Exporting configuration produces a single archive you can use to move a Buttons setup to another machine, keep an ad-hoc snapshot outside the scheduled backup rules, or hand to support for troubleshooting. Importing replaces the current configuration with the contents of an archive.
Before you begin#
- Access to the Configuration Data page in Settings.
- If exporting for someone else, awareness of exactly what's inside the archive: see below.
Export configuration#
- Open the Configuration Data page.
- Choose whether to check Include secrets.
- Select Export Configuration.
The archive contains a version marker, a full database dump (connections, module configuration, and the license table among everything else), and role data. Unchecking Include secrets only removes the contents of the secret vault table: it does not remove licenses or anything else from the archive, and it doesn't remove the encryption key that protects secret values, which is stored separately and always included. Treat every exported archive as sensitive, whether or not secrets are included.
A connection field bound to a secret keeps that reference in the archive either way: unchecking
Include secrets doesn't blank the field out, it just means the secret it points to won't exist after a restore. See
Store and rotate connection secrets for what that looks like and how to recover from it.
Note
A license bundled into an export may not be valid once restored onto a different computer: don't rely on an exported archive to carry a working license to new hardware.
Import configuration#
- Open the Configuration Data page and select Import Configuration.
- Choose the archive file: the control shows Reading backup… while it inspects the file.
- Review the summary Buttons shows you: the archive's version, when it was exported, and whether it includes secrets.
- Confirm. The dialog is explicit that this replaces all current configuration with the backup contents.
- Wait through the restart: Buttons will be briefly unavailable while it applies the imported configuration and restarts.
Buttons checks the archive's version compatibility before importing and refuses ones it can't safely apply: for example, an archive from a version too old to migrate automatically, or a beta version that isn't guaranteed compatible with this one.
After a cross-account or cross-OS import#
If the archive came from a different Bitfocus account or a different operating system, refresh module versions after the import completes and restart Buttons, since module binaries and versions can differ between environments. Follow the same guidance if you moved between OS families (for example, Windows to Linux) even within the same account.
Reset to factory settings#
Delete Configuration on the same page wipes the current installation back to factory defaults and restarts the system. This is unrelated to importing a backup: there's no way to undo it afterward except by importing a configuration you'd already exported beforehand.
If you get stuck#
What you see | What to try |
|---|
Import is refused with a version-compatibility error. | The archive is either too old to migrate automatically or a beta version not guaranteed compatible with this one: you'll need a compatible archive instead. |
A license doesn't work after moving to a new machine. | This is expected for a moved license: licenses bundled in an export can become invalid on different hardware; contact your Bitfocus account contact to resolve it there rather than via another import. |
Modules behave oddly after importing from another account or OS. | Refresh module versions and restart Buttons, as recommended for cross-account or cross-OS imports. |
You unchecked Include secrets but still worry about exposure. | That option only removes the secret vault's contents: the rest of the archive (connections, module configuration, license data, and the encryption key that protects secrets) is still present, so handle the file as sensitive regardless. |
A connection field shows "Secret not found" after importing an archive. | The archive was exported (or a prior restore was done) with Include secrets unchecked: re-bind the field to a secret that exists in this installation. |
You want to undo an import. | Import a previously exported archive from before the change: there's no separate undo. |
Where to go next#
