How to Export a Local FlClash Backup

Where to export a backup and which version this covers

A local FlClash backup produces a ZIP file. It is neither a copy of a subscription link nor an export of one selected node as a universal configuration. To preserve application settings and saved configuration data, use the app’s own backup function.

This guide covers the maintained FlClash v0.8.99 release on Windows 11, for amd64 (x64) or arm64, using an official installer or portable edition that already opens normally. The instructions use the English interface, with the app’s actual Simplified Chinese labels alongside it. They do not apply another Clash client’s menus or extend these steps to Android or macOS.

Finish any edits first, note your application version, and choose a writable folder that is not publicly shared. A local export does not require linking WebDAV or changing system proxy, TUN, or service-mode settings. You do not need to download a new installer, reinstall the app, or request administrator privileges for the steps below.

Choose Backup in the Local section

1. Open Tools (工具) from the main FlClash window’s navigation.
2. Find the Settings (设置) section and click Backup and restore (备份与恢复). Settings is a section heading, not another settings page you need to open.
3. Under Local (本地), click Backup (备份). Do not click the adjacent Restore (恢复), or use the backup action in the Remote (远程) section.
4. Wait for the save-file dialog and choose your backup folder. The suggested name is FlClash_backup_YYYY-MM-DD.zip, using the computer’s current date. Keep the ZIP extension, check that you are not overwriting an earlier backup, and complete the save.
5. Back in the app, check for Backup successful (备份成功), then inspect the ZIP actually created in your chosen folder. Merely opening the save dialog or clicking Backup does not establish that the export finished.

The suggested filename contains a date but no time. For another export on the same day, add a recognizable suffix in the save dialog to keep earlier backups. Do not delete your only previous backup just to make room for a replacement. Save-dialog button labels follow the Windows display language and may differ from the app’s language.

This Local Backup action saves the archive locally; it does not upload it to WebDAV. However, if WebDAV is already linked, opening this page may check the remote connection. “Local backup” does not mean the entire page makes no network requests. A cloud-synced destination folder may also cause a separate sync application to upload the saved file.

What the ZIP contains—and what it leaves out

The table describes the backup scope in v0.8.99. These are entries inside the ZIP, not paths you need to create in Windows system folders. Configuration, script, and local-provider files are included only when they are registered in the app and their corresponding files exist.

This is not a file-for-file copy of the entire application directory. It does not include every download cache and does not replace a client installer. Because remote-provider caches are not packaged, having a ZIP does not guarantee that every dependency can later be restored without internet access. A backup cannot reactivate an expired subscription or a service that has closed.

Inspect the export without testing Restore on your live data

Check the saved location, filename, modification time, and size: it should be the file you just exported, not a zero-byte file. Then use a trusted local ZIP viewer to list its entries. Confirm that this version’s config.json and database.sqlite are present, and compare the configuration and script entries with what you have saved. Listing the archive is enough for this check; do not run scripts or extract it into the app’s data directory.

If the archive cannot be opened, is empty, or lacks an expected configuration file, preserve the currently working application data and older backups. Return to the app, read the actual error, and export again to a different file. A large file size is not a substitute for inspection, and an unknown website should not receive your full ZIP just to judge whether it is valid.

Being able to list a ZIP’s contents shows that the archive is readable; it does not prove every piece of data is complete or that restoration has been tested. Data structures can change between versions. This guide does not promise that an older version, another client, or another operating system can import the file directly. Before a real migration, check the target version’s restoration rules separately instead of clicking Restore on a working configuration as an experiment.

Cancel a save and keep the backup private

To leave without saving, choose Cancel in the Windows save dialog. This stops the current save, and FlClash should not show “Backup successful.” You can return to Local → Backup when ready. Canceling an export does not undo a file already saved. If a new ZIP has been created and you no longer need it, first confirm that another usable backup exists, then handle only that identified copy—not the application’s data directory.

Keep it somewhere only you can access. If you need additional protection, use trusted encrypted storage. For troubleshooting, share redacted error details instead of the entire backup or a complete subscription URL. If the file has already leaked, deleting a chat message or renaming the ZIP cannot revoke that exposure. Replace affected subscription credentials with the relevant provider and, if WebDAV credentials were included, replace those too.

Official sources and version scope

• FlClash v0.8.99 release
• Pinned source: backup entry in Tools
• Pinned source: local backup, cancellation and success
• Pinned source: settings and database snapshot
• Pinned source: ZIP contents and file selection
• Upstream test definitions: archive contents
• Pinned source: default backup filename
• Pinned source: file saving flow
• Pinned source: limits of WebDAV password obfuscation
• Pinned dependency documentation: Windows save dialog