CLACOROO
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Snapshot

A snapshot is a single archive of your full Claude Code configuration as CLACOROO sees it: marketplaces, installed plugins, settings.json, your CLAUDE.md files, MCP server registrations. You can export one on machine A, copy it to machine B, import it, and have an identical setup in seconds.

Snapshots are great for:

  • Backup before risky changes
  • Migrating to a new machine
  • Sharing a starter setup with a colleague
  • Saving “preset” environments (e.g. work vs personal)

Overview

In Settings → Snapshot, you find two buttons:

  • Export snapshot — saves a clacoroo-snapshot-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.json file (the exact name and format may vary by version)
  • Import snapshot — opens a file picker, then walks you through what’s about to change

The snapshot file is plain JSON, readable and diff-able if you want to see what it contains. It does not include secrets: your API key, claude.ai tokens, and any environment variables marked as secret are excluded by design.

What it contains

A snapshot captures the declarative parts of your setup:

IncludedExcluded
Marketplaces (sources)claude.ai OAuth tokens
Installed plugins (by id + version)Anthropic API key (the key value)
settings.json (model, theme, language, etc.)Live session logs / stats
MCP server registrations (name, transport, target)MCP servers’ OAuth refresh tokens
CLAUDE.md files (global + per-project)Local-only changes inside plugin files
The exported timestamp and CLACOROO version

In practice, importing a snapshot is equivalent to running a series of claude plugins marketplace add, claude plugins install, claude mcp add and an atomic write of settings.json — but in one operation, with progress feedback.

Common tasks

How to export a snapshot

  1. Open Settings → Snapshot
  2. Click Export snapshot
  3. Pick a location and confirm the filename
  4. CLACOROO writes the file; a green toast confirms success
  5. Copy the file wherever you want (USB stick, cloud drive, email…)

You can also export from the command palette: Cmd / Ctrl + K → “Export snapshot”.

How to import a snapshot

  1. Open Settings → Snapshot on the new machine
  2. Click Import snapshot
  3. Pick the .json file you exported earlier
  4. CLACOROO shows a preview of what will be added/changed/skipped — read it carefully
  5. Click Apply to import (or Cancel to back out)
  6. CLACOROO runs the necessary claude commands in sequence, with a progress bar; missing plugins are installed, missing marketplaces are added, settings.json is updated, MCP servers are registered

After import, you’ll typically need to:

  • Log in to claude.ai (no tokens were transferred) or re-add your API key
  • Re-authenticate any MCP servers that require it (snapshots don’t carry OAuth tokens)

How to merge a snapshot into an existing setup

The import preview shows three categories:

  • Add — items in the snapshot but missing on this machine
  • Skip — items already present
  • Conflict — items present but with different settings (you can choose to overwrite or keep current)

Toggle individual items before clicking Apply to choose exactly what to merge.

How to share a snapshot with a colleague

  1. Export your snapshot
  2. Optionally redact anything project-specific by opening the JSON in a text editor and removing entries
  3. Share the file
  4. Your colleague imports it with Import snapshot

Tip. Document what’s in your “starter snapshot” alongside the file — a short README that lists the included marketplaces and the rationale makes onboarding much smoother.

Tips & shortcuts

  • The snapshot file is human-readable JSON — you can diff two snapshots to see exactly what changed over time
  • Export before any risky change (deleting a marketplace, mass-updating plugins) — restoring from a snapshot is faster than re-doing the work
  • Filename includes a timestamp so you can keep a small history of snapshots without overwriting
  • Importing is non-destructive by default: it doesn’t remove anything you have that the snapshot doesn’t mention (it only adds/updates)
  • The command palette has both Export and Import entries

Edge cases & errors

  • “Schema mismatch” on import. The snapshot was exported by a newer CLACOROO version than the one you’re importing into. Update CLACOROO and retry.
  • A plugin in the snapshot fails to install. The marketplace that hosts it might not be reachable or the plugin might have been renamed. The import continues with the rest; the failed item is listed in the import summary.
  • An MCP server is in “Needs Auth” after import. Snapshots don’t carry OAuth tokens — re-authenticate via the MCP servers section.
  • settings.json overwrote a setting I cared about. Use the Conflict controls in the preview before applying — you can opt to keep your current value for any specific key.
  • “Snapshot file is too large”. Unlikely in normal use; if you see this, the snapshot picked up a huge CLAUDE.md. Trim that file before re-exporting.