claude-backup
Back up and restore your Claude Code environment
Open source Open in the app JSON README (API)
About
Back up and restore your Claude Code environment
Details
- Kind
- Plugins
- Topic
- No topic detected
- Publisher
- tombelieber
- Origin
- marketplace
- Category
- ferramentas
- Stars
- 8
- Last push
- 2026-08-23T23:59:18Z
- Repository state
- ativo
- Language
- Shell
- License
- MIT
- Added
- 2026-08-30 01:48:58
- Updated
- 2026-08-30 01:48:58
- Origin id
tombelieber/claude-backup/claude-backup
README
<div align="center"> # claude-backup **Claude Code deletes your sessions after 30 days.** <p> <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/claude-backup"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/claude-backup.svg" alt="npm version"></a> <a href="./LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg" alt="License: MIT"></a> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-macOS-lightgrey.svg" alt="macOS"> <a href="https://github.com/tombelieber/claude-backup/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/tombelieber/claude-backup?style=social" alt="GitHub stars"></a> </p> </div> > [!IMPORTANT] > **The maintained `backup` agent skill now lives in > [Tomstack](https://github.com/tombelieber/tomstack/tree/main/skills/productivity/backup).** > Install and update the reusable skill from Tomstack. This repository remains > the supported home of the `claude-backup` CLI, scheduler, npm package, > standalone plugin, and runtime releases. Every debugging session. Every architecture decision. Every prompt you spent an hour crafting. Gone. WhatsApp keeps your messages forever. Telegram keeps them forever. Discord keeps them forever. Claude Code — the tool you pay $20–200/mo for — gives you 30 days. <div align="center"> ```bash npx claude-backup ``` **One command. Your sessions are safe. Auto-syncs daily.** </div> --- ## What You're Losing Claude Code stores everything in `~/.claude/` — your settings, custom agents, hooks, skills, and **every conversation you've ever had**. Sessions older than 30 days? Silently deleted. Each session is: - A **debugging journal** — the exact steps that fixed that impossible bug - An **architecture record** — why you chose that pattern, with the AI's reasoning - A **prompt library** — the carefully worded instructions that actually worked - A **learning log** — mistakes, corrections, breakthroughs, all timestamped You can't Google your own Claude sessions. Once they're gone, they're gone. --- ## How It Works ```bash npx claude-backup ``` Interactive setup: 1. Checks requirements (git, gzip, python3) 2. Creates a private GitHub repo (or local-only if you prefer) 3. Backs up your config and all sessions (gzipped) 4. Sets up automatic backups (configurable: daily, 6h, hourly) That's it. Run it once, forget about it. --- ## Get Your Sessions Back Browse and restore any session from your backups: ```bash # List all backed-up sessions claude-backup restore --list # Show the last 5 sessions claude-backup restore --last 5 # Filter by date claude-backup restore --date 2026-02-27 # Filter by project claude-backup restore --project myproject # Restore a specific session claude-backup restore <uuid> ``` The session index is auto-generated on every sync and rebuilt from the `*.jsonl.gz` files — you never need to manage it manually. --- ## What Gets Saved **Config profile** — settings, CLAUDE.md, agents, hooks, skills, rules. Lightweight (< 100 KB), portable between machines. **Sessions archive** — all chat history, compressed with gzip. Your entire conversation history, safe in a private repo. <details> <summary><strong>Full backup manifest</strong></summary> <br> | Item | Source | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Settings | `settings.json` | Plugins, preferences | | Local settings | `settings.local.json` | Permission overrides | | User instructions | `CLAUDE.md` | User-level system prompt | | Custom agents | `agents/` | Agent definitions | | Custom hooks | `hooks/` | Automation scripts | | Custom skills | `skills/` | User-authored skills | | Custom rules | `rules/` | Custom rules | | Session files | `projects/**/*.jsonl` | Chat history (gzipped) | | Session indexes | `projects/**/sessions-index.json` | Session metadata | | Command history | `history.jsonl` | CLI command history (gzipped) | All source paths are relative to `~/.claude/`. </details> --- ## Machine Migration Your config took hours to perfect. Move it in seconds. ```bash # Old machine claude-backup export-config # => ~/claude-config-2026-02-25.tar.gz (47 KB) # Transfer via AirDrop, USB, email, etc. # New machine npx claude-backup import-config claude-config-2026-02-25.tar.gz ``` Plugins are not included in the export (they are re-downloaded on first launch). Only the plugin manifest in `settings.json` is backed up. --- ## Backend Modes Choose where your backups live: ```bash # GitHub private repo (default if gh is installed) npx claude-backup # Local only — no remote, no GitHub needed npx claude-backup --local # Custom git remote npx claude-backup --backend git claude-backup backend set git --remote git@myserver:backups.git ``` Switch backends anytime — even after setup: ```bash claude-backup backend set github # switch to GitHub claude-backup backend set local # switch to local-only claude-backup backend set git --remote <url> # custom remote ``` Backups go to `~/.claude-backup/` as a local git repo. Everything works the same — sync, restore, peek, export/import. --- ## Backup Schedule Control how often backups run: ```bash claude-backup schedule daily # Every day at 3:00 AM (default) claude-backup schedule 6h # Every 6 hours claude-backup schedule hourly # Every hour claude-backup schedule off # Disable automatic backups ``` --- ## Restore Everything Restore all