Backup & Restore

Clipthesis supports local database backups so you can protect your library metadata against data loss.

Creating a Backup

1. Go to Settings → Database Backup
2. Optionally enter a description to identify this backup later (e.g. "Before reindex" or "Pre-cleanup")
3. Click Create Backup

The backup is saved to ~/Library/Application Support/Clipthesis/backups/. Each backup is a copy of your SQLite database at that point in time.

Viewing Backups

The backup section in Settings lists all available backups with:

• Timestamp of when the backup was created
• Description (if provided)
• File size

Restoring a Backup

1. Find the backup you want to restore in the list
2. Click Restore
3. Confirm the action

WARNING

Restoring a backup replaces your current database with the backup. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost. Consider creating a new backup of your current state before restoring an older one.

Clipthesis creates a safety backup of your current database automatically before performing a restore, so you can undo the restore if needed.

Deleting Backups

Click Delete on any backup to remove it. This is permanent and cannot be undone.

What's in a Backup

A backup contains your full database:

• All media records and metadata
• Tags and tag assignments
• Collections and collection items
• Drive records
• Import batch history It does not include thumbnails, scrub frames, or your actual video files. Thumbnails are regenerated automatically if missing, and video files live on their original drives.

Best Practices

• Create a backup before major operations (large reindexing, drive removal)
• Keep a few recent backups and delete old ones to save disk space