How do I export a backup of my Kontuly books?
To export a backup in Kontuly, open the business, go to Settings → Backups and click Export…. Kontuly saves the whole business, attachments and all, as a single .kontuly file you can keep on a USB drive, an external disk or a cloud storage folder.
- Open the business you want to back up.
- Open Settings and scroll to Backups.
- Click Export…
- Choose where to save it. The file is named after your business and the date, for example "Harbour & Co backup 2026-10-17.kontuly".
You'll see Backup exported with the file's location. Export each business separately.
When should I export by hand?
Off-site copies do this for you every day. Export by hand too when you want a copy to keep: after finishing a BAS period or a financial year, before moving to a new computer, or to give your books to a bookkeeper who also uses Kontuly.
Is the file protected?
If you've set a backup password, the export is encrypted with it and you'll see "Backup exported, protected with your backup password". Anyone restoring it needs that password. Without one, the file holds your full books unprotected, so store it somewhere private.
Can my accountant open it?
Only in Kontuly. If your accountant uses another package, send an export in their format instead. See How do I send my books to my accountant?
To open the file again, see How do I restore a Kontuly backup?
Related questions
- How do I restore a Kontuly backup?Restoring a backup in Kontuly always adds it as a new, separate business, so your current books are never overwritten. How to restore a listed backup or a file.
- How do I keep a copy of my Kontuly books off the computer?Set up off-site copies in Kontuly and it copies every business each day to a USB drive, network drive (NAS) or other folder you choose. Nothing is sent online.
- How do I move Kontuly to a new computer?Export a backup of each business, deactivate the licence on the old computer, then install Kontuly on the new one, activate and restore. Step by step.
More about backups, data and security
- Where does Kontuly store my books on my computer?Kontuly keeps each business as a file in its data folder on your Mac, Windows or Linux computer. The folder paths, and why to use the backup buttons instead.
- How does Kontuly back up my books?Kontuly backs up every business automatically each day and keeps the last 14, plus one before updates and deletes. How to see backups and take one now.
- Is Kontuly secure? How are my books protected?Your Kontuly books stay on your computer. Protect them with disk encryption, an optional app password and a backup password that encrypts copies.
- How do I set an app password in Kontuly?Set an app password in Kontuly's Settings → Security so it asks for it on opening, after idle time and on sleep. A forgotten password can't be recovered.
- How do I password-protect my Kontuly backups?Set a backup password in Kontuly's Settings → Security and every off-site copy and exported backup is encrypted (AES-256). Keep the password safe.