Backup & Export Time-Lapse Files

Protect your time-lapse footage with regular backups. Download images and videos, set up automatic exports, and create permanent archives of your projects.

Important: No Server-Side Backups

webcam.io does not maintain backups of your files. If you delete your camera, your account expires, or our storage servers fail, your images and videos will be lost. Regular backups are your responsibility.

Why Backup Matters

Backup risks and prevention
Risk	Consequence	Prevention
Accidental camera deletion	All images/videos lost	Regular ZIP exports
Account expiration	Files deleted after grace period	Automatic FTP/Dropbox export
Storage server failure	Potential data loss	Multiple backup locations
Project handover	Need to share raw files	Download before transfer

Available Images / Retention

Images and videos are deleted after 14 or 30 days depending on your plan. One image per hour is kept for the long-term view.

Recommendation for long-term projects: Backup weekly or use automatic export

Download Options

Quick Reference

Export methods overview
Method	What	Best For
ZIP Export	Image files	Bulk download, archiving
Video Download	Daily videos, clips	Sharing, offline viewing
FTP Export	Images + videos	Automatic backup
Dropbox Export	Images + videos	Cloud backup
YouTube Export	Videos	Public sharing

Download Images (ZIP Archive)

Download your raw image files in ZIP format for archiving or use with external time-lapse software.

How to Export Images

Go to Dashboard → Image Export
Select your camera
Choose the date range
Click Export
Wait for email with download link (usually a few minutes)
Download within 24 hours (link expires)

What’s Included

ZIP export contents
File Type	Description
Raw images	Original uploaded files
Converted images	Processed/resized versions
Metadata	Timestamps in filenames

Large Exports

For large date ranges, the export may take longer. You’ll receive an email when ready. If the export fails, try smaller date ranges.

Recommended Export Schedule

Recommended backup schedule
Project Type	Export Frequency	Date Range
Construction (long-term)	Monthly	Last 14 / 30 days
Seasonal monitoring	End of season	Full season (one image per hour)
Critical projects	Weekly	Last 7 days
General use	Quarterly	Last 90 days (one image per hour)

Download Videos

Daily Videos

Daily time-lapse videos are automatically generated at midnight.

Download options:

Videos menu: Dashboard → Videos
- Browse all daily videos
- Download individual MP4 files
Webcam page:
- Go to your webcam’s page
- Navigate to the day you want
- Click download link

Video Clips

Custom clips you’ve created are available on their clip page:

Go to your webcam page and click on a clip
(wait for rendering to complete)
Download in MP4 or WebM format in “Video files” box

See Creating Video Clips for details.

Create Year Time-Lapse Video

Create a complete time-lapse video spanning your entire archive (weeks, months, or a full year).

Step-by-Step Guide

Go to your webcam page
- Dashboard → Webcams → Select camera → Show
Select the full range
- In the time-lapse player, select “Year” or “All” range
Optional: Adjust settings
- Choose playback hour (e.g., 12:00 for midday shots)
- Adjust FPS for desired video length
Pause playback
- Click pause
Mark the start point
- Use Fast Backward (⏮) to go to the very first frame
- Click Mark In
Mark the end point
- Use Fast Forward (⏭) to go to the last frame
- Click Mark Out
Create the clip
- Click Create Clip
- Enter a name (e.g., “2024 Full Year Time-Lapse”)
- Click Save
Download
- Wait for rendering (may take several minutes for long clips)
- Refresh the page
- Download when ready

Note

Year-long clips may take 10 minutes to render. You’ll see the download links once complete.

Automatic Export: FTP

Set up automatic FTP export to backup images and videos to your own server as they’re created.

Plan Requirement

FTP export requires LIVE plan or higher.

Setup FTP Export

Go to Dashboard → Webcams
Click Edit on your webcam
Scroll to Exports section
Enter your FTP credentials:
- Host: Your FTP server address
- Port: Usually 21
- Username: FTP username
- Password: FTP password
Select what to export:
- ☑ Raw images
- ☑ Converted images
- ☑ Videos and clips
Click Save

FTP Directory Structure

Files are uploaded to these directories (created automatically):

/webcam_{id}_videos/          # Videos and clips
/webcam_{id}_images/{date}/   # Converted images
/webcam_{id}_raw/{date}/      # Raw uploaded images

Variables:

{id} = Your webcam’s numeric ID
{date} = Date in YYYY-MM-DD format

Custom Path

You can specify a custom base path with these restrictions:

FTP path restrictions
Restriction	Details
Directory depth	Maximum 3 levels
Characters	Alphanumeric only recommended
Special characters	May cause upload failures

FTP Limitations

FTP export limitations
Limitation	Details
New files only	Only files created after setup are exported
No sync for old files	Use ZIP export for existing files
No SFTP	Only standard FTP is supported

Troubleshooting FTP Export

Export not working?

