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Export all your data

Export everything in your data file — accounts, transactions, categories, budgets, goals, saved views, and related tables — as plaintext CSV files inside a ZIP archive. You choose where to save it.

CSV is not encrypted. Store the export somewhere secure and do not email it unprotected. For an encrypted copy of your database, see Back up your data file.

Prerequisites​

  • Your data file is unlocked
  • You have permission to write to the destination folder (for example your Documents folder or an external drive)

Steps​

  1. Open Settings from the title bar menu or left navigation.
  2. Select Export in the settings sidebar.
  3. Read the security note: exported CSV files are readable by anyone who can open the file.
  4. Under Full export, click Choose destination and pick where to save the ZIP file (or confirm the suggested filename).
  5. Click Export all data.
  6. Wait for the success message. Note the row counts shown for a quick sanity check.
  7. (Optional) Click Open folder to view the ZIP in your file manager.
  8. (Optional) Open Settings → Activity — a successful full export appears in the timeline with the destination path.

Sanity check​

Open the ZIP and inspect transactions.csv and accounts.csv:

  • Account rows should match the accounts you see in the app.
  • Transaction rows should reflect your register (dates, payees, amounts).

Exact column names are documented in Export CSV format.

Expected result​

  • A ZIP file exists at the path you chose (for example bigpicture-export-2026-07-12.zip)
  • The ZIP contains transactions.csv and accounts.csv plus other CSV files for categories, budgets, goals, and saved views
  • Row counts in the success message match what you see when opening the CSV files
  • Your live data in Big Picture Money is unchanged
  • Settings → Activity shows an export event with the destination path and a recent timestamp