# Export and archive a published documentation version

> Create portable Markdown, PDF, or static HTML artifacts from one immutable published version, then automate retention with archive schedules.

Nibleaf exports the latest successful published version, not the current draft.
Each run first copies that `READY` deployment into an immutable export snapshot,
so Markdown, PDF, and static HTML selected together describe the same content.

## Create a one-time export

Publish and verify the site before exporting. Then open **Site settings →
Exports → Create export**, select at least one format, and start the run:

- **Markdown ZIP** for portable source and migration checkpoints. Verify page
  files, frontmatter, navigation, and referenced assets.
- **PDF** for review, approval, or print distribution. Verify fonts, code,
  diagrams, page breaks, and RTL text.
- **Static HTML ZIP** for offline or independent static hosting. Verify internal
  links, local search, navigation, CSS, and copied assets without Nibleaf.

The run moves through `PENDING`, `RUNNING`, and a terminal state. Download links
appear only for `SUCCEEDED` artifacts and expire after a short, instance-defined
window. A failed run does not change the published site; read the failure in run
history, correct the cause, and create a new export.

## Schedule archival snapshots

Open **Schedules**, create a named schedule, and choose:

- the formats to generate;
- a daily, weekly, or monthly cadence;
- an IANA timezone and local run time;
- how many completed runs to keep;
- the maximum retention age.

Use an IANA name such as `Africa/Lagos`, not a fixed UTC offset. Nibleaf computes
the next run in that timezone so daylight-saving changes retain the intended
wall-clock time. Use **Run now** to test the exact schedule before depending on
it, then confirm the artifact in **Run history**.

An export schedule is an additional recovery copy, not a database backup. It
does not preserve workspace membership, drafts, comments, analytics, credentials,
or operational state. Self-hosters still need synchronized [Postgres and object
storage backups](/self-hosting/backups-upgrades).

## Operate export workers

The published container includes Chromium for PDF rendering. Source-based or
custom worker images must install a Chromium-compatible browser and set
`EXPORT_CHROMIUM_PATH`. If `WORKER_QUEUES` restricts queues, include `export`.

The instance controls concurrency, daily runs, page and snapshot size, copied
asset bytes, manual retention, and download URL lifetime. Review the [environment
variable reference](/reference/environment-variables) before enabling large or
scheduled archives. Storage lifecycle rules may delete expired objects as a
second line of defense, but must not expire them earlier than Nibleaf's configured
retention policy.

## Test recovery before relying on an export

Download a fresh artifact from each required format and test it outside the
Nibleaf dashboard. For Markdown, inspect and import a sample. For static HTML,
serve the extracted directory locally and follow deep links while offline. For
PDF, review representative long, multilingual, diagram, and code-heavy pages.

Record the deployment version, export run, storage location, and restore owner.
An artifact that has never been opened is an untested assumption, not a recovery
plan.