Documentation · 04

Backup and restore, your total responsibility.

Because your data lives locally (NOT on our cloud), the responsibility for backup is yours. The page explains where the database is located, how to do manual or automatic backup, how to restore after OS reinstall or on another computer, what happens when you upgrade between major versions.

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Content being expanded: guide with screenshots, auto-backup scripts and recovery walkthrough publishes at public v1.0 release. Current page provides conceptual framework + database locations + essential workflows.

Where the database is

The app uses SQLite with WAL mode. Default locations per OS:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\SEO Master PRO MAX\database.db (usually C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\SEO Master PRO MAX\)
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/SEO Master PRO MAX/database.db
  • Linux: ~/.config/SEO Master PRO MAX/database.db

Next to database.db you’ll also find auxiliary WAL files (database.db-wal and database.db-shm) that may exist temporarily — for complete backup, copy all three (or close the app first to allow automatic check-pointing).

You can change the default location from Settings → Storage → Database location (useful for external SSD, NAS, or folder with automatic backup like Dropbox / OneDrive).

Manual backup

Three methods, in order of preference:

  1. Export .smp: File → Export → Full project. Generates a compressed .smp (SEO Master Project) file containing the entire database + settings (without API keys). Useful for transfer to another device or periodic backup.
  2. Copy .db file: close the app, manually copy database.db + database.db-wal + database.db-shm to a backup folder. Alternative for those who want total control.
  3. Automatic opt-in sync: if you’ve moved the database to a Dropbox / Google Drive / OneDrive / iCloud folder, sync happens automatically on every modification. Advantage: zero manual effort. Disadvantage: if you close the app mid-sync, conflicts can appear (the app detects and warns at next start).

Restore on the same computer

Typical scenario: you accidentally broke something (deleted important audit, wrong configuration, etc.) and want to return to recent backup.

  1. Close the app completely.
  2. Rename the current database.db to database.db.broken (keep as evidence).
  3. Copy the backup (.db or extracted from .smp) to the standard location.
  4. Open the app — it auto-connects to the newly placed database.

For restore from .smp: File → Import → Full project. The app warns that it will replace the current database; you confirm and restore takes 10-30 seconds.

Restore on another computer

Scenario: you want to move the entire setup to a new laptop or another OS.

  1. On old computer: File → Export → Full project. Save .smp.
  2. Transfer .smp to new computer (USB, cloud sync, email).
  3. On new computer: install the app, go through the minimum wizard (you can skip AI providers configuration, comes from import).
  4. File → Import → Full project. Select .smp. Complete restore: audits, history, queries tracking, schema templates, everything.
  5. AI keys are NOT in .smp (for security reasons). You re-add them manually on the new device through Settings → AI Providers.

For consultants with 5+ active clients, daily / weekly automatic backup is essential. Two approaches:

  • Cloud folder sync: move database to a Dropbox / Google Drive / iCloud folder. Continuous sync, zero effort. Recommendation: Dropbox (most mature on sync conflicts) or iCloud Drive (for macOS, native integration).
  • Automatic script: cron job (macOS / Linux) or Task Scheduler (Windows) that runs weekly export .smp to a local backup folder + cloud. Concrete tutorial with scripts publishes at v1.0.

Migration between major versions

On upgrade between major versions (e.g., v1.0 → v2.0), the app may require database schema migration. Workflow:

  1. The app detects new version on first run post-update.
  2. Recommends automatic backup of current database (generates database-backup-pre-v2.db).
  3. Runs schema migration (typically 1-30 seconds, depends on data volume).
  4. Validates post-migration integrity.
  5. If something goes wrong, rollback to automatic backup (clear instructions in UI).

For any migration problem, write to contact@seo-master.ro with the database-backup-pre-vX.db files + migration log (Settings → Logs → Export).

Common troubleshooting

  • “Database is locked”: another instance of the app is running. Close all, retry. If persistent, check Task Manager / Activity Monitor for zombie process.
  • “Corrupt database file”: damaged database (rare — can occur after mid-write crash). Restore from latest backup. If you don’t have backup, contact for recovery scripts (sometimes SQLite can be repaired with PRAGMA integrity_check).
  • “Sync conflicts in Dropbox”: you modified the database on two devices simultaneously. Dropbox keeps both versions ((conflict) suffix). Compare manually + choose the good version.

Your backup, total control.

Your data stays in simple SQLite files on your disk. No vendor lock-in, no dependency on our cloud. Migration to another tool (if you want) = export CSV / JSON from Settings → Export.

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