> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openworklabs.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> For agents: install the OpenWork desktop app with `brew install --cask openwork` (macOS) or from https://openworklabs.com/download. Do not run `npx openwork`; the npm package named `openwork` is a different project.
> Connect an agent to OpenWork with the MCP Gateway: `claude mcp add --transport http openwork https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent`. Teams sign up at https://app.openworklabs.com?mode=sign-up.
> Step-by-step agent guide: https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/use-openwork-from-an-ai-agent.md
> Connect Slack (any organization admin): https://openworklabs.com/docs/slack/connect-slack.md. OpenWork in Slack (@openwork bot) is private alpha for approved organizations. Setup guide: https://openworklabs.com/docs/slack/overview.md. Agent skill: https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/set-up-openwork-slack/SKILL.md.

# Back up conversation history

> Save your local OpenWork conversation history and the app state needed to find it on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Choose your operating system and follow its steps to save a local conversation-history
backup. This guide covers standard local desktop installations, not OpenWork Cloud,
a remote engine, or your organization's server database.

> [tab] Windows
>
> **1. Record the version and quit**
>
> Finish running tasks. Before quitting, open **Settings** > **Updates** in
> OpenWork and note **Current version**. Then fully quit OpenWork. If the app is
> already closed, leave it closed and record the version if you know it.
>
> Quit any other OpenWork or OpenCode apps you have open. If an app won't close
> normally, ask your administrator or OpenWork support for help before copying.
>
> **2. Find the folders to save**
>
> Press **Windows+R** to open **Run**. Paste `%APPDATA%` exactly as written,
> including both `%` characters, and press **Enter**. A File Explorer window opens.
> Windows fills in the folder names between `%` characters for you. You don't
> need to replace them with your username.
>
> For each row, open the location in the first column using **Run**, then find the
> folder named in the second column. Don't open that named folder yet.
>
> | Paste into Run | Folder to select in File Explorer |
> | - | - |
> | `%APPDATA%` | `com.differentai.openwork` |
> | `%APPDATA%` | `openwork` |
> | `%USERPROFILE%\.local\share` | `opencode` |
>
> Confirm that you can find all three folders before copying. If a folder is
> missing or your administrator uses different storage locations, stop and ask
> them or OpenWork support to [confirm the paths](#custom-storage-and-other-installations).
> Share only paths. Don't share configuration files or credentials.
>
> **3. Create the backup folder**
>
> Choose an encrypted or company-approved backup location. If you aren't sure
> which location to use, ask your administrator before copying: these folders can
> contain private conversations and credentials. Don't upload them to a public
> issue, support chat, or Slack.
>
> Create one dated folder there, for example `OpenWork backup 2026-11-05`. Keep it
> outside the three folders you are saving. Save a note alongside the copies with
> your operating system, the app version if known, and the folder table from step 2.
> For custom storage, record the exact paths your administrator provides instead.
>
> **4. Copy the folders**
>
> Use **Run** as in step 2 to return to each location. Select the **named folder
> itself**, then use **Copy**, not **Cut**. Open your dated backup folder and use
> **Paste**. Put all three folder copies inside that same dated backup folder,
> keeping their names unchanged. Copy folders, not selected files inside them.
> Leave the originals unchanged.
>
> **5. Check the copies**
>
> Wait for all copying to finish and resolve any copy errors. For the default
> locations, your dated backup folder should now contain:
>
> * `com.differentai.openwork`
> * `openwork`
> * `opencode`
>
> Confirm that you saved the note with your operating system, version if known,
> and source locations alongside the copies. Then reopen OpenWork. This finishes
> the folder copy. Read [recovery limits](#what-this-backup-includes) before using it to restore data.

> [tab] macOS
>
> **1. Record the version and quit**
>
> Finish running tasks. Before quitting, open **Settings** > **Updates** in
> OpenWork and note **Current version**. Then choose **Quit** from the app menu,
> not just the window's close button. If the app is already closed, leave it closed
> and record the version if you know it.
>
> Quit any other OpenWork or OpenCode apps you have open. If an app won't close
> normally, ask your administrator or OpenWork support for help before copying.
>
> **2. Find the folders to save**
>
> Open Finder and choose **Go** > **Go to Folder**. Paste the first location from
> the table exactly as written and press **Return**. A Finder window opens with
> the named source folder inside it. Repeat for the other rows. The `~` character
> means your home folder. Keep it in the pasted path.
>
> | Paste into Go to Folder | Folder to select in Finder |
> | - | - |
> | `~/Library/Application Support` | `com.differentai.openwork` |
> | `~/.config` | `openwork` |
> | `~/.local/share` | `opencode` |
>
> Confirm that you can find all three folders before copying. If a folder is
> missing or your administrator uses different storage locations, stop and ask
> them or OpenWork support to [confirm the paths](#custom-storage-and-other-installations).
> Share only paths. Don't share configuration files or credentials.
>
> **3. Create the backup folder**
>
> Choose an encrypted or company-approved backup location. If you aren't sure
> which location to use, ask your administrator before copying: these folders can
> contain private conversations and credentials. Don't upload them to a public
> issue, support chat, or Slack.
>
> Create one dated folder there, for example `OpenWork backup 2026-11-05`. Keep it
> outside the three folders you are saving. Save a note alongside the copies with
> your operating system, the app version if known, and the folder table from step 2.
> For custom storage, record the exact paths your administrator provides instead.
>
> **4. Copy the folders**
>
> Use **Go** > **Go to Folder** as in step 2 to return to each location. Select the
> **named folder itself**, then choose **Edit** > **Copy**. Open your dated backup
> folder and choose **Edit** > **Paste Item**. Put all three folder copies inside
> that same dated backup folder, keeping their names unchanged. Copy folders, not
> selected files inside them. Leave the originals unchanged.
>
> **5. Check the copies**
>
> Wait for all copying to finish and resolve any copy errors. For the default
> locations, your dated backup folder should now contain:
>
> * `com.differentai.openwork`
> * `openwork`
> * `opencode`
>
> Confirm that you saved the note with your operating system, version if known,
> and source locations alongside the copies. Then reopen OpenWork. This finishes
> the folder copy. Read [recovery limits](#what-this-backup-includes) before using it to restore data.

