--- title: "Data Backups" description: "Download a copy of your ledger, supporting documents, and attachments as a zip file for any period up to 12 months." url: https://help.juan.ac/en/articles/9994258-data-backups collection: "Import & Export Data" updated: 2026-11-09 language: en --- # Data Backups Download a copy of your ledger, supporting documents, and attachments as a zip file for any period up to 12 months. ## Q1. What is Backups? - Backups lets you download a copy of your organization’s records for a selected period as a single zip file, so you can keep your own offline copy of your books. - Each backup includes your General Ledger, a PDF of each transaction, and any files uploaded to your transactions. - Files are organized into folders by transaction type, month, and contact. ## Q2. Who can use Backups? - Backups is available to organizations on an annual subscription. - To create backups, you need Admin access plus access to Organization Details. - Note: On a monthly subscription, the Backups tab shows a prompt to upgrade your plan. ## Q3. How do I create a backup? - Go to **Settings → Data Transfer → Backups**. - Click + New Backup. - Select a period from the Period dropdown. - Click Start Backup. - Your backup is prepared in the background, so you can continue working in Juan while it’s being generated. - Note: The download link is sent to the email address shown in the New Backup window. ## Q4. What periods can I back up? - You can choose from the following periods: - This Month - This Financial Quarter - This Financial Year - Last Month - Last Financial Quarter - Last Financial Year - Custom - To set your own date range, select Custom, then click the calendar icons to choose the start date and end date. - Note: Each backup can cover up to 12 months. To back up a longer period, create a separate backup for each 12-month range. ## Q5. Where can I see my backups? - Go to **Settings → Data Transfer → Backups**. - The top section shows your most recent backup, including the date it was created, the period covered, the number of months and documents, and the file size. - Backup History lists all your backups with the following details: - **Period**: the date range covered by the backup - **Requested By**: the user who created the backup - **Created**: the date the backup was generated - **Status**: shows Ready once the backup is available to download, or an error message if the backup failed - **Expires**: the last day the download link is valid ## Q6. How do I download my backup? - When your backup is ready, a download link is emailed to the user who requested it. - You can also download it from Backup History in **Settings → Data Transfer → Backups**. Hover over the backup and click the download icon at the end of the row. - Download links are valid for 14 days from the date the backup is created. - Note: Once a backup expires, create a new backup for the same period. ## Q7. What’s inside the backup file? - Your backup downloads as a zip file. Unzip it to access your records. - **Ledger**: your General Ledger for the selected period in Excel - **Transaction folders**: one folder per transaction type (e.g., Invoices, Sale Payments, Journals, Cashflows), then by month and contact - **Documents**: a PDF of each transaction, such as the invoice, delivery slip, and sales voucher - **Attachments**: files uploaded to each transaction - **\_README.txt**: explains the folder structure and what each file status means - **\_MANIFEST.csv**: lists every transaction and file in the backup ## Q8. Which transactions are included in a backup? - All transactions dated within the selected period are included, except drafts. - Voided transactions are included, and their file names end in “(Void)”. - Transactions without a contact are saved under the “No Contacts” folder. - Fixed Assets, Deferrals, and Bank Statements are not grouped by contact. - Claims are grouped by employee. ## Q9. How do I check that my backup is complete? - Open \_MANIFEST.csv. It lists each transaction’s type, reference, status, date, contact, file path, and file status. - Record Status shows the transaction’s own status, such as Unpaid, Paid, or Void. - File Status shows what happened to each file: - **STORED**: the existing file was copied as it was - **GENERATED**: no saved PDF was available, so one was created for the backup - **MISSING\_PDF**: no saved PDF was available and one could not be created - **UNREADABLE**: the file is linked to the transaction but could not be read - **NO\_FILES**: the transaction has no files - The end of _README.txt shows how many files are listed as MISSING_PDF or UNREADABLE. ## Q10. Is there a limit on how many backups I can create? - No. You can create as many backups as you need. - Each backup can cover a maximum of 12 months.