# Keep a copy of the whole story

> How to download your archive, what Markdown means, and a simple way to keep your family’s memories in your own hands.

By For You, Later · 2026-11-01

An archive is something you build slowly. A few lines today, a photo next month, a story from someone who saw a moment you missed. Over time, that collection becomes precious.

You can download the entire For You, Later archive as images and Markdown files. That gives you a copy you can keep independently of the service.

## Prepare your download

1. Sign in to your account and open your profile.
2. Find **Download your data**, then the **Entire archive** card.
3. Choose **Prepare download**, or **Prepare a new copy** if a file is already prepared.
4. We’ll prepare a ZIP file and email you when it’s ready. Return to your profile and choose **Download archive**.

A new copy includes the stories and photos in the archive when it is prepared. Drafts are left out. Stories added afterwards are included when you prepare another copy.

## Two copies, clearly labelled

### Entire archive

This card shows an estimated size for a new copy, based on the photos and story text currently in the archive. The estimate helps you plan your download; the final ZIP size may differ.

If a file is already prepared, the card also shows that file’s actual size, the date it was prepared, and a **Download archive** link. Check the prepared date: that file won’t include memories added since it was built.

### Last snapshot

This is the previous prepared file. It shows the ZIP’s actual size, the date it was prepared, and how long it remains available. Choose **Download snapshot** to save it.

The card stays empty until you prepare a second copy. When a newer copy is prepared, the previous file becomes the last snapshot rather than being replaced immediately. Only the two most recent copies are kept: preparing a third removes the oldest file.

### Download within 48 hours

Each file’s link expires 48 hours after that copy is prepared. Moving a file to **Last snapshot** doesn’t restart its expiry. Download any copy you want to keep before its link expires. You can prepare another copy of the current archive when needed.

## What’s in the ZIP?

The export organises memories into a folder for each child. Written memories are saved as Markdown files, alongside the attached images. The text includes the memory’s title, date, and contributor information.

The filenames use dates and contributor names to help you find things. Unzip the download to browse the folders.

## What is Markdown?

Markdown is plain text with a few simple formatting marks. A heading might start with a `#`, for example. You can open a `.md` file in a text editor and read the words without a For You, Later account.

Many writing apps also display Markdown as formatted text. You don’t need one to keep or read the files, but you can use one if you prefer that presentation.

## Keep the ZIP somewhere you trust

Give your download a name that includes the date, and save it somewhere you’ll remember. Consider keeping a second copy in a separate location you control.

Treat the files as private family material. Anyone with access to your exported files can read the stories and see the images, so choose carefully where you store or share them.

## Make another copy as the archive grows

A download is a snapshot of the archive at the time it was prepared. Memories added afterwards won’t appear in that older ZIP.

You might make a new download after a birthday, at the end of a year, or whenever you’ve added a batch of stories. Choose a rhythm that makes sense for you.

When you’re ready to share the collection with your child, you’ll have the files in your own hands. There’s no automatic handover to arrange: you choose the moment and the way you pass them on.