> [tab] Linux
>
> **1. Record the version and quit**
>
> Finish running tasks. Before quitting, open **Settings** > **Updates** in
> OpenWork and note **Current version**. Then fully quit OpenWork. If the app is
> already closed, leave it closed and record the version if you know it.
>
> Quit any other OpenWork or OpenCode apps you have open. If an app won't close
> normally, ask your administrator or OpenWork support for help before copying.
>
> **2. Find the folders to save**
>
> Open **Files** or **Dolphin**. Press **Ctrl+L** to show the
> location field. Paste the first location from the table and press **Enter**.
> The folder opens with the named source folder inside it. Repeat for the other
> rows. The `~` character means your home folder. Keep it in the pasted path.
>
> | Paste into the location field | Folder to select |
> | - | - |
> | `~/.config` | `com.differentai.openwork` |
> | `~/.config` | `openwork` |
> | `~/.local/share` | `opencode` |
>
> These navigation steps cover Files and Dolphin, not every Linux file manager.
> If you use a different file manager, ask your administrator for its path-entry
> control. If any folder is missing, or your setup uses `XDG_CONFIG_HOME`,
> `XDG_DATA_HOME`, or other custom storage, stop before copying and have your
> administrator or OpenWork support [confirm the paths](#custom-storage-and-other-installations).
> Share only paths. Don't share configuration files or credentials.
>
> **3. Create the backup folder**
>
> Choose an encrypted or company-approved backup location. If you aren't sure
> which location to use, ask your administrator before copying: these folders can
> contain private conversations and credentials. Don't upload them to a public
> issue, support chat, or Slack.
>
> Create one dated folder there, for example `OpenWork backup 2026-11-05`. Keep it
> outside the three folders you are saving. Save a note alongside the copies with
> your operating system, the app version if known, and the folder table from step 2.
> For custom storage, record the exact paths your administrator provides instead.
>
> **4. Copy the folders**
>
> Use **Ctrl+L** as in step 2 to return to each location. Select the **named folder
> itself** and use **Copy**. Don't use **Cut** or **Move**. Open your dated backup folder
> and use **Paste**. Put all three folder copies inside that same dated backup
> folder, keeping their names unchanged. Copy folders, not selected files inside
> them. Leave the originals unchanged.
>
> **5. Check the copies**
>
> Wait for all copying to finish and resolve any copy errors. For the default
> locations, your dated backup folder should now contain:
>
> * `com.differentai.openwork`
> * `openwork`
> * `opencode`
>
> Confirm that you saved the note with your operating system, version if known,
> and source locations alongside the copies. Then reopen OpenWork. This finishes
> the folder copy. Read [recovery limits](#what-this-backup-includes) before using it to restore data.

## Custom storage and other installations

Ask your administrator or OpenWork support to confirm the desktop profile, runtime
folder, and history database paths before copying. Relevant overrides include
`OPENWORK_ELECTRON_USERDATA`, `OPENWORK_SERVER_CONFIG`, `OPENWORK_RUNTIME_DB`,
`OPENCODE_DB`, `XDG_CONFIG_HOME`, and `XDG_DATA_HOME`. A saved engine selection may
point at another history database. Share only paths. Don't share configuration
files or credentials.

For custom sources, record each full original path in the backup notes. If different
sources have the same folder name, put each copy inside a distinct labelled folder
within the dated backup. Record which source belongs to each copy, and don't merge
or replace different sources.

A populated `~/Library/Application Support/opencode` on macOS or
`%APPDATA%\opencode` on Windows may be another OpenCode data store. Keep it in a
distinct backup location until your administrator confirms its role. A local copy
can't capture history held by an external or remote engine.

## What this backup includes

The folder set includes the desktop profile, OpenWork runtime state, and original
OpenCode data. History may be in the original data folder or a separate engine
store inside the runtime folder. Save the complete set, not whichever database
filename looks newest.

Whole-folder capture includes SQLite's write-ahead log, whose name has a `-wal`
suffix. A live copy of the database and its sidecars doesn't establish a consistent
capture. This is why you quit the apps first and copy folders rather than a single
`.db` file.

This isn't a complete backup of workspace documents, global skills, or OS-protected
credentials. You don't need to copy every project folder just to save the standard
chat stores. If a conversation links to an original local file outside these
folders, save that file in its own backup location if you need its original bytes.

File copies don't export the OS keychain or keyring or make sign-in credentials
portable between computers, users, or operating systems. A completed folder copy
isn't proof of a successful restore. Contact your administrator or OpenWork support
before attempting recovery. Don't overwrite your current profile to test a backup.


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