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Reflect AI stores all your journal data locally on your device for maximum privacy. Regular exports ensure your entries are backed up and can be transferred to new devices or restored if needed.

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Exporting Your Journal

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Quick Export

1

Open the Actions Menu

In the left sidebar, find the Actions section with navigation buttons.
2

Click Export

Click the Export button (download icon). This triggers an immediate export.
3

Save the File

Your browser will download a JSON file named:
reflect-ai-YYYY-MM-DD.json
Example: reflect-ai-2024-03-15.json
4

Store Safely

Save this file to:
  • ☁️ Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud)
  • 💾 External hard drive
  • 📧 Email to yourself
  • 🗄️ Multiple backup locations (recommended)

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What’s Included in Exports

Your export file contains complete journal data in JSON format: 
{
  "entries": {
    "2024-03-15": {
      "text": "Today was a great day...",
      "photos": ["data:image/png;base64,..."],
      "tags": ["gratitude", "work"],
      "sentiment": {
        "compound": 0.8,
        "mood": "very_positive",
        "scores": {
          "positive": 0.5,
          "negative": 0.0,
          "neutral": 0.5
        }
      },
      "themes": ["work", "friends"],
      "word_count": 127,
      "updatedAt": "2024-03-15T14:30:00Z"
    }
  },
  "metadata": {
    "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
  }
}
Exported data includes:
  • ✅ All journal entry text
  • ✅ All attached photos (base64 encoded)
  • ✅ All tags
  • ✅ Sentiment analysis scores and mood labels
  • ✅ Detected themes
  • ✅ Word counts
  • ✅ Creation and update timestamps
  • ✅ Journal metadata
The export file is human-readable JSON. You can open it in any text editor to view your data, though it’s formatted for machine processing.

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Backup Strategies

Weekly

Export every Sunday evening as part of your weekly review routine

Monthly

Keep monthly snapshots in dated folders: 2024-03/, 2024-04/, etc.

Before Updates

Always export before updating Reflect AI to a new version

After Major Entries

Export after writing particularly important entries

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The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

For critical data like journal entries, follow this industry best practice:
  • 3 copies of your data
  • 2 different storage types (e.g., local + cloud)
  • 1 copy offsite (cloud or different physical location)
Example setup:
  1. Original: Data in Reflect AI on your computer
  2. Copy 1: Weekly export saved to your computer
  3. Copy 2: Weekly export uploaded to Google Drive
  4. Copy 3: Monthly export on an external hard drive
Journal entries are irreplaceable personal documents. Regular backups are essential. Don’t rely solely on your local data.

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Importing Journal Data

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Import from Export File

1

Prepare Your Import File

Locate the .json export file you want to import. Ensure it’s a valid Reflect AI export.
2

Open Import Dialog

In the left sidebar Actions section, click the Import button (upload icon).
3

Select File

A file picker will open. Navigate to and select your .json export file.
4

Import Process

Reflect AI will:
  • Read the file
  • Validate the data structure
  • Merge entries into your current journal
  • Display a success message
5

Verify Import

Browse your calendar to confirm entries have been imported correctly.

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Import Behavior

Merging logic:
  • Entries from the import file are merged with existing entries
  • If an entry exists for a date, the imported version overwrites the existing one
  • Existing entries for dates not in the import file are preserved
  • All metadata and sentiment scores are imported as-is
Example scenario: Current journal:
  • 2024-03-15: “Today was good”
  • 2024-03-16: “Went hiking”
Import file:
  • 2024-03-15: “Today was amazing” (different content)
  • 2024-03-17: “Productive day”
After import:
  • 2024-03-15: “Today was amazing” ← Overwritten
  • 2024-03-16: “Went hiking” ← Preserved
  • 2024-03-17: “Productive day” ← Added
Import overwrites existing entries for matching dates. Always export your current data before importing to avoid accidental data loss.

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Common Import/Export Scenarios

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Transferring to a New Computer

1

Export from Old Computer

On your current computer, export your journal data.
2

Transfer File

Copy the .json file to your new computer via:
  • USB drive
  • Email
  • Cloud storage
  • Network transfer
3

Install Reflect AI

Set up Reflect AI on your new computer following the Installation guide.
4

Import Data

Open Reflect AI on your new computer and import the .json file.
5

Verify and Continue

Check that all entries are present. You’re ready to continue journaling!

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Restoring from Backup

If you lose data or need to restore from a backup:
1

Clear Current Data (Optional)

If you want a clean restore, click Clear All Data in the Actions menu first.
This permanently deletes all current entries. Only do this if you’re certain.
2

Import Backup File

Click Import and select your most recent backup .json file.
3

Verify Restoration

Check your calendar and stats to ensure everything is restored correctly.

