Your business runs on numbers. Keep them portable, backed up, and under your control with Invoice Master’s one‑click export and encrypted backup workflow.
Why export regularly?
- Audit & tax prep: Clean CSVs + PDFs speed up accounting.
- Vendor independence: Switch tools without data loss.
- Disaster recovery: Local copies beat outages every time.
- GDPR/data‑requests: Satisfy right‑to‑portability in minutes.
What’s included in your export ZIP
- CSV files: invoices, quotes, bills, contacts, products, tasks (and expenses, if enabled).
- PDF copies: every invoice and quote, ready to share.
- Attachments: receipts and uploads in original formats.
- README: column definitions + quick re‑import mapping.
Need to analyze spend first? See Zero‑Stress Expense Tracking.
One‑click export (30‑second walkthrough)
- Go to Settings → Export / Backup.
- Click Generate ZIP.
- Download from the in‑app notification (and email).
- Store securely (see best practices below).
Security: Exports are read‑only snapshots; your live data remains untouched. Links expire after 24 hours.
Automate it (Premium)
- Scheduled exports: Monthly/weekly ZIPs delivered to your secure destination.
- Export API: Pull fresh CSVs into your data warehouse.
- SFTP/Webhook delivery: Pipe backups to cloud storage automatically.
Curious about ROI? Read Is Premium Worth It?.
Backup best practices (the 3‑2‑1 rule)
3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off‑site location
- Encrypt at rest: Protect ZIPs with a strong password (e.g., 7‑Zip/macOS Archive).
- Dual‑destination: Laptop SSD + external drive or cloud vault.
- Versioning: Use dated filenames:
InvoiceMaster_Backup_2025-09-15.zip. - Rotation policy: Keep monthly archives; prune older than your retention needs.
Pro tip: Add a recurring calendar reminder on the 1st of each month.
Compliance & security essentials
- TLS in transit, encrypted at rest for all exports.
- PII aware: CSVs include client data—share only via secure channels.
- GDPR‑ready: One‑click export supports data‑portability requests.
For a full financial ops stack, see Accounting Software & Payment Processing.
FAQ
Does exporting affect live data?
No. It’s a read‑only snapshot.
Can I re‑import later?
Yes—use Settings → Import. The README maps each column.
Are attachments included?
Yes, in their original formats inside the ZIP.
How long is the link valid?
24 hours. Regenerate anytime.
Can I export only a date range or client?
Filter options are available on the export screen for targeted backups.
Is the backup encrypted by default?
Downloads are not password‑protected by default; encrypt the ZIP before sharing or cloud storage.
Can teams access scheduled exports?
Admins can; delegate access per role.
5‑minute action plan
- Open Settings → Export / Backup and Generate ZIP.
- Encrypt the file and save two copies (local + cloud).
- Set a monthly reminder for exports.
- If you want automation, start a Premium trial and schedule exports.
- Relax—your data is truly yours now.
Looking for project‑level snapshots? Organize work with Mastering Projects, then export with context whenever you need it.
