Use Backup & Restore
Export a canvas backup file and restore a canvas from a .bee backup when you need a portable recovery copy.
Backup & Restore is the manual file-based recovery path for a canvas. Export and backup creates a .bee backup file on your computer. Import and restore imports a .bee backup file and restores the canvas from that file.
Use Backup & Restore when you need a portable recovery copy outside ALLO, or when someone sends you the exact .bee backup that should replace the current canvas state. If you only need to compare or restore earlier states already stored inside ALLO, use Version History first.
When to use Backup & Restore
| Need | Best path |
|---|---|
| Keep a portable recovery copy before risky work | Export and backup. |
Restore from a saved .bee backup file | Import and restore. |
| Review earlier ALLO-saved canvas states | Use Version History. |
| Recover a deleted whole canvas or file | Start with Trash. If you have a .bee backup but the original canvas is gone, restore or open a writable canvas first, then import the backup there. |
| Send a readable static document | Use Export to PDF. |
The .bee file is a canvas recovery file, not a normal document. Do not send it when the recipient expects a PDF, image, spreadsheet, or readable handoff.
Open Backup & Restore
Open the canvas header menu and choose Backup & Restore. The action appears when recovery tools are enabled for the canvas and your account can change the canvas. Guests, demo mode, and read-only access do not get the control.
Inside the dialog, the two actions are:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Export and backup | Creates a backup copy of this canvas on your computer. |
| Import and restore | Imports a *.bee canvas backup file and restores the canvas. |
Export a backup file
Choose Export and backup before high-risk edits, bulk cleanup, major imports, or external handoffs where you want a separate recovery point. Keep the downloaded .bee file somewhere your team can identify later.
Use a file name or storage location that includes the canvas name, project, and date. A mystery backup named only canvas.bee is technically valid but hard to trust later.
Restore from a backup file
Choose Import and restore, select the .bee file, and confirm Restore canvas. ALLO rejects files that are not .bee canvas backups.
Restoring from backup overwrites the current canvas with the backup contents. Before you import, make sure you are on the correct canvas and have a way back if the file is wrong. When possible, save the current state in Version History or export a fresh backup before importing.
Backup & Restore restores into the canvas you currently have open. It does not bring back a deleted canvas shell by itself. If the original canvas was deleted, recover the canvas from Trash first, or open another writable canvas and import the .bee file there.
After a successful import, ALLO reloads the canvas so the restored content becomes the active canvas state.
Use Activity when the change came from collaboration
Backup & Restore does not tell you who made a change. If the problem came from an unexpected deletion, move, archive, or permission change, use Activity to investigate the actor and timing, then decide whether Version History, Backup & Restore, Trash, or permission recovery is the right fix.
That distinction matters. A backup file can restore state, but Activity helps prevent the team from overwriting intentional work or repeating the same mistake.
What Backup & Restore is not
Backup & Restore is not Version History. Version History lets you preview and restore ALLO-stored versions without managing a local file.
Backup & Restore is not Trash. Trash restores supported deleted work during the retention window; Backup & Restore imports a backup into a canvas that you can open and edit.
Backup & Restore is not PDF export. A .bee file is for recovery, not reading, printing, or client review.
What can go wrong
If Backup & Restore is missing, check whether you can edit the canvas, whether you are a guest, whether the canvas is in demo or read-only state, and whether the workspace supports recovery tools.
If import is disabled, you may not have writable access to the canvas.
If the file is rejected, confirm it is the original .bee backup file. Renaming another file to .bee does not make it a valid canvas backup.
If the restored canvas is not what you expected, stop editing and check Version History or a newer backup file before trying another restore.