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Import & export

Move data in and out of PulsVault — supported formats, the import wizard, and how both directions preserve zero-knowledge.

Import brings passwords in from another manager or a browser; export creates a portable backup or migration file. Both run entirely in your browser: the server never sees your file, and every secret field is encrypted before it is uploaded — item names and non-secret fields are stored readable, as for any item (what is and isn't encrypted). Your vault must be unlocked — otherwise the page shows Unlock to import or export until you unlock it.

Open it from App settings → Import & Export. This page is for personal and family accounts. Organizations import and export from Organization → Data & retention → Data import / Data export — see Data import & export.

Supported import formats#

The importer reads three file extensions, and nothing else — anything else is rejected with an Invalid File Type message:

File What it holds How it is read
.json A PulsVault export, or an unencrypted JSON export from another manager Full fidelity for our own format (items, notes, folders, tags); other shapes are detected by structure
.csv A comma-separated export from a browser or another password manager Columns mapped by header analysis
.pulsvault A PulsVault encrypted export Prompts for the export passphrase

There is no per-product connector, and none is needed: what matters is the shape of the file, not which tool wrote it. If your current manager can export unencrypted CSV or JSON — most can — that file will import. Proprietary archive formats will not; export to CSV or JSON first.

Import your data#

  1. Under Import vault items, drag your export file in or select it — the format is detected automatically. A file larger than 10 MB is refused ("File Too Large"), and so is one with more than 5,000 items ("Import Limit Exceeded"); split it and import the parts.
  2. Choose the Target vault from your existing vaults. To import into a new vault, create it first.
  3. Choose how to handle Duplicates: Create duplicates or Skip duplicates. For a .pulsvault file, enter its Decryption passphrase.
  4. Review the preview: how many items were found and a count per type — logins, credit cards, SSH / encryption keys and bank accounts. Fields that do not map to an item type are added to the item's notes.
  5. Select Import, then confirm with Yes, import. Items are encrypted on your device and uploaded in batches, with a progress bar.
  6. Read Import results: how many were processed, imported and failed, with a table of every item and its status. Open vault takes you to the target vault; Import another file starts again.

Each imported entry is assigned the best-matching item type by a scoring algorithm, and fields that don't fit the schema aren't lost — they're preserved in the item's remarks.

If your subscription is read-only, the import card says nothing can be imported; exporting still works.

Export your data#

  1. Under Export vault items, choose an Export format: JSON (plaintext), CSV (plaintext, spreadsheets) or PulsVault encrypted (.pulsvault).
  2. Choose the Vault to export. One vault is exported at a time; repeat for others.
  3. For an encrypted export, set an Encryption passphrase. It is required to import the file again, so store it safely. For a plaintext export, tick I understand the risks of a plaintext export.
  4. Select Start export. The file is built on your device — fetching, decrypting and (for .pulsvault) encrypting, with a progress bar — and downloads directly to disk.
Format Contains Protection
.pulsvault Full export, encrypted Encrypted with a key derived from your passphrase — portable to any account
.json Items, notes, folders, tags Plaintext — handle with care
.csv Flat item fields only (no notes/tasks) Plaintext — handle with care
Plaintext exports expose everything

A JSON or CSV export contains your passwords in readable form. Prefer the passphrase-encrypted .pulsvault format for backups, store plaintext exports only briefly, and delete the file (and empty the trash) as soon as you've used it.

Exports are reported to the activity log.

How zero-knowledge is preserved#

  • Export: the server returns your items with their secret fields still encrypted; your browser decrypts them with the vault key and writes the file locally.
  • Import: your browser parses the file, encrypts every secret field with the target vault's key, and uploads the item — so your passwords reach the server only as ciphertext.

See How encryption works for the key model.

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