Diaro Backup Import helps you move Diaro backups into dated journal notes

Name: Diaro Backup Import
Author: theluckystrike

Import local Diaro backups as dated notes.

Install in Obsidian

Directory page Source on GitHub

MIT · no telemetry · core features free

Three journal entries in the preview with one missing photo. — Open larger

version: 1.1.0
released: 2026-10-21
downloads: 21
review: Passed
health: Excellent
license: MIT
listed for: Desktop, Mobile
obsidian: 1.13.4 or later

The README reports desktop app tests. Physical phones and tablets were not tested.

Directory facts fetched 2026-10-23 07:28 UTC from community.obsidian.md/users/theluckystrike.

About Diaro Backup Import

You want to move Diaro backups into dated journal notes in your vault.

Choose your unencrypted Diaro backup ZIP and check its entries, missing photos and file conflicts. Diaro Backup Import creates dated Markdown notes with source metadata. The local import needs no Diaro account.

Preview a Diaro backup, import its entries, and read a note with a local image.

Free features

Preview entries and missing photos

Check counts and the first eight entries before importing. Missing photos leave a message in the note rather than blocking its text.

Dated notes with source properties

Notes keep source IDs, original time fields and joined metadata. Filenames use UTC dates, while the source timezone offset remains uninterpreted.

An imported note with source properties, tags and journal text. — Open larger

Photos in the vault

Supported referenced photos are copied from backup attachment records into the import folder. Notes embed those local files without downloading source web links.

Journal text followed by a garden image copied from the backup. — Open larger

Pro features

Pro costs $5 a month or $15 one time through GitHub Sponsors. One sponsorship turns on Pro in every plugin that has it.

Saved mapping presets Pro

Property mapping is free, while Pro saves up to 20 named mappings and note-name formats. Source ID and time properties retain fixed names.

Property mapping fields and a saved journal mapping preset. — Open larger

Compare a later backup Pro

Pro compares incoming source fields and photo bytes with saved import hashes. It reports changes without updating or deleting existing notes.

A later backup reports one changed entry and two unchanged entries. — Open larger

Monthly review notes Pro

Pro creates month reviews with links to entries created during that run. Existing reviews remain in place and produce a reported error.

A September review with links to two imported journal entries. — Open larger

See how Pro works

Set up Diaro Backup Import

needs

Obsidian 1.13.4 or later

steps

Make an unencrypted Diaro ZIP backup and keep a copy.
Run Import a Diaro backup from the command palette.
Select the ZIP and review the folder, counts and warnings.
Adjust naming or property mapping if needed, then preview again.
Select Create notes and check the result counts, errors and sample photos.

If the app can't find a new plugin yet, try again later. Obsidian says a plugin that passes the review shows in the app within 24 hours.

How to import Diaro backups into Obsidian

Known limits of Diaro Backup Import

Only unencrypted ZIP backups with version 2 XML at the archive root are supported.
Limits include 64 MiB per ZIP, 128 MiB expanded selected data and 32 MiB per selected file.
XML is limited to 16 MiB, backups to 20,000 entries and ZIPs to 25,000 members.
Filenames use UTC dates; source timezone offsets are kept without interpreting their unit.
Audio, video and templates are outside the import scope.
Comparison does not update existing notes, and reviews include only entries created in that run.
Write failures can leave notes or photos, and existing review files are not replaced.
Tests use synthetic journals and PNG photos; physical mobile devices and HEIC display were not tested.

Questions about Diaro Backup Import

Which backup version can I select?

The ZIP needs version 2 of DiaroBackup.xml at its root. Encrypted archives, wrapper folders, split ZIP files and ZIP64 are unsupported.

Can I import a backup twice?

Source IDs already found within the destination folder are skipped. Removing those IDs or moving notes outside that folder prevents the scan from finding them.

Does comparison reflect my note edits?

Comparison checks source hashes from imported records. Your later edits to the Markdown body don't change that hash.

Will HEIC photos display on my device?

The importer can copy supported HEIC and HEIF files. Display depends on the device and format, and the tests use PNG images.

Network use

After you select Sign in with GitHub, the plugin sends its client ID, read:user scope and device-flow requests to github.com. Due checks and Refresh send your token to api.github.com to read your sponsorship tier and total payment. No note text, filenames or other vault data goes to either host.

Read the full network disclosure