Backups
Last modified: 05/03/2026
What backups are for
Backups save your scheduling data so you can recover from mistakes or bad imports. They do not back up your note text.
Create a backup
- Open Settings → Reset.
- Click Create backup now.
The backup is saved immediately.
Automatic backup policy (Anki-style tiers)
Sprout uses a hybrid retention policy with short-term and long-term snapshots. You can configure this in Settings → Data backup.
Default policy:
- 8 recent backups (every 6 hours)
- 7 daily backups (every 1 day)
- 4 weekly backups (every 7 days)
- 1 monthly backup (every 30 days)
- 250 MB total backup size cap
When total backup size exceeds the cap, Sprout prunes oldest tier entries first.
Routine backups use the Recent interval (hours) setting.
Restore a backup
- In the backup table, find the backup you want.
- Click Restore.
- Confirm.
Restoring replaces current scheduling data with older data.
WARNING
Restore overwrites your current scheduling state and review history. Reviews done after that backup was made are lost.
Delete a backup
Click Delete next to a backup to remove it permanently. This action cannot be undone.
What is included
- card stages, intervals, stability, difficulty
- review history
- FSRS parameters
- card-to-note mappings
What is not included
- Markdown note content
- media files
- plugin settings
When to create backups
- before reset actions
- before large imports (see Anki Export & Import)
- regularly as a safety habit
Notes
- Backups are local-first and intended for recovery.
- New backups include a sidecar integrity manifest (
.manifest.json) with size + checksum. - Older backups without a manifest are still supported and can still be restored.
- If backup files are missing or corrupted, use your most recent valid backup.