How to Export Your Cookie Clicker Save

Cookie Clicker stores your progress in your browser’s localStorage by default, which means if you clear cookies, switch browsers, or change devices, your save can vanish. The good news: Orteil built a save-export feature directly into the game. You can copy your save as a base64-encoded text string, store it anywhere, and paste it back in to restore your progress. This guide walks through the exact steps for both the browser version and the Steam version, plus how to recover from common save-loss scenarios.

The basic export process

Cookie Clicker’s save export lives in the Options menu. The same menu controls volume, fullscreen, and several other settings, but the export and import buttons are what you need for backup.

Step-by-step: export your save

1. Open Cookie Clicker (browser version: orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker; Steam version: launch the game from your Steam library).
2. Click “Options” in the top menu bar — it’s between “Stats” and “Info.”
3. Scroll to the “Save” section near the bottom of the Options panel.
4. Click “Export Save.”
5. A text box pops up containing your save as a long base64 string. It looks like a wall of random letters and numbers.
6. Click inside the box to select the text (or press Ctrl+A / Cmd+A).
7. Copy with Ctrl+C / Cmd+C.
8. Paste the string somewhere safe — a notes app, an email to yourself, a Google Doc, a password manager note. Anywhere you can find it later.

That’s it. The save string is your full game state at the moment you exported it. As long as you have the string, you can restore your save.

Step-by-step: import a save

Importing replaces whatever save is currently in the game. This is destructive — if you have a save you want to keep, export it first before importing anything else.

1. Open Cookie Clicker.
2. Click “Options.”
3. Click “Import Save.”
4. A text box pops up. Paste your save string into the box (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V).
5. Click “Load.”
6. The game reloads with the imported save active. Your cookie count, buildings, achievements, and progress should all be restored.

If the import fails, the most common cause is a copy-paste error — usually missing characters at the start or end of the string, or invisible whitespace pasted in by mistake. Try copying the string again from your saved location and pasting carefully.

The browser version and localStorage

The browser version of Cookie Clicker saves your game to your browser’s localStorage by default. Your progress is tied to:

• The browser you’re using (Chrome and Firefox have separate localStorage).
• The domain (orteil.dashnet.org).
• The specific browser profile (different Chrome profiles have separate storage).
• The device (mobile and desktop don’t share storage).

If any of these change, your save effectively disappears. The most common ways to lose a save:

• Clearing cookies or site data for orteil.dashnet.org (this wipes localStorage).
• Switching to a different browser without exporting first.
• Using Cookie Clicker in private/incognito mode (localStorage doesn’t persist beyond the session).
• A browser update that resets storage (rare but possible).
• Switching devices.

The export-save string is the only reliable backup. The game also auto-saves every minute and on tab close, but those saves are still localStorage-based.

The Steam version

The Steam version of Cookie Clicker (released September 2021) stores saves in local files on your computer rather than in browser localStorage. The save location is typically:

• Windows: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\CookieClicker
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/CookieClicker
• Linux (Steam Proton): inside the Proton compatibility data folder for the game.

The Steam version also supports Steam Cloud sync, which backs up your save automatically across devices logged into the same Steam account. This is the most convenient backup if you play across multiple computers.

You can still use the in-game Export Save / Import Save feature on Steam to transfer between Steam and the browser version, or to keep a manual backup. The save string format is compatible between versions. The Steam version does add a few features (mod support, official soundtrack, Steam achievements) but the core save structure is the same.

The save string format

Cookie Clicker’s exported save is a base64-encoded string containing the game’s full state: cookies banked, all-time cookies, buildings owned, upgrades purchased, achievements earned, sugar lumps, prestige levels, and many smaller fields. The string is typically several thousand characters long for an active save and grows with progression.

The base64 encoding makes the save reasonably portable — it contains no special characters that break in email or text-message contexts. You can paste it into most environments without escaping or wrapping. The string is not human-readable; decoding it requires a base64 tool plus knowledge of Cookie Clicker’s internal save format.

Some players use the save string to share progress (sending a copy of their late-game save to a friend), to keep multiple alternate saves, or to roll back to a checkpoint if they make a strategic mistake. The export is fast (a few seconds) and the string is small enough to email.

