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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUse MongoDB’s Database Tools from your operating system’s command line. Choose mongodump and mongorestore for a BSON-preserving database backup or migration; choose mongoexport and mongoimport when another system needs JSON, CSV, or TSV. The right workflow depends on whether you need MongoDB fidelity, broad interoperability, a whole database, or selected collections.
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Choose the tool before you move any data
MongoDB ships its command-line utilities as the separate Database Tools package. They are not commands inside mongosh. Install the package on the computer that will perform the transfer, open your operating system’s terminal or command prompt, and verify the installation:
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mongodump --versionThere are two fundamentally different workflows:
| Goal | Export tool | Import or restore tool | Data representation | What it is best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup, disaster recovery, or a MongoDB-to-MongoDB move | mongodump |
mongorestore |
Binary BSON dump | Retaining MongoDB data types and restoring a database or selected namespaces |
| Exchange data with applications, ETL jobs, or other databases | mongoexport |
mongoimport |
Extended JSON, CSV, or TSV | Human-readable files and interoperability |
A text export is not a substitute for a complete disaster-recovery backup. JSON, CSV, and TSV do not necessarily retain indexes, validation rules, or every BSON type. Use the BSON workflow when the destination must behave like the source MongoDB deployment.
Prepare the source and destination
Install and check the Database Tools
Download the Database Tools package from MongoDB’s Download Center, install it, and ensure the directory containing the executables is on your PATH or that you run the commands with their full path. Check the version from the same terminal session that will run the transfer. The utilities should be run from the system shell, not from a MongoDB shell prompt.
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Confirm network access and permissions
- The machine running the command must be able to resolve and connect to the source or destination host and port.
- The account used for an export needs read access to the database being exported.
- A restore account needs the permissions required to create or replace the target databases and collections.
- For a hosted deployment, allow the client machine through the service’s network controls before testing the command.
Test credentials and connectivity with a small, non-production operation before starting a full transfer. A URI that includes a password is convenient for examples but can expose the secret in shell history or process listings. Prefer an interactive password prompt or a protected configuration file in operational scripts, and restrict permissions on any file containing credentials.
Check version compatibility for BSON restores
For mongorestore, the source and destination must use the same major MongoDB version or the same feature compatibility version. Confirm that compatibility before the production restore, not after a dump has been copied to the target. Keep the Database Tools version and the server versions documented with the backup so a later recovery does not depend on guesswork.
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Back up a database with mongodump
mongodump creates a binary BSON dump. BSON retains MongoDB-specific values more faithfully than CSV and is the normal choice for a MongoDB-to-MongoDB move.
Write a directory dump
mongodump --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/db" --out ./dumpThis command connects to the named database and writes a directory tree under ./dump. Use a destination with enough free space for the dump and any temporary files. Treat the resulting directory as sensitive: it contains the database’s data and should be protected with the same care as the live deployment.
Stream a dump as an archive
When you do not need an intermediate directory, pipe an archive directly to mongorestore:
mongodump --uri="mongodb://source:27017/db" --archive | mongorestore --uri="mongodb://target:27017" --archiveThe pipeline avoids manually copying a dump directory, but it also means a failure in either command interrupts the transfer. For a high-value migration, capture the terminal output, monitor the exit status of the pipeline in your operating system, and perform a verification query on the target afterward.
Limit the scope deliberately
A dump can represent an entire database or a narrower selection of namespaces, depending on the options you supply. Decide whether the target should receive every collection or only selected collections before running the command. Record the URI, database name, collection filters, tool version, and time of the dump with the backup so another operator can reproduce the intended scope.
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Restore BSON with mongorestore
MongoDB documents mongorestore as loading data from a binary dump created by mongodump or from standard input into a mongod or mongos instance. A directory restore uses the dump path:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://user:password@target:27017" ./dumpAn archive restore uses standard input or an archive file:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://target:27017" --archiveThe second command expects archive bytes on standard input, as in the streaming example above. If you saved an archive to disk, provide the archive file according to the Database Tools option syntax installed on your system.
