Keep invoice backups boring, explicit, and local.

What invoice data should be backed up?

Back up both generated invoice PDFs and the InvoiceGen local store. PDF exports are useful for sending and archiving client-facing documents. The local store is useful when you want to continue editing records, inspect invoice history, regenerate output, or move the workflow to another Mac.

Backup from the macOS app

The macOS app exposes local backup and restore workflows in Settings. This is the safest path for most users because it keeps the operation visible and deliberate. Before restoring, confirm that the backup file is the one you expect and that any newer invoices have either been exported or are intentionally being replaced.

Backup from the Rust CLI

The Rust CLI can export and restore the same local store format. Use an explicit --store path for experiments so test data does not mutate your real app data. Restore operations require --force because replacing invoice records is destructive.

invoicegen --store ~/invoices/store.json store export ~/invoices/invoicegen-backup.json
invoicegen --store ~/invoices/store.json store restore ~/invoices/invoicegen-backup.json --force

Backup checklist for freelancers

• Export the local store before using new scripts or changing machines.
• Keep sent invoice PDFs in a durable client or accounting folder.
• Use encrypted backups for files containing client addresses, tax notes, or payment details.
• After restoring, list invoices and render one known invoice to confirm the backup is valid.
• Do not keep a single backup copy on the same disk as the original data.

Best backlink anchors for this page: back up invoice data on Mac, restore invoice store, and InvoiceGen backup workflow.