Check credentials
- Verify username/password (watch for trailing spaces)
- Test with another FTP client (FileZilla, etc.)
Test connection
- Use same host/port/user/password
- Enable passive mode
- Check firewall settings
Server requirements
- Must respond within a few seconds
- Sufficient upload speed
- Enough storage space
Test with a clip
- Create a short clip
- Check if video appears on FTP server
- Contact support if no errors shown but files missing

Debug Logs

Contact support for FTP debug logs if you see no errors in Dashboard but uploads fail.

Automatic Export: Dropbox

Sync new images and videos to your Dropbox account automatically.

Setup Dropbox Export

Go to Dashboard → Webcams
Click Edit on your webcam
Scroll to Exports section
Click Connect Dropbox
Authorize webcam.io in Dropbox
Select what to export:
- ☑ Images
- ☑ Videos
Click Save

What Gets Exported

Dropbox export scope
Content	Exported	Notes
New images	✅	After setup only
New videos	✅	Daily videos and clips
Old images	❌	Use ZIP export
Old videos	❌	Download manually

Dropbox Folder Structure

Files are organized in your Dropbox under:

/Apps/webcam.io/
  └── {webcam-name}/
      ├── images/
      │   └── {date}/
      └── videos/

Automatic Export: YouTube

Upload daily videos and clips directly to your YouTube channel.

Setup YouTube Export

Go to Dashboard → Integrations → YouTube
Click Authorize and sign in to Google
Grant webcam.io permission to upload
Go to webcam settings → Exports
Enable Upload videos to YouTube
Choose privacy setting (Public, Unlisted, Private)
Click Save

Privacy Mapping

Privacy settings mapping
Webcam Privacy	YouTube Upload
Public	Public
Do not list	Unlisted
Login required	Private

Current Limitations

YouTube Upload Temporarily Limited

Due to YouTube API quotas, manual upload of older videos via webcam.io is currently disabled.

Workaround: Download video MP4 files and upload directly to YouTube Studio.

What Gets Uploaded

YouTube upload availability
Content	Auto-Upload	Manual Upload
Daily videos	✅	❌ (disabled)
New clips	✅	❌ (disabled)
Old videos	❌	❌ (use workaround)

Backup Best Practices

For Construction Projects

Strategy: Monthly ZIP + Daily FTP

- Within 14/30 days: Download full image ZIP
- Daily: FTP export to project server
- Milestone: Create clips at key stages
- Completion: Full year video

For Scenic Webcams

Strategy: Dropbox + Seasonal clips

- Continuous: Dropbox auto-export
- Within 14/30 days: Review and create highlight clips
- Yearly: Full year compilation video

For Critical Monitoring

Strategy: FTP + Local + Cloud

- Real-time: FTP to local server
- Daily: Dropbox cloud backup
- Weekly: Verify backups exist

Backup Checklist

ZIP export working and tested
Automatic export configured (FTP/Dropbox)
Download location has enough storage
Test restore – verify downloaded files work
Documentation – note what’s backed up where

Troubleshooting

ZIP Export Issues

ZIP export troubleshooting
Problem	Solution
No email received	Check spam folder, verify email address
Link expired	Request new export (links valid 24 hours)
Export fails	Try smaller date range
Missing images	Check timer settings, camera was online

Video Download Issues

Video download troubleshooting
Problem	Solution
Video not generated	Check if plan includes daily videos
Poor quality	Source image quality determines video quality
Missing days	Camera offline or no images received

Automatic Export Issues

Automatic export troubleshooting
Problem	Solution
FTP upload fails	See FTP Troubleshooting
Dropbox not syncing	Reauthorize connection
YouTube upload fails	Reauthorize connection, use manual workaround
Old files not exported	Automatic export is new files only

Storage Calculator

Estimate your backup storage needs:

Storage estimates (assumes ~350 KB average image size)
Interval	Images/Day	~Size/Day	~Size/Month	~Size/Year
1 min	1,440	500 MB	15 GB	180 GB
5 min	288	100 MB	3 GB	36 GB
15 min	96	35 MB	1 GB	12 GB
30 min	48	17 MB	500 MB	6 GB

Note

Actual sizes depend on image resolution, compression, and scene complexity. Use these as rough estimates.

FAQ

How long are my files stored on webcam.io?

Storage depends on your plan:

Storage by plan
Plan	Image Storage
Free	1 day
Basic	14 days
LIVE / LIVE+	30 days

After this period, older images are automatically deleted and one image per hour is kept for the long-term views.

Can I recover deleted images?

No. Once images are deleted (manually or by expiration), they cannot be recovered. Always backup before deleting.

Does webcam.io backup my files?

No. webcam.io does not maintain backups. You are responsible for backing up your own files.

Can I export to Amazon S3 or Google Drive?

Currently only FTP, Dropbox, and YouTube are supported. For S3 or Google Drive, use FTP export to an intermediate server, then sync to your preferred cloud.

What format are exported images?

Images are exported in their original format (usually JPEG). ZIP files contain the same images that were uploaded to webcam.io (“raw” files checkbox).

Next Steps

Video Clips – Create custom time-lapse clips
Timer Settings – Control when images are captured
Monitoring – Check camera status and alerts
FAQ – Common questions answered