Import and export data
Use this guide when you want to move Tarnished data in or out of the system.
Available export formats
Tarnished supports:
- JSON export
- CSV export
- ZIP export jobs for file-backed export bundles
Available import path
Tarnished supports ZIP-based import workflows that validate the archive before import processing begins.
What to expect from ZIP export
ZIP export is treated as a durable job rather than an instant response.
That means Tarnished:
- creates an export job
- prepares the ZIP archive in the background
- makes the download available when the job reaches the complete state
What to expect from import
Import follows a similar durable-job pattern:
- upload and validate the archive
- inspect the payload format
- process the import in the background
- report durable job status and progress
Why this matters
The durable-job model is designed for:
- better progress visibility
- safer handling of longer operations
- improved recovery compared with in-memory-only progress tracking
Backup guidance
An export file is useful, but it is not the only backup strategy you should rely on.
You should also back up the underlying application storage described in Architecture overview.