# Import & export

## Exporting

Select the lorebook in the editor and click the **export** button (file icon, *Export Lorebook*). The browser downloads
`<lorebook name>.json` with:

- the lorebook and **all its sub lorebooks** (every level), with their names, enabled state and tags;
- every entry with its content, note, order, filter, insertion mode, tags and negative tags.

Use it to keep a copy, to share a world with other users, or to move it to another installation. Entry revisions of
the [Lorebook VCS](../extensions/lorebook-vcs.md) extension are not part of the file; the extension has its own export.

## Importing a Marginalia lorebook

1. Click the **import** button (file icon) and choose **Import Marginalia Lorebook**.
2. Upload a file exported from Marginalia.

The import always creates **new** lorebooks - the lorebook and its sub lorebooks, with the same structure - even when
you already have lorebooks with the same names. The imported lorebook is selected in the editor. Tags are matched by
name with your existing tags, or created.

Files from older Marginalia versions (a single lorebook without sub lorebooks) can be imported too.

!!!
Lorebooks also travel inside [book backups](../books/backups.md). Restoring or cloning a backup can link to lorebooks
you already have instead of creating copies; see [Restoring a backup](../books/backups.md#restoring-a-backup).
!!!

## Importing SillyTavern world info

1. Click the **import** button and choose **Import from SillyTavern**.
2. Upload the world info file (`.json`) exported from SillyTavern.

Marginalia creates a new lorebook named after the world info (or after the file) and converts each entry:

| SillyTavern | Marginalia |
|---|---|
| Title / memo (`comment`) | *Entry Name* (the first key when there is no title) |
| Content | *Content* - macros like `{{user}}` and `{{char}}` keep working, see [macros](../templates/macros.md) |
| Order | *Order* |
| Disabled | *Enabled* unchecked |
| Constant (🔵), or no keys | always active (no filter) |
| Primary keys, optional secondary keys with their logic | a filter, see below |
| Case-sensitive, match whole words | built into the filter |
| Position *before / after character definitions*, *example messages* | *In Lore Block* |
| Position *author's note* (top / bottom), *at depth* | *Before User Prompt* |
| Character filter | tags (or negative tags for *exclude*), by character name and tag |

**Keys become filters.** A single plain key becomes a *Text* filter (`dragon`). Anything else - several keys,
secondary keys (*AND ANY*, *AND ALL*, *NOT ANY*, *NOT ALL*), keys written as `/regex/`, case-sensitive or whole-word
matching - becomes one *Regex* filter that does the same. For example, the keys `dragon`, `wyrm` with the secondary key
`fire` (*AND ANY*) become:

```
(?s)^(?=.*(?:\Qdragon\E|\Qwyrm\E))(?=.*(?:\Qfire\E))
```

You don't need to read these expressions; edit them only if you know regular expressions.

### What works differently

SillyTavern settings without a Marginalia counterpart are listed in the entry's **Note**, for example
*Imported from SillyTavern, not supported: probability 50%, inclusion group "weather".* These are:

- probability, inclusion groups, sticky, cooldown and delay - the entry is simply active whenever it matches;
- insertion *at depth* - the entry goes before the user prompt instead.

The biggest difference is **what the keys are matched against**. SillyTavern scans the recent chat; Marginalia
matches the [request for the part being written](entries.md#filters) - its scene, characters and instructions - not
the earlier story. An entry that SillyTavern activated because a name came up in the last messages is activated in
Marginalia when you mention the name in the turn instructions. Recursive activation (entries activating other
entries) is not supported either.

After importing, look through the entries and decide which should be always active, which keep their filters, and
which are better handled with [tags](entries.md#tags).