Use MongoDB’s separate 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 JSON, CSV, or TSV must move between MongoDB and another system. The right workflow depends on whether you need recovery fidelity or interchange convenience.
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All examples below use a connection URI. Replace the user, password, host, database, collection, and file paths with values for your deployment, and test the procedure against a non-production copy before relying on it for a migration or restore.
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Which MongoDB tool should you use?
MongoDB Database Tools are command-line utilities installed separately from the MongoDB server and shell. The four commands have different jobs, so selecting the pair first prevents an export that cannot later serve as a proper backup.
| Goal | Command pair | Data format | Best fit | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back up or move a complete database | mongodump → mongorestore |
Binary BSON | Disaster recovery, server-to-server moves, and high-fidelity MongoDB transfers | Source and destination must use the same major MongoDB version or the same feature compatibility version; encrypted collections have additional restrictions |
| Exchange one collection with another application | mongoexport → mongoimport |
Extended JSON | ETL pipelines, scripts, and application-to-application transfer | A text export is not a complete database backup and may require explicit handling of BSON types |
| Work with spreadsheets or tabular tools | mongoexport → mongoimport |
CSV or TSV | Flat records and selected fields | CSV and TSV do not retain MongoDB type information; an explicit field list is required for CSV export |
| Move a self-hosted deployment to Atlas | Usually mongodump → mongorestore |
BSON archive or dump directory | A documented Database Tools migration route | Authentication, network access, version compatibility, and encrypted-collection support must be checked first |
A BSON dump is the safer choice when the word “backup” means that you may need to reconstruct MongoDB data with its native types. JSON is the practical text choice when another program must read the output. CSV and TSV are useful only when a flat, column-oriented representation is acceptable.
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Prepare the workstation and connections
Install and verify the Database Tools
Download the standalone MongoDB Database Tools package from MongoDB’s Download Center and install it on the machine that will run the transfer. The tools are not commands inside mongosh; run them from a system terminal such as PowerShell, Command Prompt, Bash, or a Unix shell.
- Install the package appropriate for your operating system and CPU architecture.
- Ensure the directory containing the executables is on your
PATH, or open a terminal in that directory. - Check the installed version:
mongodump --versionRun the same check for mongorestore, mongoexport, and mongoimport if more than one tools installation exists. Accidentally invoking an older executable is a common cause of confusing option or compatibility errors.
Collect the details the command needs
- The source and destination connection URIs, including the correct port and authentication database when your deployment requires one.
- A user with read access for an export or dump, and a user with the required write and database privileges for an import or restore.
- A destination directory with enough free space for the dump, or enough room for an archive stream and temporary files.
- The database and collection names, including exact capitalization.
- A maintenance window or a consistency plan if writes will continue while data is copied.
Do not leave a real password in shell history, process listings, tickets, or scripts committed to source control. Prefer an interactive password prompt or a protected configuration mechanism supported by your environment. The examples show a password placeholder only to make the URI shape clear.
Back up a database as BSON with mongodump
mongodump creates a binary BSON representation intended for MongoDB restoration. It is the normal starting point for a database backup or a migration where preserving MongoDB’s native representation matters more than producing human-readable files.
Create a directory dump
mongodump --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/db" --out ./dumpThe command connects to the database named in the URI and writes a dump directory below ./dump. Keep the output directory intact: the BSON files and accompanying metadata are used together by mongorestore. If your URI contains characters that have special meaning to the shell or URI syntax, escape them according to your shell and connection-string rules.
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Stream a dump as an archive
For a direct server-to-server move, a dump can be piped into a restore without creating a persistent directory:
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What BSON preserves—and what it does not solve
BSON is the fidelity-oriented workflow because it remains in MongoDB’s native data model instead of flattening every value into text. It is therefore preferable to CSV when dates, object identifiers, arrays, nested documents, or other BSON-specific values must survive a transfer. It should not be confused with a universal snapshot of every deployment feature: mongorestore cannot be used with collections that use Queryable Encryption or client-side field-level encryption (CSFLE).
