Guide sections

Export formats

Choose JSON, Markdown, CSV, or a VTT export format when you need a portable copy of your campaign.

Exporting to a virtual tabletop? This page covers the portable formats (JSON, Markdown, CSV). For Fantasy Grounds, Foundry, and Roll20, see the VTT export overview.

Available formats

FormatBest ForIncludes
JSONBackups, re-importingAll data, complete structure
MarkdownReading, sharing, printingText content, formatted nicely
CSVSpreadsheets, analysisTabular data, one file per type

Every export covers your whole campaign. You choose the format and a destination folder - there’s no per-creation, per-tag, or per-session export.

JSON export

What JSON export is

Complete campaign data in structured JSON format. This is your canonical backup - everything in machine-readable form.

What’s included in JSON

  • All creations (NPCs, locations, items, encounters, factions, campaign markers, sessions, party)
  • All relationships
  • All tags
  • All custom fields
  • Metadata (created date, modified date)

When to use JSON

  • Backups - Complete data preservation
  • Migration - Moving to another computer
  • Re-importing - Round-trip export/import

How to export JSON

  1. Open the Export Campaign dialog
  2. Select JSON
  3. Choose a destination folder
  4. Click Export

This exports the full campaign as JSON. The file carries a schema version so it can be re-imported reliably.

File structure

{
  "campaign": {
    "name": "Campaign Name",
    "created": "2025-01-15T..."
  },
  "creations": {
    "npcs": [...],
    "locations": [...],
    "items": [...],
    ...
  },
  "relationships": [...],
  "tags": [...]
}

Markdown export

What markdown export is

Human-readable text files formatted with Markdown. Perfect for reading, printing, or using in other apps that support Markdown.

What’s included in markdown

  • Creation content formatted as Markdown documents
  • Headers, lists, and structure preserved
  • Relationships listed as text
  • No images (text only)

When to use markdown

  • Reading offline - Nice formatted text
  • Printing - Session prep printouts
  • Sharing - Send content to players or other DMs
  • Other tools - Import into Obsidian, Notion, etc.

How to export markdown

  1. Open the Export Campaign dialog
  2. Select Markdown
  3. Choose a destination folder
  4. Click Export

Markdown always exports as a folder of files - one file per creation, organized into subfolders by type, with index files for navigation. There’s no single-file mode.

Output structure

Export_CampaignName/
├── npcs/
│   ├── mira-thornwood.md
│   └── captain-aldric.md
├── locations/
│   ├── rusty-anchor.md
│   └── docks-district.md
├── items/
├── encounters/
└── ...

Example output

# Mira Thornwood

**Role:** Bartender at The Rusty Anchor

## Description
A weathered half-elf with knowing eyes and a scar across her left cheek...

## Personality
Patient and observant. She's heard every story and remembers most of them...

## Goals
- Keep her tavern running
- Protect her regulars from trouble
- Find out who's asking questions about her past

## Relationships
- Works at: The Rusty Anchor
- Friend: Captain Aldric (they served together)
- Informant for: Thieves Guild

CSV export

What CSV export is

Tabular data format for spreadsheets. Export one creation type at a time with fields as columns.

What’s included in CSV

  • One file per creation type (NPCs, locations, items, and so on)
  • Standard fields as columns
  • One row per creation
  • Relationships as text references

When to use CSV

  • Spreadsheet analysis - Open in Excel, Google Sheets
  • Bulk editing - Modify multiple creations externally
  • Data analysis - Sort, filter, analyze your content
  • Custom reports - Build your own views

How to export CSV

  1. Open the Export Campaign dialog
  2. Select CSV
  3. Choose a destination folder
  4. Click Export

Campaign Familiar writes a separate CSV file for each creation type. If anything looks off in a row, the export finishes anyway and surfaces a warning so you know what to check.

Example output (npcs)

Name,Role,Description,Personality,Goals
Mira Thornwood,Bartender,"A weathered half-elf...","Patient and observant...","Keep her tavern running"
Captain Aldric,Guard Captain,"Stern man in his fifties...","By the book, but fair...","Root out corruption"

Looking for a printable PDF? Campaign Familiar doesn’t export PDFs. For a readable, printable copy, export Markdown and open or print it in any Markdown app (Obsidian, Typora, your browser, and so on).

Backup strategy

  1. Weekly: JSON export of full campaign
  2. Before major sessions: JSON export
  3. Before system changes: JSON export
  4. Store backups: External drive, cloud storage, or both

Restoring from backup

  1. Click Import in the sidebar
  2. Choose your Campaign Familiar JSON backup file
  3. Import it into a new or existing campaign

Tips for exports

For sharing with players

Use Markdown for a readable, printable copy. Remember it includes everything in the campaign, so review the files before handing them out and remove anything players shouldn’t see.

For other apps

  • Obsidian: Export Markdown, import the folder into your vault
  • Notion: Export Markdown, import the pages
  • World Anvil: Copy from the Markdown export
  • Backups: Export JSON for the most complete, re-importable copy

For large campaigns

  • Large campaigns with many images take longer - be patient
  • Keep periodic JSON backups so you always have a clean restore point

Troubleshooting

Export takes too long

  • Large campaigns with many images take longer
  • Try exporting without images first
  • Break into smaller exports by creation type

File won’t open

  • JSON: Use a text editor or JSON viewer
  • CSV: Ensure your spreadsheet app handles UTF-8 encoding
  • Markdown: Open in any Markdown app, or any text editor

Missing content in export

  • Ensure creations are saved before exporting
  • Relationships only export when both creations are included
  • CSV and Markdown surface a warning if anything was skipped - check the export summary