settings or user data
  • Useful for sharing projects

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Backup Strategies

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Regular Backups

1

Weekly Backups

Create backups every week:
livecodes_backup_2024-03-08.zip
livecodes_backup_2024-03-15.zip
livecodes_backup_2024-03-22.zip
2

Before Major Changes

Always backup before:
  • Browser updates
  • Clearing cache
  • Experimental features
  • Bulk deletions
3

Keep Multiple Versions

Don’t delete old backups immediately:
  • Keep last 3-4 weekly backups
  • Archive monthly backups

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Project-Specific Backups

For important projects:
1

Export Project

Use Export → Export as JSON for single projects
2

Version Control

Store in Git:
git add project.json
git commit -m "v1.0.0"
git tag v1.0.0
3

Deploy Source

Include source files when deploying to GitHub Pages

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Storage Locations

Save backups on your computer:
~/Documents/LiveCodes Backups/
├── 2024-03-15.zip
├── 2024-03-22.zip
└── important-project.json

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Automated Backups

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Browser Extensions

Use extensions for automatic backup:
  1. Export to File extension
  2. Schedule regular exports
  3. Auto-save to cloud folder

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Scripts

Automate via SDK: 
import { createPlayground } from 'livecodes';

const playground = await createPlayground('#container');

// Get all data
const config = await playground.getConfig();

// Save to file
const json = JSON.stringify(config, null, 2);
const blob = new Blob([json], { type: 'application/json' });
const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);

// Trigger download
const a = document.createElement('a');
a.href = url;
a.download = `backup-${Date.now()}.json`;
a.click();

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Restore Options

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Full Restore

Restore everything: 
✓ Projects
✓ User Config
✓ User Data
✓ App Data
✓ Templates
✓ Snippets
✓ Assets

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Partial Restore

Restore only selected data: 
✓ Projects
☐ User Config  (keep current settings)
☐ User Data
☐ App Data

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Merge vs Replace

Existing data is overwritten:
  • Old projects deleted
  • Settings replaced
  • Clean slate

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Backup Best Practices

1

3-2-1 Rule

  • 3 copies of data
  • 2 different storage media
  • 1 off-site backup
2

Test Restores

Periodically test that backups work:
  1. Create test project
  2. Back it up
  3. Delete it
  4. Restore from backup
  5. Verify it’s intact
3

Label Clearly

Use descriptive filenames:
livecodes_backup_2024-03-15_pre-update.zip
project_client-website_final.json
settings_backup_work-laptop.zip
4

Secure Sensitive Data

Encrypt backups containing:
  • API keys
  • Credentials
  • Private code

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Recovery Scenarios

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Lost Projects

1

Find Latest Backup

Locate most recent backup file
2

Restore Projects

Select only “Projects” during restore
3

Verify

Check that all projects are recovered

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Browser Cache Cleared

1

Don't Panic

Your backups are safe offline
2

Full Restore

Restore complete backup
3

Reconfigure

May need to re-login to GitHub

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Migrating to New Device

1

Backup on Old Device

Create complete backup
2

Transfer File

Move backup to new device
3

Restore on New Device

Open LiveCodes and restore backup

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Troubleshooting

  • Check available disk space
  • Disable download blockers
  • Try smaller backup (selective)
  • Check browser permissions
  • Verify backup file isn’t corrupted
  • Check available browser storage
  • Try restoring in smaller batches
  • Clear some existing data first
  • Backup selectively
  • Delete old/unused projects first
  • Split into multiple backups
  • Check restore log for errors
  • Verify correct data was selected
  • Try full restore
  • Reload browser

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Data Privacy

Backup process is entirely client-side:
  • No server upload - Data never leaves your browser
  • You control storage - Choose where backups go
  • No tracking - Backups aren’t monitored
  • Encrypted transit - Files stay on your device

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Backup Limits

ItemLimit
Backup file sizeBrowser dependent (~100MB typical)
Number of projectsNo limit
Backup frequencyNo limit
Storage durationIndefinite (you control)
  • Sync - Sync across devices
  • Export - Export individual projects
  • Import - Import projects
  • Deploy - Deploy with source files