Backup Folder

A lightweight, friction-free VS Code extension designed to instantly take a timestamped snapshot or backup of your project folders.

Why use Backup Folder? While version control systems like Git are essential, sometimes you just need a quick, localized hard copy of your workspace before making destructive changes. Whether you are experimenting with new architectural patterns, letting an AI assistant generate a large batch of code, or simply want a safe fallback before a major refactor, this extension gives you immediate peace of mind without cluttering your commit history.

Instead of manually copying folders, renaming them with the date, and deleting heavy subdirectories, Backup Folder automates the entire process in a single click. It intelligently excludes unnecessary, space-consuming content (like node_modules, dist, .git, or your .gitignore rules) and can even natively compress the backup into a .zip archive to save disk space.

Built with performance and security in mind, it relies entirely on native OS capabilities—meaning lightning-fast execution without any bloated third-party dependencies.

💻 Native OS Integration (File Explorer, Finder & CLI)

Want this frictionless backup power directly in your OS File Explorer or terminal without having to open an IDE? We have ported this logic into 100% native, zero-dependency utilities for both Windows and Mac.

• 🪟 Smart Backup & Zip (Windows Edition): Windows Explorer Context Menus and bkdir/zpdir global CLI commands (for command & git-bash terminals) built entirely on pure CMD and robocopy.
• 🍎 Smart Backup & Zip (Mac Edition): macOS Finder Quick Actions and global CLI commands built entirely on pure bash and POSIX tools.

Other related extensions

• Tagged File Snapshots - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Tagged Snapshots - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Backup File - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Git SSH Config Manager - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Git Profile-Protocol Switcher - Open VSX | VS Marketplace

• Git Repo Manager - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Git Snapshots Open VSX Registry | VS Code Marketplace

• Git Pull Agent - Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

• Git - Open Remote Repo/Files in Browser - Open VSX Registry. | VS Marketplace

Features

• Right-click on any folder (or your root workspace) in the Explorer to trigger the backup.
• Backup and Zip: Natively compress your backups into .zip archives directly from the context menu to save space.
• Stores timestamped backups in the folder you configured in settings (default: .vscode/fldr-snapshots within the workspace).
• Root-Safe Architecture: Safely backs up your entire workspace root by intelligently routing it to a fallback directory (e.g., ../backups) to prevent recursive copy errors.
• Smart Exclusions: Skip unnecessary files using a custom list, or automatically respect your project's .gitignore.

Installation

1. Open VS Code / Antigravity / Cursor / Windsurf / VSCodium
2. Go to Extensions
3. Search "Backup Folder"
4. Click Install

OR

• Install from Open VSX Registry | VS Marketplace

Usage

1. Configure your preferences in VS Code settings under Backup Folder.
2. Right-click on a folder in the Explorer.
3. Select "Backup Folder" or "Backup and Zip Folder".
4. The extension copies (and optionally zips) the folder into the configured destination with a timestamp appended.
5. Tip: If you leave the Backup Target Folder setting completely blank, the extension will prompt you to select a destination folder via a dialog box on the fly.

Settings

• Backup Folder › Backup Target Folder: Absolute path to the folder where snapshots/backups are stored. Use a plain path without quotes. Leave empty to prompt for a destination folder on every backup. (default: .vscode/fldr-snapshots)
• Backup Folder › Backup Target Folder For Workspace Root: Fallback destination when backing up the entire workspace root, preventing recursive copy errors. Recommended to keep this outside the current workspace. (default: ../backups)
• Backup Folder › Exclude Folders And Files: Exclude these folders/files from the backup. Supports simple wildcard patterns. (default: .git,.vscode*,*-lock.json,node_modules,dist,build)
• Backup Folder › Exclude Folders And Files In Dot Gitignore: Exclude files and folders listed in the workspace .gitignore. Note: Uses lightweight string matching; complex patterns may not be fully parsed. (default: false)
• Backup Folder › Compress Backup: Automatically compress the timestamped backup into a .zip archive and remove the uncompressed folder. Relies on native OS commands. (default: false)
• Backup Folder › Preserve Folder Structure: Preserve the original folder structure in snapshots/backups. (default: true)
• Backup Folder › Show Open Folder Button For Outside Backups: Show an 'Open Folder' button in the success notification when backing up outside the workspace. If false, the notification will auto-hide. (default: true)
• Backup Folder › Use Local Timestamp: Use local timestamp or ISO/UTC timestamp. (default: true)

Requirements

• VS Code 1.85.0 or higher.

License

MIT

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