Move your existing BookStack.

01 / PREPARE THE SOURCE

What you send us

Send a database dump of the BookStack database and one archive containing the uploads and files directories. Agree a shared snapshot time and freeze writes on the old system before exporting. The database dump and file archive must describe the same read-only source. Run these commands on your server, replacing the database name and paths with your own values:

# Database dump (use either command)
mysqldump --single-transaction --routines --triggers bookstack > bookstack.sql
mariadb-dump --single-transaction --routines --triggers bookstack > bookstack.sql

# Standard BookStack: normalize private attachments to files/ (GNU tar)
tar -czf bookstack-files.tar.gz -C /path/to/bookstack/public uploads   --transform='s,^storage/uploads/files,files,' -C /path/to/bookstack storage/uploads/files

# LinuxServer: run inside the container with /config mounted (use instead)
tar -czf bookstack-files.tar.gz -C /config/www uploads files

We do not need login credentials for your server. Your old instance can continue serving read-only access while we work on the new one. Changes made after the export are not included in that import.

02 / REBUILD THE WORKSPACE

What we do

• Provision a new BookStack instance for your workspace.
• Import the database and the uploads/files archive.
• Run BookStack's own schema update so older supported versions are brought forward.
• When you supply the old base URL, rewrite matching links in supported current page HTML/Markdown, book and chapter descriptions, and image URLs. Settings, historical revisions and other fields require separate checks.
• Rebuild the search index and permissions.
• Create a recovery backup of the destination before starting the import.

03 / YOUR ADDRESS

Keep your own domain

Your workspace always has a bookhost.co address. Owners can add their own domain in the dashboard: enter it, add the DNS records we show, and we serve the workspace on both addresses once the certificate is issued. External sign-in providers and mail routing are not part of this step.

04 / YOUR ACCEPTANCE CHECK

What you check afterwards

• The number of books, pages and attachments is correct.
• Local password hashes are preserved. Verify sign-in as an administrator and as a regular member as part of acceptance.
• Images and attachments open correctly.
• Search finds the content you expect.

05 / PLAN THE CHANGE

Timing and switch-over

Agree a shared snapshot time, freeze writes, export both files, then check the imported workspace before cutover by DNS or bookmark change. Keep the old system read-only through acceptance and cutover. For a longer preparation period with resumed writes, arrange a final second import from a fresh, consistent snapshot under a new write freeze, repeat acceptance checks, then switch over. We do not switch anything off on your server.

06 / LEAVING AGAIN

You can take everything back out

Ask us at any time and we hand you the same two files this page asks you for: a database dump and an archive of your uploads and attachments, plus a manifest with counts and checksums. They restore into any BookStack installation, so leaving is the same procedure in reverse.

07 / KNOW THE BOUNDARIES

What we do not migrate today

• LDAP, SAML and OIDC single sign-on are not available on BookHost today, and neither is enforced two-factor authentication inside the workspace. Workspaces use BookStack’s own email-and-password sign-in; local password hashes from your existing instance are preserved, so those users keep their passwords. If your team signs in through a directory or identity provider, this is not the right time to move.
• S3 and other external file storage is not imported.
• We review very old BookStack versions before starting.
• Custom server extensions do not run on our hosting.