Restore a BSON dump with mongorestore
The restore program loads data from a binary database dump created by mongodump, or from standard input, into a mongod or mongos instance. A basic restore looks like this:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://target:27017" ./dumpWhen the dump contains a database directory, the target URI does not need to name that database; the dump’s namespace information determines where its collections are restored. Confirm the resulting namespaces before allowing an automated job to run unattended.
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Check compatibility before production
For BSON restores, the source and destination should use the same major MongoDB version or the same feature compatibility version. Check both deployments, rehearse the restore on a staging target, and verify application behavior before the production cutover. A restore that completes technically can still expose version-dependent behavior, missing privileges, or an application expecting indexes or validation settings that were not tested.
Understand the destructive effect of --drop
Use --drop only when you intentionally want the destination collections represented in the backup removed before their replacement data is restored:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://target:27017" --drop ./dumpThis is not a general “make the destination clean” switch. It affects collections represented in the backup, so review the dump scope and the target namespace first. Without deliberate approval, omit it and preserve existing collections.
Validate the restore
- Inspect that the expected databases and collections exist.
- Compare representative document counts and sample documents with the source.
- Exercise application reads and writes using a least-privilege test account.
- Check any indexes, validation behavior, users, and operational settings your application depends on.
- Record the exact tool versions, command options, target URI, and restore time for auditability.
Export and import JSON
mongoexport and mongoimport operate primarily at collection scope. They are appropriate when a human-readable or machine-interchangeable file is more useful than a native backup.
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mongoexport --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --out=users.jsonBy default, mongoexport writes Extended JSON v2.0 in relaxed mode. Relaxed Extended JSON is convenient to read, but it is not always the best representation for a round trip in which every BSON type must remain unambiguous.
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Use canonical Extended JSON when types matter
mongoexport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --jsonFormat=canonical --out=users.jsonCanonical mode is the text-oriented choice when preserving rich BSON values is important. MongoDB-specific values such as dates need Extended JSON notation; for example:
{ "$date": "2019-12-01T00:00:05.5640Z" }mongoimport detects the JSON format in the input file. Import a collection with:
mongoimport --uri="mongodb://user:password@host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --file=users.jsonA JSON file is still not equivalent to a full database backup. It is collection-oriented interchange data and should not be your only copy when disaster recovery, database-wide metadata, or native fidelity is the requirement.
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Field names beginning with $ or containing . create documented import and export conflicts. Extended JSON also cannot distinguish some type-wrapper names from literal field names that begin with $. If your schema permits such names, inspect a representative export and choose a format and transformation strategy that cannot reinterpret them.
Exchange data as CSV or TSV
CSV and TSV are useful for flat records, spreadsheets, and systems that do not understand JSON. They deliberately trade MongoDB’s type system for broad compatibility.
Export selected fields to CSV
CSV export requires an explicit field list:
mongoexport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=contacts --type=csv
--fields="name,address" --out=contacts.csvList only fields that have a predictable tabular shape. Nested documents and arrays may need a transformation before a spreadsheet or relational importer can use them safely.
Import a CSV header row
mongoimport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=contacts --type=csv
--headerline --file=contacts.csv--headerline tells the importer to use the first row as field names. For tab-separated input, replace --type=csv with --type=tsv. Because CSV and TSV carry no MongoDB type information, values that must become dates, numbers, object identifiers, or other specific types need explicit type handling rather than an assumption that the importer will infer the intended schema.
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Periods in CSV field names can be interpreted as hierarchy separators, and field names beginning with $ can conflict with MongoDB’s notation. Normalize or rename headers before import when those characters are part of literal field names.
Update existing documents with upsert mode
A normal import is aimed at loading documents. If the job should update a matching document when one exists and insert it when it does not, use upsert mode:
mongoimport --uri="mongodb://host:27017/mydb"
--collection=users --file=users.json
--mode=upsert --upsertFields=emailWithout --upsertFields, matching uses _id by default. Supplying email changes the matching key to that field. Before running this against production, confirm that the chosen field is stable and uniquely identifies a document; otherwise, records can be updated unexpectedly or collide.
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 practical pattern is to create a BSON dump from the source and restore it into the Atlas connection string, either from a dump directory or through an archive stream.
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- Create an Atlas target and obtain its connection URI.
