Manual method
- Open Settings > Backups and choose Create new.
- When notified download the metadata files; HTML is useful for browser portability and CSV for inspection.
- In All bookmarks choose Export > ZIP to download uploaded originals separately.
- Open several saved links and local uploads, and record any web content that is only a URL.
Coverage and limitations: Uploaded files are excluded from the metadata backup. TXT is only a link list. Paid automatic backups are distinct from a manual export and are not needed to follow these manual steps.
Size and time to allow
Illustrative planning size: 1 GB; scenario range 0.01–20 GB. This is a storage-planning example, not a measured average. Your archive may be smaller or larger. Bookmark metadata plus roughly 500 uploaded documents at 2 MB. Without uploaded files, the archive may be tiny.
Preparation and hands-on time: Wait for the backup-ready email; no fixed deadline is stated. Allow 10–30 minutes to inspect a small archive plus upload-file transfer.
For the 1 GB example, network transfer alone is approximately:
| Connection download speed | Transfer estimate |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbit/s | 20 min |
| 50 Mbit/s | 4 min |
| 100 Mbit/s | 2 min |
These calculations use decimal GB and 70% of the advertised speed. Tiny transfers can take longer because of startup overhead. Local exports do not need an internet download; use these numbers only for a network transfer. Preparation, retries, extraction, checking and a cloud upload are additional; use upload speed for the latter.
Where and how to keep it
An encrypted USB key can hold this example, but keep another independent copy on an external drive or in private encrypted cloud storage. A USB key alone is easily lost and is not a complete preservation plan.
Create a dated raindrop/YYYY-MM-DD/ folder. Keep received originals unchanged, use a separate working copy, and note the account/profile, selected dates, formats and known gaps in a private README. Compare file sizes, check any supplied checksums, and open sample files from the backup before considering the task finished. Repeat after meaningful additions. Follow the storage, archive-checking and large-file guide.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.