You own your writing. You can export a full bundle of everything in your Bellwether account at any time, on any plan, with no questions asked and no restrictions on what you do with it afterward. This article covers what's in the bundle, what formats it's in, how long it takes, and how to use the export in other tools.

Request an export

Go to Settings → Privacy → Data export and click Request export.

You'll get an email with a download link when the bundle is ready. Usually within 5 minutes. For very large accounts (hundreds of books or long assistant histories), it can take up to an hour.

The download link is valid for 7 days. After that, request a new export. Links expire automatically for security; an exported bundle contains your complete manuscripts and assistant history, and a stale link that leaked somewhere shouldn't give access forever.

What's in the bundle

A ZIP with one top-level folder per book, plus a separate folder for account-level data.

Per book

• manuscript.md: Your full manuscript in Markdown. Chapters preserved in order. Formatting (bold, italic, block quotes, lists) preserved. One file per book.
• manuscript.docx: The same manuscript as Word document. Uses your Bellwether chapter structure as heading hierarchy. Compatible with Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and most word processors.
• manuscript.epub: Current ebook export with your Bellwether formatting.
• manuscript-print.pdf: Current print export if you've configured print settings.
• metadata.json: Title, subtitle, author, description, keywords, categories, ISBN, publication date, series info. Everything that appears on a retailer listing.
• cover/: All cover versions you've saved, in PNG and PDF. Each version as its own file, timestamped.
• versions/: Version history for the manuscript. One file per restore point, named by timestamp. Markdown format.
• notes/: Any notes or comments you've made on chapters. Plain text.
• print-settings.json: Trim size, margins, paper stock, and typography settings.
• ebook-settings.json: EPUB settings, TOC style, font embedding decisions.

Account level

• account.json: Profile info, email, plan, pen names, preferences, personal style rules.
• assistant-history.json: Every AI assistant conversation, with timestamps. One object per conversation. Includes your messages and the assistant's responses.
• usage.csv: Credit usage history, one row per action. Columns: timestamp, feature, credits, book reference.
• invoices/: PDF copies of every invoice we've sent you, named by date.
• subprocessors.json: A snapshot of the subprocessors that handled your data, at the time of export.

What's not included

• Payment method details (we never have your full card number).
• Third-party integration tokens (KDP auth tokens, etc.: these are live credentials, not exportable by design).
• Internal session state, cache, and temporary working files.
• Metadata about other users (if you have a collaborator on a book, their name appears but nothing else about them).

Format notes

Markdown as the canonical format

Markdown is plain text, opens in any editor, and survives decades. If you want one file that represents your book for the long term, use the .md. You can open it in:

• Any text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, vim)
• Most writing apps (Scrivener, Ulysses, iA Writer, Obsidian)
• Any Markdown previewer

Bellwether's Markdown uses standard syntax plus a small set of extensions documented inside the bundle's README.md. Standard Markdown tools will render it correctly; the extensions add chapter tags and scene breaks that otherwise would be lost.

DOCX for compatibility

DOCX is the Word format. Open in:

• Microsoft Word
• Google Docs (upload, then "Open with Google Docs")
• Apple Pages
• LibreOffice
• Scrivener (import as .docx)
• Most traditional publishing workflows

DOCX preserves:

• Chapter structure as heading hierarchy
• Bold, italic, block quotes, lists
• Page breaks at chapter boundaries

DOCX does not preserve:

• Bellwether-specific formatting (drop caps, running headers)
• Print-specific margins (print is PDF; margins don't map to DOCX)
• Cover images (covers are separate files)

EPUB for ebook archiving

EPUB is the industry-standard ebook format. It's a ZIP of HTML, CSS, and metadata. Open in:

• Any ebook reader
• Calibre (for conversion to other formats)
• Browser-based EPUB readers
• Kindle (with conversion)

The EPUB in your export is the current build, identical to what you'd publish.

PDF for print archiving

Print PDFs in the export are the current build at print-ready resolution. They're 300 DPI, CMYK, with bleed and trim marks embedded. You can:

• Send directly to a printer that accepts print-ready PDFs
• Open in Adobe Acrobat or Preview to review
• Convert to other formats with Adobe Distiller or similar

JSON for programmatic access

Fields in JSON files use human-readable names that match what's shown in the app. No obscure codes. If you're building an automation or archiving tool, the JSON is the easiest format to parse.

Partial exports

If you just want one book's manuscript:

• Editor → File → Export → Markdown (or DOCX, EPUB, PDF).

This is faster than a full account export for single-book needs. No request step; the file downloads immediately.

Partial exports don't include account-level data (invoices, usage, assistant conversations). For those, use a full account export.

Automatic export on cancellation

If you cancel your subscription, Bellwether automatically generates a full export 24 hours before your access ends. You'll get an email with a link. The link is valid for 90 days after cancellation, longer than a regular manual export's 7 days.

This is intentional. Cancellation is a time when people forget to export before losing access. We force the export so you always have it.

Importing the export elsewhere

Common destinations for your exported data:

Scrivener

Import the .docx or .md file. Scrivener will detect chapter breaks from the heading hierarchy.

Google Docs

Upload the .docx file to Drive. Right-click → "Open with Google Docs." Heading hierarchy is preserved.

Obsidian

Drop the .md file (or the whole bundle) into an Obsidian vault. Internal links between chapters (if you used them in the editor) carry over.

Another publishing service

Depends on the service. Most accept DOCX or EPUB import. Check the receiving service's documentation for which format they prefer.

Git

If you want version history in git, the .md file works well. Commit after each editing session. Bellwether's own versions/ folder gives you a parallel history; combine them if you want maximum paranoia.

Encryption and security

Exports are not encrypted by default. The download link is the security measure; it's:

• One-time-use verifiable against your account
• HTTPS only
• Expired after 7 days

If you need an encrypted export (Studio plan feature for GDPR workflows), set it up under Settings → Privacy → Data export → Encryption: You supply a passphrase; the export ZIP is encrypted with it. Decrypt with any tool that reads 256-bit AES-encrypted ZIPs (7-Zip, Keka, WinZip).

Common edge cases

The download link expired. Request a new export. Old links can't be renewed.

My export was smaller than expected. Your books probably don't have long version history yet, or your assistant conversations are short. Check the top-level account.json and book folders; the content should all be there.

I need an export in a specific format (XML, JSON-per-chapter, etc.). We can help for enterprise and Studio accounts. Contact support with your specific format requirement.

Request button is greyed out. You already have a pending export. Wait for the email (within an hour at most), then request another.

My manuscript.md has extra formatting I don't recognise. That's Bellwether's Markdown extension for features that don't have standard syntax (scene breaks, chapter numbering preferences). A README.md in the bundle explains each extension. Standard Markdown renderers will ignore the extensions.

I exported but can't find my assistant conversations. They're in account-level/assistant-history.json. If that file is empty or missing, you either haven't used the assistant yet or you deleted your conversations (Settings → Privacy → Your AI data).

The export doesn't include a book I deleted recently. Deleted books are excluded after the 24-hour deletion delay. If you need the book back, check version history before deletion is completed; otherwise it's gone.