To back up Distill.io monitor settings, export the Watchlist as JSON: select the monitors (or choose the all-monitors scope), open the hamburger menu, choose Export → JSON, then download the file. JSON preserves more configuration than CSV, but neither format includes alert actions or historical change records.
Export a JSON backup of your monitors
- Open the Watchlist. Select the monitors you want to back up using their checkboxes. To export the whole Watchlist, choose the all-monitors scope; Distill’s guide says that scope exports the entire Watchlist regardless of selection.
- Open the hamburger menu in the top-right corner and choose Export → JSON.
- Select the export scope and click Download. The file is saved to your system’s Downloads folder with a timestamp.
- Move or copy the downloaded JSON file to a location you can find when you need to restore it. Distill recommends taking regular backups to protect against accidental deletion or configuration loss.
Choose JSON or CSV
Use JSON when the goal is a restorable backup or monitor transfer. Use CSV for a simplified record or a bulk URL workflow; it does not preserve the advanced configuration needed for a fuller backup.
| What it preserves | JSON | CSV |
|---|---|---|
| Basic monitor details, such as URL, name, label, and content type | Yes | Yes |
| Schedules, conditions, selector configuration, and monitor on/off state | Yes | No |
| Created/changed dates, current monitored text, and recent error status | Not listed as JSON-only fields in Distill’s export comparison | Yes |
| Alert actions and historical change records | No | No |
Distill’s configuration documentation describes JSON parameters including included and excluded selectors, selector type and expression, and page-loading delay. Those settings are why JSON is the better choice when you want to preserve how a monitor is configured, rather than just retain a list of URLs and basic details.
Restore or transfer monitors from JSON
- On the destination device, open the Watchlist and choose Import → JSON.
- Select the backup file from the device, or paste the JSON content.
- Review the preview of monitor names, URLs, and configurations before continuing.
- Choose whether the imported monitors should run on Cloud or Local. The import flow also lets you add common alert actions.
- Finish the import and check the resulting Watchlist and monitor settings.
Distill describes Local monitors as running on your device and Cloud monitors as running on its servers. Local checks require the browser or app to be open; Cloud checks can continue while your device is off. Distill says Cloud operation requires a subscription.
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What an export does not back up
Distill explicitly excludes alert actions—including email notifications and webhooks—and historical change records from all exports. A JSON file therefore backs up monitor configuration, not a complete account history. After importing, recreate or verify notification and webhook actions; the import flow offers a step for adding common actions. If your goal is to move local change history to another PC, the documented export/import workflow does not transfer that history.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API, not a Distill monitor-backup tool; use the Watchlist JSON export above to back up monitors. If you also need a clean screenshot of a webpage, one GET request returns an image or PDF. For example, this cURL request saves a WebP screenshot of Stripe:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and response details. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo, or sign up free.
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