Common save-related problems and fixes

“I cleared my cookies and lost my save”

Without an exported save string, the loss is generally permanent. Cookie Clicker’s localStorage is gone with the cookies. Check Time Machine (macOS) or browser history sync if you’ve used those features. Otherwise, you’re starting fresh. Going forward: export your save weekly to a notes app.

“I switched browsers and my save isn’t there”

The save isn’t lost — it’s still in your old browser’s localStorage. Open Cookie Clicker in the old browser, export the save, then import it in the new browser. If the old browser is uninstalled, the save is likely gone unless you had a backup.

“Import fails with an error message”

Usually a copy-paste error. Recopy the string from your source, make sure you select the entire string (some text editors don’t double-click-select special characters at the edges), and paste cleanly into the import box. If the string is broken at line endings, the import will fail.

“My save loads but the numbers look wrong”

This is rare and usually indicates a save from a different version of Cookie Clicker. Big version updates occasionally change the save format. Mod-modified saves may not import cleanly into the vanilla game. If you’ve been using FrozenCookies or Cookie Monster mods, your save should still be compatible but verify after import.

Best practices for save backups

Once you have a Cookie Clicker save you care about (say, you’ve reached the late game with several ascensions), back it up routinely. The recommended approach:

• Export your save to a notes file or email weekly.
• Keep at least two recent backups — one current, one from a week or two ago — in case you want to roll back a strategic choice.
• If you play on multiple devices, sync via Steam Cloud or export/import manually between sessions.
• Before any major game version update, export a backup.
• Don’t trust browser sync alone — export to text storage as well.

For deeper strategy on what to do with a well-protected late-game save, our Cookie Clicker late-game guide covers optimal ascension timing and the harder achievements. For modding the game (which can affect save compatibility), our Cookie Clicker mods guide walks through the standard mod tools.

Sharing saves with friends

Cookie Clicker save strings are easy to share. You can paste your save into a chat message, an email, or a shared document, and another player can import it into their own Cookie Clicker. This is sometimes used to:

• Show off a particularly high cookie count or ascension level.
• Give a friend a starting boost when they first try the game.
• Settle “who has the most cookies” group chat debates.
• Restore a friend’s save after they lost it.

One caveat: achievements transfer with the save. If you give someone your late-game save, they get credit for any achievements you’d already earned. This is fine for casual play but worth knowing if you care about achievement integrity. The Cookie Clicker Wikipedia entry has more on the game’s history and Orteil’s development.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Cookie Clicker’s save stored?

In the browser version, it’s stored in localStorage tied to the site orteil.dashnet.org. In the Steam version, it’s stored in a local save file (in AppData on Windows or Application Support on macOS) and optionally synced via Steam Cloud. There’s no cloud save in the browser version.

How do I export my Cookie Clicker save?

Open the Options menu in Cookie Clicker, scroll to the Save section, and click “Export Save.” The game shows your save as a base64 text string in a pop-up box. Copy that string and paste it into a notes app, email, or document for backup.

What format is the Cookie Clicker save string?

It’s a base64-encoded string containing your full game state — cookies, buildings, upgrades, achievements, ascension data, and more. The string is typically several thousand characters long. It’s not human-readable but contains no special characters that break in text-message or email contexts.

Can I transfer my browser save to the Steam version (or vice versa)?

Yes. Export your save from one version, then import it in the other. The save string format is compatible between versions. This is useful if you started in the browser and bought the Steam version, or if you want a Steam Cloud backup of a browser save.

What happens if I clear cookies on the Cookie Clicker site?

Your localStorage save is wiped along with the cookies. The game starts fresh next time you load the page. There’s no undo. The only protection is an exported save string from before the clear — if you have one, import it to restore.

The takeaway

Cookie Clicker’s save export is the single most important defensive habit a long-term player can adopt. The Options menu Export Save button takes ten seconds to use, the resulting string fits in any notes app, and it protects you against every common save-loss scenario. Once you’ve built a save worth keeping, back it up — and after a backup, the Chrome Dino game is one tab away if you want a different zero-commitment browser distraction while your Grandmas keep baking.