Decide whether to use –drop
Adding --drop tells mongorestore to drop each target collection represented in the backup before restoring that collection. This is appropriate only when the target is intentionally being replaced. It can destroy newer target data, so do not add it as a routine troubleshooting step. Without that option, existing target content is not automatically treated as a clean replacement.
Validate a restore
- Confirm that the target server is the intended host and that its MongoDB version or feature compatibility version meets the BSON requirement.
- Run a restore in a staging database or isolated deployment first when the data is important.
- Check that expected databases and collections exist and that representative document counts and values match the source.
- Test application reads and writes against the restored data before directing production traffic to it.
- Record any intentionally omitted namespaces, authentication changes, or post-restore repairs.
Queryable Encryption and client-side field-level encryption (CSFLE) collections cannot be restored with mongorestore. Plan a supported application-level or service-specific migration for those collections rather than treating a normal BSON restore as a solution.
Export MongoDB data to JSON
mongoexport is collection-oriented. Supply a URI, database, collection, and output path:
mongoexport --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --out=users.jsonBy default, mongoexport writes Extended JSON v2.0 in relaxed mode. This is convenient for many integrations, but relaxed output is not the best choice when a downstream process must preserve the exact BSON types.
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Use canonical Extended JSON when types matter
For a text representation that retains MongoDB type information more explicitly, request canonical format:
mongoexport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --jsonFormat=canonical --out=users.jsonExtended JSON is required for MongoDB-specific values such as dates. For example, a date may appear as:
{ "$date": "2019-12-01T00:00:05.5640Z" }When importing, mongoimport detects the JSON format in the file. Keep the format choice documented with the file so a consumer does not mistake a typed value for an ordinary string.
Import JSON with mongoimport
Import a JSON collection with:
mongoimport --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --file=users.jsonThe destination collection must be chosen explicitly. A JSON file is a data interchange artifact, not a complete database definition: it does not by itself recreate every index, validator, or deployment setting from the source.
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By default, upsert matching uses _id. To match on another field, use --mode=upsert with --upsertFields:
mongoimport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --file=users.json
--mode=upsert --upsertFields=emailIn this example, an incoming document with an email value updates the matching target document or inserts a new one when no match exists. Choose a field whose values are stable and appropriately unique; otherwise, multiple incoming records can match the same target or create unintended duplicates.
Exchange data as CSV or TSV
CSV is useful for spreadsheets and systems that cannot consume BSON or Extended JSON, but it requires an explicit field list on export:
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mongoexport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=contacts --type=csv
--fields="name,address" --out=contacts.csvImport a CSV file whose first row contains the field names with:
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--collection=contacts --type=csv
--headerline --file=contacts.csvFor tab-separated data, use --type=tsv instead. CSV and TSV do not carry MongoDB type information. Numbers, booleans, dates, arrays, and nested documents may need explicit type handling in the importing workflow. If preserving those values matters, use BSON or canonical Extended JSON instead of flattening the data into a delimited file.
Watch for field-name conflicts
Field names beginning with $ or containing a period have documented import and export conflicts. In CSV, periods can be interpreted as hierarchy separators, which can change how a column is mapped. Extended JSON also cannot distinguish some type-wrapper names from literal field names that begin with $. Review the schema for these names before selecting a text interchange format, and test a representative file rather than assuming a round trip will be lossless.
Move a self-hosted deployment to MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB documents the Database Tools as one route for migrating a self-hosted deployment to MongoDB Atlas. The basic pattern is the same as any MongoDB-to-MongoDB move:
- Install the Database Tools on a machine that can reach the self-hosted source and the Atlas target.
- Confirm the Atlas network access rules and create a destination database user with the permissions required for the restore.
- Check source and target MongoDB versions or feature compatibility versions before creating a BSON dump.
- Create a directory dump with
mongodump, or stream an archive directly intomongorestore. - Restore into the Atlas connection string, initially using a staging or otherwise isolated target when possible.
