Use synchronization for convenience and a separate, checked copy for recovery.
Know where the original lives
Start by identifying the notes and attachments you cannot afford to lose. A local folder, a synced vault and a web account have different recovery paths. Obsidian’s backup guide is a useful example: it explains that its notes are local files and distinguishes synchronization from a separate backup. Other apps may require an export instead of a direct folder copy.
Create a copy you can recognise
Our suggested routine is to use the app’s supported export or backup method, give the result a clear date and put it somewhere separate from the original. Include attachments where supported. Do not assume that a tiny export contains every image or audio file; check what the backup method actually includes. Keep the original in place while testing.
Check recovery before an emergency
Open a few non-sensitive items from the backup or use the app’s documented restore process in a separate test location. Confirm that names, text and representative attachments are present. A file that exists but cannot be read is not a useful recovery result. Write down the steps you used so that recovery does not depend on remembering them months later.
Protect the copy too
Backups can contain the same private information as the original notebook. Consider who can access the destination and what happens if the storage device is lost. Obsidian’s guide discusses separate storage and dedicated backup approaches; it does not make every sync service a complete backup system. Choose a routine you can maintain, and revisit it when you change apps, devices or the kind of material you keep.
Go straight to the people who make it.
Obsidian: backup concepts and optionsSource check: 2026-09-22. General guidance; follow your device’s current instructions.