Only use this when migrating, and immediately delete the file afterward to maintain security.
In the world of network administration, the ability to back up and restore configurations is not just a convenience—it is a necessity. For MikroTik administrators, the export command is one of the most powerful tools available. Unlike a binary backup file, a configuration export provides a human-readable, script-based representation of the device's settings.
Text exports can be edited and imported into completely different MikroTik hardware models. Binary backups can cause severe interface mapping errors if restored to a different model.
/import file=my-config.rsc
It's crucial to understand that an export, even with show-sensitive=no , is not completely sanitized. It will not export actual user passwords, SSH keys, or installed certificates. However, it include any data that was manually added to your configuration. This can include email addresses, DDNS hostnames, public IP addresses, and WireGuard keys.
The terse flag outputs the configuration without property names, making it harder for humans but easier for basic parsing scripts. Most users will prefer compact over terse .
| Option | Description | Example | |--------|-------------|---------| | compact | Removes default values and comments for a cleaner output | /export compact file=clean-backup | | terse | One-line per configuration item (minimal formatting) | /export terse | | verbose | Includes all parameters, even defaults | /export verbose | | show-sensitive | (use with extreme caution) | /export show-sensitive file=full-backup | | from= | Export only specific sections (e.g., /interface , /ip firewall ) | /export from=/ip/firewall | mikrotik export configuration
[admin@MikroTik] > /export file=my_config
/export show-sensitive=no file=safe-to-share
To make your automation even more resilient, I can help you expand your setup. Let me know if you would like to learn how to , upload it to an external FTP server , or strip out MAC addresses so you can deploy the script seamlessly onto different hardware models. Share public link Only use this when migrating, and immediately delete
To sanitize your config for posting in a forum for help, you can use the following:
If you only need a specific section (e.g., Firewall rules), navigate to that menu first: /ip firewall filter export file=firewall_only Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Advanced Export Flags hide-sensitive