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Export ​

Export allows you to download your entire Ente library or specific albums to local storage. This creates a local backup of your photos while keeping them safely stored in Ente's cloud.

Why use export? ​

Export is useful for:

  • Local backups: Keep a copy of your photos on your computer or NAS
  • Data portability: Export your data in a standard format you can use anywhere
  • Redundancy: Have multiple copies of your precious memories
  • Offline access: Keep a complete local copy for when you're without internet

Export options ​

Desktop/Web continuous export ​

The desktop and web apps offer continuous export, which automatically exports new items as they're uploaded to Ente.

How to set up:

  1. Open Settings > Export data
  2. Choose a destination folder on your computer
  3. Enable "Continuous export"
  4. The app will automatically export new items in the background

Important notes:

  • The desktop app must be running for continuous export to work
  • Exports happen in the background without interrupting your work
  • Incremental exports only download new or changed files

CLI export ​

For advanced users and automation, use the Ente CLI to export via command line. The CLI is particularly useful for:

  • Automated exports with cron jobs
  • Server-to-server transfers
  • NAS sync setups

What gets exported ​

Album structure ​

Your album structure is fully preserved during export. Each album becomes a separate folder with your photos organized exactly as they are in Ente.

Example structure:

export-folder/
├── Vacation 2024/
│   ├── photo1.jpg
│   └── photo2.jpg
├── Family/
│   └── photo3.jpg
└── Best Photos/
    └── photo1.jpg  # Same file in multiple albums

Metadata preservation ​

Metadata is exported as separate JSON files alongside your photos. The original files are not modified.

Format:

photo.jpg
metadata/photo.jpg.json

The JSON format matches Google Takeout format, so tools that support Google Takeout imports can read Ente's exported metadata.

For details about the metadata format, see Metadata and Editing FAQ.

Files in multiple albums ​

If a photo exists in multiple albums:

  • In Ente: Counts as 1 file (storage counted once)
  • On export: Appears in each album folder (downloaded multiple times)

This is why your export size may be larger than your Ente storage usage.

Export limitations ​

Two-way sync not supported ​

Exports create a one-way sync from Ente to your local storage. Changes to exported files do not sync back to Ente.

Important: Do not export to the same folder that you're watching for uploads. This will cause:

  • Duplicate files
  • Export stalling
  • Undefined behavior

Best practice: Use separate folders for:

  • Upload source (watch folders)
  • Export destination (local backups)

Network drives (NAS) ​

Exporting to network drives generally works better than importing from them:

  • File system interaction is simpler for exports
  • Performance is usually acceptable

Windows UNC path issue: If exporting to a UNC path (\\server\share), map it to a network drive letter first. File separators don't work correctly with UNC paths and the export won't start.

Learn more in Troubleshooting NAS issues.

Incremental exports ​

Both desktop continuous export and CLI exports are incremental:

  • Only new or changed files are downloaded
  • Gracefully handles interruptions
  • Safe to stop and restart without re-downloading everything
  • Saves time and bandwidth
  • CLI - Command-line tool for automated exports
  • Watch folders - Automatic uploads (the counterpart to export)