# Import and Export Rules

> Source: https://primemoq.app/help/settings/import-export
> Collection: Settings
> Updated: 2026-08-26

Two formats for two different jobs. JSON is the complete backup on every plan, CSV is a Pro way to bulk-edit many rules in a spreadsheet.

**Short answer.** Settings > Import and export rules offers Export JSON and Import JSON, which are free on every plan and carry everything, and Export CSV and Import CSV, which are Pro and carry only the fields worth bulk-editing in a spreadsheet. CSV is not a backup format. It does not include per-language messages or Design styling, and a CSV import leaves untouched anything the file does not mention.

## Key takeaways

- JSON is complete and free. Use it for backups, restores and moving to another store.
- CSV is Pro, and covers only the fields you would realistically edit in a spreadsheet.
- A CSV import reports what it created, updated and skipped, with a separate error table per failed row.
- A CSV import never clears a field its columns do not include.

## Two formats, two jobs

|  | JSON | CSV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plan | All plans | Pro |
| Carries | Everything about every rule | The fields worth bulk-editing |
| Per-language messages | Yes | No |
| Design styling | Yes | No |
| Good for | Backup, restore, moving store | Editing many rules at once |

The distinction matters more than it sounds. JSON is the format you can rebuild a
store from. CSV is a spreadsheet convenience, and treating it as your only backup
is how a store loses its translated messages without noticing until a French
shopper is reading English text.

## Back up and restore with JSON

**Open Settings > Import and export rules and click Export JSON.**

**Store the file somewhere you will find it again.** This is the complete,
restorable copy of your rule set.

**To restore, use Import JSON** with a file you exported earlier.

JSON import is also reachable from the Rules list before your first rule exists,
and from
[Safe uninstall](https://primemoq.app/help/plans-billing-account/safe-uninstall), which is where the
export lives once you are mid-flow towards removing the app. For backup timing
and the other file types accepted on restore, see
[Importing and exporting rules](https://primemoq.app/help/managing-rules/import-and-export-rules).

## Bulk-edit with CSV

**Export JSON first.** A spreadsheet edit across 40 rules is exactly the kind of
change worth having a complete backup of.

**Click Export CSV** and open the file in your spreadsheet tool.

**Edit the rows you need.** Leave the columns you are not changing alone.

**Click Import CSV** and drop the edited file in.

**Read the results table.** It reports created, updated and skipped counts, with a
separate error table naming any row that failed and why.

That last step is not optional. A CSV import can partly succeed, creating some
rows, updating others and skipping the rest, without anything popping up to tell
you it happened. The results table is the only place that story is told.

## What a CSV import leaves alone

A CSV import changes what the file carries and nothing else. Messages, Design
styling and exclusion lists on a rule the CSV updates stay exactly as they were,
because the file said nothing about them.

This is a deliberate choice and it cuts both ways: it makes a narrow bulk edit
safe, and it means you cannot use a CSV to clear a field by leaving its column
out.

## Common mistakes

- Treating CSV as the backup format. Use JSON for that. CSV covers the fields
it covers.

- Assuming a re-import wipes what is missing. It does not. Untouched fields
stay untouched.

- Skipping the results table. A partial success looks like a success
everywhere else.

- Editing 40 rules with no export first. The export takes one click and the
alternative is rebuilding by hand.

## FAQ

### Do I need Pro for JSON export and import?

No. JSON stays free and unlimited on every plan, which is deliberate: your backup should never be behind a paywall. Only CSV requires Pro.

### Can I use CSV to edit a rule's messages or Design styling?

No. Those are not covered by the CSV columns. Edit them in the app, or restore them from a JSON export if they have been lost.

### What happens to a bad row in my CSV?

It is skipped and listed with its error in the results table. It does not stop the rest of the import, so a single malformed row does not cost you the whole file.

### When would I use Import JSON rather than CSV?

Restoring a backup, moving rules to another store, or recovering from an accidental deletion. Anywhere every field needs to come back exactly as it was.

### Does importing replace my existing rules or add to them?

The results table is the answer for any given file: rows that match an existing rule are updated, rows that do not are created, and nothing else is removed on your behalf.

**Best for:** Backing up before a large change, and editing many rules at once without opening each of them.

**Applies to:** JSON on all plans, CSV on the Pro plan