Keep the source file and a readable copy
If you want a practical default, keep the full local export ZIP and its original.json, then use the Markdown notes for reading. The files serve different purposes: the source file is useful for repeating a conversion, while the notes are convenient in a vault or workspace.
When you choose a JSON file, original.json preserves its exact bytes. If you paste JSON into the text box, SaveGlint instead saves the pasted text encoded as UTF-8; it cannot reconstruct the original file’s byte order mark, encoding or line endings from a text paste. Choose the file directly when those details matter.
“Original” refers to that input, not all X account data. An extension JSON file is already a structured capture of what the browser obtained; it is not a complete archive of all X data or a byte-for-byte copy of every network response.
Compare the files in a full local export
Scroll sideways to compare all three columns.
| File | Useful for | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| original.json | Keeping the input unchanged | Exact chosen-file bytes, or UTF-8 pasted text; retains any duplicate raw records |
| bookmarks.ndjson | Working with one normalized record per line | Records are merged by post ID; it is not a copy of the input formatting |
| bookmarks/*.md | Reading or importing notes | Preserves captured text in text blocks, with surrounding author and source metadata |
| manifest.json | Checking counts and declared coverage | Describes the export, not proof of complete historical capture |
The index links to the generated notes. Keep it beside the bookmarks folder. A Notion Markdown pack is intentionally smaller in scope: Markdown notes and a README, without the backup JSON and other metadata.
Inspect a small example
Unzip the full example export and open bookmarks/90001.md with any text editor. Its original-text section contains the list beginning “A small habit for a useful bookmark library”. In bookmarks/90002.md, check the fenced JavaScript, accented text, Chinese and emoji.
Then compare original.json with the example JSON you downloaded. The local exporter preserves those bytes. The normalized NDJSON can differ in field order and structure because it is a separate representation. Trying the same sample in your note app lets you judge its presentation without handing over private bookmarks.
A link to media is not an offline attachment
Images and video thumbnails in current exports use remote URLs. Your reader may request them when you open a note. If a media URL expires or the original service stops returning it, the note can retain its text while the image no longer loads.
Quoted text remains inside the parent bookmark. Article cards include returned preview information, not guaranteed article full text. An imported image count, a large ZIP or a readable article title does not establish that the media, thread or article is complete.
Recognize a cloud-library snapshot
A library export contains cloud-export.json instead of original.json. It is a snapshot of normalized saved records. The library does not retain the original uploaded file’s whitespace, field order or byte representation, so downloading a snapshot cannot recreate those original bytes.
If an exact input backup matters to you, save the extension JSON before importing it into the library. Store it alongside dated exports in a location you trust. Check a backup by opening a few notes and verifying the source file, rather than relying only on a successful download notification.