- Validate collections, representative documents, indexes and application behavior before changing application connection settings.
For a large or continuously changing production database, a one-time dump introduces a point-in-time boundary: writes that occur after the dump begins are not automatically included. Plan an application pause, a controlled cutover, or another migration method appropriate to your recovery-point requirement rather than assuming the command alone provides zero downtime.
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Common failure modes and fixes
“Command not found” or an unexpected version
The Database Tools are separate from the server and shell packages. Reinstall or correct the executable path, then run mongodump --version from the same terminal used for the transfer. If multiple installations exist, call the intended executable by its full path and remove ambiguity from automation.
Authentication or authorization errors
Check the username, authentication database, URI encoding, and the account’s permissions. An export requires read access on the target database. A restore requires write and database-management permissions appropriate to the operation. Avoid copying a password into logs while troubleshooting; use a prompt or protected configuration instead.
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Connection timeouts
Verify DNS, the host and port in the URI, firewall rules, and hosted-service network allowlists. Test the connection from the machine running the utility, not from a different workstation that has different network access.
Version or feature-compatibility errors during restore
Compare the source and destination major versions or feature compatibility versions. A BSON dump is not a license to restore across incompatible server configurations. Align the versions, or use a migration plan that explicitly supports the difference.
Unexpected duplicates or overwritten documents
Review the import mode. Standard imports and upserts have different behavior, and upsert matching defaults to _id. If you supplied --upsertFields, verify that the selected field is stable and unique. Never add --drop merely to silence a conflict unless replacing the target collection is intentional.
Dates or numbers arrive as strings
This usually indicates that a CSV or relaxed text workflow discarded type information. Re-export using canonical Extended JSON, or define the conversion rules required by the receiving process. A date encoded with an Extended JSON wrapper such as { "$date": "2019-12-01T00:00:05.5640Z" } can be interpreted as a MongoDB date rather than ordinary text.
Encrypted collections will not restore
mongorestore cannot restore collections that use Queryable Encryption or client-side field-level encryption. Stop and select a migration path designed for that encryption configuration; repeatedly changing restore flags will not remove the limitation.
A safe runbook for production transfers
- Define the objective. Label the operation as disaster-recovery backup, full MongoDB migration, or text interchange. This determines the tool pair.
- Inventory the data. Note databases, collections, encryption features, unusual field names, indexes, validators, and the expected write activity during the move.
- Prepare tools and access. Install the Database Tools, verify the version, confirm connectivity, and test least-privilege credentials.
- Run a rehearsal. Export or dump a representative subset and restore or import it into an isolated target. Check types, counts, indexes, and application queries.
- Perform the production operation. Capture the exact command, time, source, destination, options, and terminal output. Protect the dump or text files.
- Validate independently. Compare representative documents and collection counts, exercise critical application paths, and inspect errors before cutover.
- Protect the rollback path. Keep the original source available until the new deployment is accepted, and retain the backup according to your recovery policy.
Which workflow should you use?
| Requirement | Recommended workflow | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Recover a database after data loss | mongodump followed by mongorestore |
Binary BSON is designed for MongoDB restoration and preserves data more faithfully than delimited text. |
| Move a self-hosted database to another MongoDB deployment or Atlas | BSON dump and restore, subject to version and encryption constraints | It transfers MongoDB data without converting every value into a generic text type. |
| Send selected records to an external application | mongoexport and the receiving system’s importer |
JSON is broadly consumable and can retain types when canonical Extended JSON is used. |
| Load a spreadsheet-shaped contact list | CSV or TSV with an explicit schema review | Delimited files are convenient, but they require field lists and do not preserve BSON types. |
| Merge incoming records into an existing collection | mongoimport --mode=upsert with a deliberate matching field |
Upsert mode updates matches and inserts missing documents instead of treating every row as a new record. |
The short rule is simple: use mongodump/mongorestore when MongoDB fidelity and recoverability matter; use mongoexport/mongoimport when a collection must cross a system boundary as JSON, CSV, or TSV.
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