FlowJoe ensures your data is completely portable. You can move individual branches or entire workspaces between devices, and protect sensitive exports with whole-package encryption.

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Export Formats

FlowJoe supports two primary export shapes:

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1. Data-Only JSON (.json)

  • What it contains: The complete tree structure, text notes, summaries, tag mappings, and slot metadata.
  • What it omits: The actual media binary files (images, audio, PDFs are referenced by name but not bundled).
  • Best For: Small backups, version-tracking text in Git, or sharing outlines.

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2. Full-Package Media Bundle (.fj)

  • What it contains: The tree JSON structure plus a compressed zip of all media assets stored in IndexedDB.
  • Best For: Archiving projects, backing up files, or moving your work to a different machine.

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Password-Protected Packages

When exporting a full package or data-only JSON, you can secure your backup by checking Protect this .fj with a password in the export prompt:
  • Authenticated Encryption: FlowJoe encrypts the entire snapshot—including Flow JSON, private nodes, media, metadata, and filenames—using AES-GCM authenticated encryption. Keys are derived using PBKDF2 (SHA-256 with 250,000 iterations).
  • Wire Format (v2): Written as a compact binary file starting with the magic marker FLOWJOEFP2, followed by version flags, salt, initialization vectors, and the raw ciphertext (v1 JSON envelopes with base64 ciphertext are still supported for legacy imports).
  • Fail-Closed Import: Dragging or loading a protected package immediately prompts for the password before exposing any metadata. Entering an incorrect password fails closed cleanly, without writing partial data to IndexedDB or leaving decrypted temporary files on disk.

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Ingesting & Importing

When you import a .json or .fj file, FlowJoe prompts you for a merge strategy:
  • Overwrite: Wipes your current local workspace and restores the backup.
  • Merge at Root: Appends the imported nodes as new roots side-by-side with your existing workspace.
  • Merge Under Selected: Ingests the imported subtree as nested children under the currently selected node.
Protected nodes inside an imported package retain their individual password locks even after the package itself is unlocked and imported.

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Clipboard Transfer (Copy JSON)

  • Copy Node JSON: Right-click a node and select Copy Node JSON. This places the subtree structure (namespaced with _flowJoeMeta) onto your operating system clipboard. You can paste this code block directly into a text editor or share it with Joe.
  • Copy Slot JSON: Right-click a gallery card to copy individual card styling, tags, and notes data.