Backing up your AutoResponder rules or answer replacements with the Import/Export feature, located at the top right corner of the app, is a great way to ensure that you never lose your valuable message and reply data. It also allows you to easily transfer your rules to another device or to keep a copy as a backup.
With the import and export feature, you can test different message and reply templates without losing your existing data. Simply export your data, test your new templates, and then import your original data if you decide to go back to your previous setup.
The exported file has the file type .csv, which is a commonly used format for spreadsheet data. This means that you can easily open and edit the file using a program like Excel or Google Sheets on your computer.
AutoResponder lets you export your rules with or without your rules' specific and ignored contacts. If you pass your rules on to third parties, you should mostly export without contacts. If you create your own backups, keeping contacts would usually make the most sense.
Note: Before importing your rules again, it's important to make sure that the format of the file stays the same. This means that you should not change or delete any of the column headers, or add any extra columns to the file. You also need to make sure that the formatting of the delimiters stays the same. Csv stands for comma separated values. This means that the values in the file must remain comma separated. Occasionally, Excel may default to saving the file with semicolons. You can verify this by opening the .csv file with a text editor.
In summary, the Import/Export feature in AutoResponder is a convenient and reliable tool for backing up and restoring your AutoResponder rules and answer replacements (Note that you need to export those separately). It allows you to easily transfer them to another device and also to test new templates with ease.