PagePinWeb notes
BACK UP LOCAL NOTES

How to Back Up Web Notes as JSON or Markdown

Export JSON or PagePin Markdown from PagePin Settings and keep the file in a safe location. If you need to restore it, check for overlap with existing notes before importing. This is a manual backup workflow, not automatic cloud sync.

Why locally stored notes need a separate backup

PagePin keeps core data in chrome.storage.local in your Chrome profile. There is no PagePin account or first-party sync server holding another copy for you.

Removing the Extension or clearing its stored data can remove local notes. The developer cannot recover them afterward, so important records need a file you exported before making those changes.

Choose JSON or PagePin Markdown

Use JSON for a PagePin data copy

JSON suits a backup you expect to import into PagePin again. Consider it first when your goal is to move or restore notes together with source-link information.

Use PagePin Markdown for readable notes

PagePin Markdown is convenient when you want to review notes as text or include them in a document-based archive. PagePin can export and import this format as well.

You can keep both formats: one as a data copy intended for import and the other as a readable record. Choose based on how you expect to use the file later.

Export PagePin notes

  1. Review the current notes first. Remove obvious duplicates and confirm that important notes and source information are present.
  2. Open PagePin Settings. In the export area, choose JSON or PagePin Markdown for the copy you need.
  3. Run the export. Confirm that the generated file was saved and note where you placed it.
  4. Keep a copy in a safe location. To prepare for a device or profile problem, store a copy somewhere other than the current Chrome profile.
  5. Refresh the backup after meaningful changes. Export again when important notes accumulate and immediately before uninstalling the Extension.

Import a backup file

  1. Check the data already in PagePin. Compare it with the file you plan to import so the same records do not create unexpected duplicates.
  2. Export the current state if needed. A fresh file preserves a separate copy of what existed before the import.
  3. Run import from PagePin Settings. Choose the JSON or PagePin Markdown file that matches the format you exported.
  4. Inspect important imported notes. Check selected text, tags, and source links rather than relying only on the total number of records.

You decide when to export and import these files. PagePin does not automatically merge notes across devices or keep them current through cloud synchronization.

Back up before removing local data

  • Before uninstalling the PagePin extension
  • Before clearing the Extension’s stored data in Chrome
  • Before replacing or cleaning up a Chrome profile
  • Before moving notes manually to another environment
The developer cannot recover deleted local notes.

Confirm that the export file exists before making a destructive change, and avoid keeping the only important copy in one location.

Treat backup files as potentially sensitive

An export can contain your notes, selected sentences, surrounding context, and source information. If you saved material from private work or restricted pages, the backup file itself may contain sensitive information.

Review a file before placing it in a public folder or shared document. Limit access to people who need it, and check permissions on any storage service you use outside the device.

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