Backup & Restore

Protect your content library with Corixa's comprehensive backup system. Create backups manually or automatically, and restore them when needed.

Overview

Corixa includes a robust backup system to protect your saved content:

  • Full Database Backup - All items, categories, and metadata
  • Thumbnail Preservation - Images and thumbnails are included
  • Future-Proof Format - Backups work across versions
  • Automatic Reminders - Get notified when it's time to backup
  • One-Click Restore - Easy recovery when needed
Screenshot: Backup Settings
Capture the Backup & Restore section in Settings showing: last backup date, backup location, reminder settings, and the Backup Now and Restore buttons.
backup-settings.png

Backup File Format

Corixa backups use the .clearday-backup file format:

  • Self-contained archive with all your data
  • Version-compatible - older backups work with newer app versions
  • Can be stored anywhere - local drive, cloud storage, external drive
  • Human-readable name with date stamp (e.g., Corixa-Backup-2025-01-15.clearday-backup)
Storage Tip
Store your backups in a cloud-synced folder (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive) for automatic off-site protection.

Creating a Backup

Manual Backup

Create a backup at any time:

Open Backup Settings

Go to Corixa > Settings > Backup & Restore.

Click "Backup Now"

Click the Backup Now button to start the backup process.

Choose Save Location

Select where to save your backup file. The default location is your Documents folder, but you can choose any location.

Wait for Completion

A progress indicator shows the backup status. Large libraries may take a few minutes.

Confirmation

You'll see a success message when the backup completes. The file is ready for safekeeping.

Screenshot: Backup Progress
Capture the backup progress indicator showing items being backed up, progress percentage, and the backup file being created.
backup-progress.png

Keyboard Shortcut

Quickly start a backup with Cmd + Shift + B.

Menu Access

You can also access backup from the menu: File > Create Backup...

Automatic Backup Reminders

Corixa can remind you to create backups at regular intervals.

Setting Up Reminders

  1. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore
  2. Enable Backup Reminders
  3. Choose your reminder frequency:
Frequency Best For
Weekly Active users who save content frequently
Bi-weekly Regular users with moderate activity
Monthly Casual users or smaller libraries
Screenshot: Backup Reminder Settings
Capture the backup settings showing the reminder toggle enabled and the frequency dropdown with options visible.
backup-reminder-settings.png

Reminder Notifications

When a backup reminder is due:

  • A notification appears with options to backup now or snooze
  • The reminder appears when you launch Corixa
  • You can dismiss or snooze for later

Preferred Backup Location

Set a default location for your backups to streamline the process:

  1. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore
  2. Click Choose Location next to "Preferred Backup Location"
  3. Select your preferred folder
  4. Future backups will default to this location
📁 Location Suggestions
  • iCloud Drive - Automatic cloud sync
  • Documents - Easy to find locally
  • External Drive - Physical backup separation
  • Dropbox/Google Drive - Cross-platform access

Auto-Cleanup of Old Backups

Corixa can automatically manage old backups to save disk space:

Enabling Auto-Cleanup

  1. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore
  2. Enable Auto-Clean Old Backups
  3. Set how many backups to keep (default: 5)

When enabled:

  • The oldest backups are deleted when you exceed the limit
  • Only backups in your preferred location are managed
  • Backups in other locations are not affected
Before Enabling
Make sure you have recent backups stored safely before enabling auto-cleanup. Old backups will be permanently deleted.

Restoring from Backup

Restore your content library from a backup file.

Important
Restoring replaces your current library with the backup contents. Create a backup of your current data first if you want to preserve it.

Open Restore Settings

Go to Corixa > Settings > Backup & Restore.

Click "Restore from Backup"

Click the Restore button to begin the restoration process.

Select Backup File

Navigate to your .clearday-backup file and select it.

Review Backup Info

Corixa shows backup details including creation date and number of items. Verify this is the correct backup.

Confirm Restoration

Click Restore to confirm. Current data will be replaced.

Wait for Completion

The restoration process may take a few minutes for large libraries.

Restart Corixa

After restoration, Corixa will prompt you to restart the app to load the restored data.

Screenshot: Restore Confirmation Dialog
Capture the restore confirmation dialog showing backup file details (name, date, item count) and the warning about replacing current data, with Restore and Cancel buttons.
restore-confirmation.png

What's Included in Backups

Corixa backups include:

Included Not Included
All saved items (web pages, videos, notes) YouTube authentication tokens
Categories and organization Window positions and UI state
Item metadata and summaries Temporary cache files
Thumbnails and images Debug logs
Priority levels and dates -
Application preferences -
🔒 Security Note
Authentication tokens are not included in backups for security. After restoring, you'll need to reconnect your YouTube account if you use YouTube sync.

Backup Best Practices

Regular Backups

  • Enable backup reminders for consistent protection
  • Backup before major changes or app updates
  • Create a backup before trying to restore another backup

Multiple Locations

  • Keep at least one backup in cloud storage
  • Occasionally copy backups to an external drive
  • Don't rely solely on local backups

Verification

  • Periodically test restoring from a backup (on a test account or device)
  • Check backup file sizes - unusually small files may indicate problems
  • Note the item count when creating backups for reference

Troubleshooting

Backup Fails to Create

  • Check disk space - backups need room to write
  • Verify write permissions to the destination folder
  • Try a different save location

Restore Fails

  • Ensure the backup file isn't corrupted (try a different backup)
  • Check that you have the latest version of Corixa
  • Quit all other applications and try again

Missing Items After Restore

  • Items added after the backup date won't be present
  • Verify you selected the correct backup file
  • Check the backup's creation date

For more help, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

Next Steps

⚙ Settings Troubleshooting