# Export and Portability

Read a world from another tool, or carry a signed projection with a clear account of what it includes.

## Build Against Saved State

Use the authenticated World API for live reads and edits. Retain world identity, version identity, and the state digest. Capability descriptors say which operations and representations the selected world supports.

[World API overview](/docs/world-api)

## World Memory Package

A World Memory Package is a signed portable projection of one snapshot. Its manifest and digests describe integrity. It is not the live store, a database backup, or permission to reuse a source.

Authored-world and environment-instance extensions carry supported authored state separately from the base profile. A package does not supply missing asset bytes or establish a runnable import.

[Package profile, extensions and commands](https://github.com/twinkling-reality/exulanica/blob/main/docs/world-memory-package.md)
## Plan for the Recipient

Raw media, embeddings, and identity exemplars are excluded by default. A source reference can describe excluded bytes without giving the recipient access to them. Review the projection and its rights before sharing it.

An exported copy cannot be recalled. Deleting live data and exporting again produces a different package. The difference records what was removed or recomputed.

## Back Up a Personal Installation

Back up both the database and the content directory. Neither an API read nor a signed package replaces an operational backup of the installation.

[Database and content maintenance](/docs/self-hosting#docs-self-hosting-operations)