sessions at once — useful for a fresh machine or disaster recovery: ```bash claude-backup restore --all # restore every session claude-backup restore --all --force # overwrite existing sessions ``` --- ## Claude Code Plugin For the maintained agent skill shared with Codex, install it from Tomstack: ```bash npx skills@latest add tombelieber/tomstack --skill=backup ``` Or install the whole managed Claude skill bundle: ```bash claude plugin marketplace add tombelieber/tomstack claude plugin install tomstack-skills@tomstack ``` Use this standalone product plugin when you specifically want its bundled CLI with no `npm install`: ```bash /plugin marketplace add tombelieber/claude-backup /plugin install claude-backup@claude-backup ``` That's it. The plugin bundles the CLI — the agent runs it directly from the plugin cache. No global install, no npx, no PATH setup. --- <details> <summary><strong>All Commands</strong></summary> <br> | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | `claude-backup` | Interactive first-time setup | | `claude-backup sync` | Backup config + sessions | | `claude-backup sync --config-only` | Backup config only (fast, < 1 sec) | | `claude-backup sync --sessions-only` | Backup sessions only | | `claude-backup status` | Show backup status | | `claude-backup export-config` | Export config as portable tarball | | `claude-backup import-config <file>` | Import config from tarball | | `claude-backup import-config <file> --force` | Import config, overwriting existing files | | `claude-backup peek <uuid>` | Preview a session's contents | | `claude-backup restore --list` | List all backed-up sessions | | `claude-backup restore --last N` | List last N sessions | | `claude-backup restore --date YYYY-MM-DD` | Filter by UTC date | | `claude-backup restore --project NAME` | Filter by project name | | `claude-backup restore <uuid>` | Restore a specific session | | `claude-backup restore <uuid> --force` | Overwrite existing session | | `claude-backup restore --all` | Restore all sessions at once | | `claude-backup restore --all --force` | Restore all, overwrite existing | | `claude-backup backend set <mode>` | Switch backend (github, git, local) | | `claude-backup schedule <freq>` | Set frequency (off, daily, 6h, hourly) | | `claude-backup uninstall` | Remove scheduler and optionally delete data | | `claude-backup <any> --json` | Structured JSON output (for scripts/agents) | | `claude-backup init --local` | Force local-only mode (no GitHub) | | `claude-backup init --backend <mode>` | Set backend during init | </details> <details> <summary><strong>Security</strong></summary> <br> - **Credentials are never backed up.** `.credentials.json` and `.encryption_key` are hardcoded exclusions. - **GitHub repo is private** by default. - **`export-config` warns** if any file appears to contain sensitive content (tokens, secrets, passwords). - **`import-config` does not overwrite** existing credentials. </details> <details> <summary><strong>What's Excluded</strong></summary> <br> | Item | Why | | --- | --- | | `.credentials.json` | Auth tokens — security risk | | `.encryption_key` | Encryption key — security risk | | `plugins/` | Re-downloadable from registry | | `debug/`, `file-history/` | Transient logs and edit history | | `cache/`, `.search_cache/`, `.tmp/`, `paste-cache/` | Caches, rebuilt automatically | | `session-env/`, `shell-snapshots/` | Runtime state | | `statsig/`, `telemetry/`, `usage-data/` | Analytics, not user data | | `todos/`, `teams/`, `plans/`, `ide/` | Ephemeral per-session data | </details> <details> <summary><strong>Storage Layout</strong></summary> <br> ```text ~/.claude-backup/ # Git repo -> private GitHub repo ├── manifest.json # Root manifest (aggregates all machines) ├── machines/ │ └── <machine-slug>/ # Per-machine namespace │ ├── manifest.json # Machine-specific metadata │ ├── config/ # Config profile │ │ ├── settings.json │ │ ├── settings.local.json │ │ ├── CLAUDE.md │ │ ├── agents/ │ │ ├── hooks/ │ │ ├── skills/ │ │ └── rules/ │ ├── session-index.json # Auto-generated, gitignored │ ├── projects/ # Sessions (gzipped) │ │ ├── -Users-foo-myproject/ │ │ │ ├── session-abc.jsonl.gz │ │ │ └── sessions-index.json │ │ └── ... │ └── history.jsonl.gz # Command history (gzipped) └── ... # Other machines ``` Sessions are namespaced by machine — backups from multiple devices stay organized and searchable. Existing v3.1 backups are auto-migrated on first sync. | Location | Contents | | --- | --- | | `~/.claude-backup/` | Local compressed backups + git repo | | `github.com/<you>/claude-backup-data` | Remote private repo | | `~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-backup.plist` | macOS scheduler | </details> <details> <summary><strong>Requirements</strong></summary> <br> - **macOS** (Linux coming soon) - **git** - **gzip** (built-in on macOS) - **python3** (built-in on macOS since Catalina) - **gh** ([GitHub CLI](https://cli.github.com)) — *optional*. Enables remote backup. Without it, backups are local-only. </details> <details> <summary><strong>Uninstall</strong></summary> <br> ```bash claude-backup uninstall ``` Removes the daily scheduler and optionally deletes local backup data. Delete the GitHub repo separately: ```bash gh repo delete claude-backup-data ``` </details> --- ## Related - **[claude-view](https://github.com/tombelieber/claude-view)** — 10 Claude sessions running. What are they doing? `npx claude-view` --- <div align="center"> If **claude-backup** saves your sessions, consider giving it a star. It helps others discover this tool. <a href="https://github.com/tombelieber/claude-backup/stargazers"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/tombelieber/claude-backup?style=for-the-badge&logo=github" alt="Star on GitHub"> </a> <br><br> [MIT](LICENSE) </div>