Skip to content
BladeVault
Your data

Reference

Your data

BladeVault is local-first: it works without an account or API key.

Runtime Default data location
Source or installed desktop app ~/BladeVault/data (%USERPROFILE%\BladeVault\data on Windows)
Docker or Podman /app/data inside the container; mount it to a host folder for persistence
Desktop development ~/.bladevault-desktop-dev/data

The data directory contains bladevault.sqlite and local images. Settings → Local storage shows the active folder.

Set BLADEVAULT_DATA_DIR to choose a different directory for a source or container runtime. Without an explicit folder setting, BladeVault checks the default folder and legacy locations, including repo-local data/bladevault.sqlite and older macOS app folders, and uses the existing database with the most knives.

Change the desktop data folder

The desktop app can move its local data folder from Settings → Local storage when the location is not managed by BLADEVAULT_DATA_DIR.

  1. Under Change local data folder, enter the full path or click Choose to select a folder.
  2. Leave Move existing data checked to move the current vault. Choose an empty folder outside the current data folder; it must not contain the current folder either.
  3. Click Save Folder. BladeVault copies the data, switches to the new folder, removes the old files, and reloads the vault. If it cannot remove the old files, the status message explains this.
  4. Check Current data folder and open a saved knife to confirm that its record and images are available.

Uncheck Move existing data only when you want to switch to another folder without copying the current vault. BladeVault opens the vault already in that folder, or starts an empty one if the folder has no database. The original folder is left in place. Launch folder shows the path saved for future launches.

Folder changes are available only in the desktop app. For a source or container runtime, configure the path outside the app. When BLADEVAULT_DATA_DIR controls the folder, Data directory source identifies it and the folder controls are disabled. In a container, Docker host mount shows the host folder when that information is available; the active data path is still the path inside the container.

Optional App lock

Open Settings → App lock to set a password for the local vault. App lock is off by default and works offline in the desktop app and Docker. Once enabled, new browser sessions and desktop launches show a password screen. Reloading stays unlocked for the current session; restarting the server requires the password again. Use Lock now, Change password, or Disable lock in the same panel.

This is a simple access lock. The password is stored as plain text in SQLite, and the collection is not encrypted. Full-vault backups include the lock setting; restoring one uses the backed-up password and clears existing unlock sessions. HTTP MCP clients need the existing MCP bearer token while App lock is enabled, including localhost clients. Local stdio MCP continues to use direct database access.

If you forget the password, stop BladeVault or its container and open bladevault.sqlite in the active data folder using a SQLite editor. Run this statement, then restart and set a new password:

DELETE FROM settings WHERE key = 'app_lock_password';

You can also change that setting's value directly to choose a replacement password.

Local backup and restore

Open Settings → Backup & Restore → Download ZIP to save a portable full-vault backup without a cloud account. The archive includes the database, collection settings, Smart Collections, saved comparisons, history, and local images.

Use Restore from local ZIP in the same panel to validate an archive and review its contents before replacing the current vault. BladeVault creates a safety copy of the current data before restoring. The panel also offers Print Report to open the Overview for printing or saving as a PDF.

Saved comparisons are included in full-vault backups, but changing a comparison list does not trigger an automatic cloud backup. When upgrading from before v1.2.0, the old comparison selection becomes My comparison.

For a manual filesystem backup, stop BladeVault and copy the whole data folder so the database and images stay together.