- Allow the migration machine to reach the Atlas network endpoint and configure an Atlas database user with the required privileges.
- Check source and target MongoDB versions or feature compatibility settings.
- Run
mongodumpagainst the self-hosted source. - Run
mongorestoreagainst Atlas, omitting--dropunless replacement is intentional. - Validate counts, representative documents, indexes, application queries, and write behavior before directing application traffic to Atlas.
This tools-based approach is a transfer procedure, not an automatic zero-downtime replication plan. If the source continues to receive writes during the copy, define how you will capture or reconcile changes and schedule the final cutover accordingly.
Operational safety checklist
- Use the system shell: these executables are not
mongoshcommands. - Protect credentials: avoid exposing passwords in command history and process listings.
- Confirm permissions: exports require read access; restores and imports require suitable write privileges.
- Confirm namespaces: check the database and collection names before writing to a shared target.
- Check compatibility: match major MongoDB versions or feature compatibility versions for BSON restores.
- Choose the format deliberately: BSON for fidelity, Extended JSON for text interchange with BSON awareness, and CSV/TSV for flat tabular exchange.
- Review destructive flags: treat
--dropas an intentional replacement operation, not a routine default. - Test recovery: a backup is useful only if a restore has been rehearsed and verified.
- Consider encryption features: Queryable Encryption and CSFLE collections cannot be restored with
mongorestore. - Inspect unusual field names: leading dollar signs and periods can change how importers interpret fields.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| “Command not found” or an unrecognized option | The Database Tools are not installed, are missing from PATH, or an old executable is being called |
Install the standalone package and run mongodump --version using the intended executable |
| Authentication failure | Wrong credentials, authentication database, or insufficient role | Test the URI separately, verify the user’s privileges, and avoid embedding a mistyped password in scripts |
| Connection timeout | Firewall, DNS, TLS, VPN, or Atlas network access configuration | Confirm the host and port are reachable from the machine running the tool and that the deployment allows its source address |
| Restore refuses to run or reports incompatibility | Different major versions or feature compatibility settings | Check both deployments and rehearse with compatible versions before the production restore |
| Documents import with wrong types | Relaxed JSON, CSV, or TSV cannot express the intended BSON type unambiguously | Use canonical Extended JSON for a text round trip, or use BSON dump/restore when native fidelity is required |
| Fields are renamed, rejected, or nested unexpectedly | Field names contain $ or ., or CSV parsing treats periods as hierarchy separators |
Rename or transform those fields and inspect a small test import before the full run |
| Existing records are duplicated | The import is not matching on the intended key | Use --mode=upsert with a stable --upsertFields value, or match on _id deliberately |
| Target data disappeared | --drop was used on a restore |
Stop further writes, identify the affected namespaces, and recover from a verified backup; use --drop only for planned replacement restores |
A practical selection guide
Choose mongodump and mongorestore when
- You are creating a disaster-recovery backup.
- You need to move a database between MongoDB deployments.
- Preserving BSON values is more important than opening the file in a spreadsheet.
- You can satisfy version, authentication, network, and encryption constraints.
Choose mongoexport and mongoimport when
- Another application, script, or analyst needs JSON, CSV, or TSV.
- You are moving a specific collection rather than reconstructing a complete database.
- You understand which BSON types the destination can represent.
- You need upsert matching against a field such as
email.
Use a two-stage workflow when necessary
It is reasonable to keep a BSON dump as the recovery copy and produce a separate JSON or CSV export for an integration. Do not substitute the integration file for the recovery copy: the convenient interchange format may omit type information, database-wide metadata, or structures required for a faithful restore.
Quick Recap
End-to-end command checklist
- Install the Database Tools and verify their version.
- Test source and target URIs and confirm the required roles.
- Decide whether fidelity or interoperability is the primary requirement.
- For a backup or migration, run
mongodump; for a collection interchange, runmongoexport. - Inspect the generated files and record the namespace, format, and tool version.
- Restore with
mongorestore, or import withmongoimport, on a staging target first. - Validate counts, sample values, types, application behavior, and any intended upsert results.
- Only then schedule the production cutover or retain the output as an operational backup.
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