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Merging Multiple Journals

If you have journal entries in multiple export files:
1

Import First File

Start with your oldest or most comprehensive export file.
2

Export Current State

After importing, export to create a backup of the merged data.
3

Import Additional Files

Import the next file. Entries will merge, with newer imports overwriting conflicts.
4

Repeat and Export

Continue importing files and creating backup exports after each merge.
5

Final Export

Once all files are merged, create a final comprehensive export for safekeeping.
Import files in chronological order (oldest to newest) to ensure the most recent version of each entry is preserved.

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Advanced: Manual Data Editing

Because exports are JSON files, you can manually edit them in a text editor.

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When to Edit Manually

  • Batch-correcting dates or timestamps
  • Removing specific entries before sharing data
  • Merging journals from different sources
  • Migrating from another journaling app

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Editing Guidelines

Always ensure the file remains valid JSON:
  • Use a JSON validator (like jsonlint.com)
  • Keep all required fields
  • Match data types (strings, numbers, objects)
  • Don’t forget commas and brackets
Each entry must have:
{
  "text": "string",
  "photos": [],  // array of base64 strings
  "tags": [],    // array of strings
  "sentiment": {
    "compound": 0.0,  // -1.0 to 1.0
    "mood": "neutral",
    "scores": {
      "positive": 0.0,
      "negative": 0.0,
      "neutral": 0.0
    }
  },
  "themes": [],
  "word_count": 0,
  "updatedAt": "2024-03-15T14:30:00Z"
}
Entry keys must be in YYYY-MM-DD format:
  • ✅ "2024-03-15"
  • ✅ "2024-12-01"
  • ❌ "3-15-2024"
  • ❌ "2024/03/15"
  1. Save your edited JSON file
  2. Keep a backup of the original
  3. Try importing to a test installation first
  4. Verify all entries appear correctly
Manual editing can corrupt your journal data if done incorrectly. Always keep backups and validate JSON before importing.

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Data Format Reference

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Valid Mood Values

MoodCompound Score Range
very_positive≥ 0.5
positive0.2 to 0.5
neutral-0.2 to 0.2
negative-0.5 to -0.2
very_negative≤ -0.5

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Valid Theme Values

Reflect AI automatically detects these themes: work, family, friends, health, food, learning, emotions, travel, creativity

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Timestamp Format

All timestamps use ISO 8601 format: 
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
Example: 2024-03-15T14:30:00Z

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Clearing All Data

The Clear All Data function permanently deletes your entire journal. This action cannot be undone.

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When to Clear Data

  • Starting completely fresh
  • Removing test data
  • Preparing to sell/give away your computer
  • Switching to a different journaling system

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How to Clear

1

Export First

ALWAYS export your data before clearing. Even if you think you don’t need it, create a backup.
2

Click Clear All Data

In the Actions menu, click Clear All Data (trash icon).
3

Confirm

A warning dialog will appear. Read it carefully and confirm if you’re certain.
4

Data Deleted

All entries, photos, tags, and metadata are permanently removed. Your journal is now empty.
Clearing data doesn’t delete export files you’ve saved. Those remain in your file system and can be imported later.

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Troubleshooting

Try:
  • Check browser download permissions
  • Disable browser extensions temporarily
  • Try a different browser
  • Check available disk space
  • Look in your Downloads folder (it may have downloaded without notification)
Causes:
  • File is not valid JSON
  • File is corrupted
  • File is from a different journaling app
  • File structure doesn’t match Reflect AI format
Fix:
  • Validate JSON at jsonlint.com
  • Ensure the file has an entries object
  • Try opening the file in a text editor to inspect it
Check:
  • Are you looking at the correct dates in the calendar?
  • Refresh the app (reload the page)
  • Check if entries use valid date keys (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Look at different months/years
Possible issues:
  • Photo data may be corrupted
  • Base64 encoding may be invalid
  • Photos may be too large (check file size)
If photos are critical, check the export file manually to see if the base64 data is intact.
Large files (>10MB) are usually due to many attached photos. This is normal.Options:
  • Compress the file (use .zip)
  • Split into multiple exports (export date ranges)
  • Use cloud storage for large backups
  • Consider removing old photos from entries

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Security Best Practices

Encrypt Sensitive Exports

If your journal contains highly sensitive information, encrypt export files before uploading to cloud storage.

Use Secure Cloud Storage

Store exports in secure, password-protected cloud services like encrypted Dropbox or Google Drive with 2FA.

Don't Email Unencrypted

Avoid emailing exports unless using encrypted email. Use secure file transfer instead.

Delete Old Backups Securely

When removing old backups, use secure deletion tools rather than just moving to trash.

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Next Steps

Customization

Personalize Reflect AI with custom themes and prompts

Privacy & Security

Learn more about how Reflect AI protects your data

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