Choosing the .zip export option, after entering password for confirmation, nothing is exported (no wrong password error message!). I have searched and confirmed there are multiple vault entries with attachments. I exported my vault with the other options (w/o attachments) and there were no problems.
I have tested this for an individual vault that contained no attachments, exporting from either the Web Vault or the Chrome browser extension (version 20205.5.1 for both). In both cases, a ZIP file is downloaded, which contains a folder named attachments, as well as a file named data.json (the latter being an unencrypted export of the vault data in JSON format).
Have you tested this using the browser extension or Desktop app? Are you exporting an individual vault or an organization vault?
Is the problem that no ZIP file is saved, or that the ZIP file is empty? What browser are you using?
I tried to export an individual vault with Desktop app (2025.5.0), same results, nothing is exported (no zip file saved). Using Firefox 139.0.1 private browsing, win 10. As stated, other export options (no attachments) work with no problems.
I just tried exporting attachments in web vault on a win 11 laptop, Firefox 139.0.1 with same results, no zip file saved
Try going to about:preferences in your Firefox browser, scrolling down to the section Files and Applications, and checking (enabling) the option “Always ask you where to save files”.
After this option has been enabled, do you get a pop-up prompt similar to the one below when you create your ZIP exports?
No, I do not get the prompt to save file. When I select the .zip (with attachments) option and click the “confirm format” button, the password confirmation box comes up and the “confirm format” button is greyed out with a spinning wheel. After entering password, the password box is closed and the spinning wheel stops after a second or two and the confirm button returns to blue; when pressed it again brings up the password confirmation box. No .zip file is saved
That is odd. Maybe try uninstalling and reinstalling the apps?
Could you try this with an organization vault or collection?
Sorry no, only have individual vault. When I tried the desktop export earlier that didn’t work, app updated before trying the export, so that should have been a “fresh” app
Would you mind creating a free organization for testing purposes? It’s easy to create, and easy to delete when you’re done. The reason I want you to try this, is that I would like for you to try doing a ZIP export when there are no files to export. Since you probably don’t want to delete the file attachments in your individual vault for testing purposes, the next best thing would be to export an organization vault that contains no attachments.
Once you set up a test organization, please use the “Collections” view in the Web Vault Admin Console to confirm that your individual account has “Can Manage” permission for the “Default Collection”. Then, switch from the Admin Console back to the Password Manager section of the Web Vault, create one or more new vault items, and assign them to the “Default Collection” in your test organization. Once this is done, create another ZIP export, but select the test organization instead of "My Vault as the “Export from” setting.
When you’re done testing, just go to Admin Console > Settings > Organization Info, and use the Delete organization button in the “Danger Zone” section.
Ok, that worked, it did export a .json file. So what does this mean?
I tried my individual vault again and it worked, it did complete an export! Any thoughts on what the problem was? Thanks for the help, appreciate it!!
Glad that your problem resolved itself, but I don’t have an explanation (my suggestion to try the org vault export was just for the purpose of checking whether the presence of file attachments was a factor in the behavior that you were experiencing). I’m pinging @Quexten or @djsmith85 from Bitwarden to check if they may have any opinion on this.
There is still a problem, after further checking I noticed the individual vault export is just a normal .json file, not a .zip. I just tried exports again, both the collection & individual exports were .json files (no attachments); I had double checked I had the correct .zip (with attachment) option chosen. I logged out and back in, the original problem came back, no export created for individual vault.
(source: Export Vault Data | Bitwarden)
Does that indeed mean you could choose zip export for the organizational vault - and it resulted in a json file export?
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Yes, that’s correct and when I go back to individual vault .zip export it creates a .json file also, but if I sign out and back in no export at all is created for individual vault.
Given, that zip export “should” not be available for organizational vaults at the moment, this seems like a bug in itself.
You are definitely not self-hosting?
No answer to the query but I felt it might be helpful to admins/BW/you to know I have the exact same problem: tried desktop app, web vault in Chrome and Edge and go through same scenario as you. What is odd is that I have my network monitoring shown permanently to the side of my desktop and it does appear, albeit briefly (maybe minute or so), to be downloading something. In case it has not saved to default downloads I have done advanced file searching using date and “bitwarden_export” etc etc and nothing is found. I checked system protection to see whether anything was “silently” blocked and nothing found. I am presently investigating whether firewall is involved - I do seem to have blocked entries for “Crytpographic Services”…
Not really, when trying to export collections the .zip option wasn’t available, switching to individual vault I could chose.zip and switch back to collections which retained the .zip option. Now that I know that option isn’t available for collections guess it just defaults to .json export. Don’t think it’s a bug, just my “work around” wasn’t the proper thing to do!
No, not self-hosting
Throw something out here, but keep in mind it’s from someone with very little technical expertise - I use a custom domain for BW email, is it possible there is something in the email host that prevents a zip download? If that’s a possibility, suggestions, I have no idea what to look for.
I also have no idea once signed in to BW if the email is a factor for downloads!
That seems highly unlikely, and FWIW, I also use a custom domain — and I can export in ZIP format (although I have only tested this for an account that has no file attachments).