# Why are "protected" resources excluded from export features in Ignition designer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** perspective, ignition81\ **Created:** [December 16, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230 "2023-12-16T17:10:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tyler.bennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@tyler.bennett](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tyler.bennett)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/1 "2023-12-16T17:10:13Z")
Why are "protected" resources (views and styles in Perspective) excluded from export features in Ignition designer? Is that a bug or a feature? I expect I should be able to export "protected" resources for backup or for subsequent import on other systems. Am I wrong? My impression from documentation is that the intent of the [Protecting Project Resources](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Project+Security+in+the+Designer#ProjectSecurityintheDesigner-ProtectingProjectResources) features were more about limiting access to edit/modify them in-place. Seems odd to me that the "protected" resources are omitted from export capabilities. Ignition v8.1.35 @paul-griffith ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/d/4/d419a3afef34a6692975fdd59a9ba6e0253f13cd.png) ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/2 "2023-12-16T17:14:54Z")
Are they included if you export the project as a whole with the gateway web interface? ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/3 "2023-12-16T17:24:52Z")
It appears intentional when importing and exporting via Designer, though I don't know the reason why... ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/4 "2023-12-16T17:30:00Z")
I suspect the original intention (this seems to trace back as far as 7.7) was maybe that only a user with permission to edit or un-protect that resource could export it, and that intention may have been lost in translation as time went on... likely with the new project system introduced in 8.0. ---
**Author:** ![tyler.bennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@tyler.bennett](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tyler.bennett)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/5 "2023-12-16T17:42:59Z")
> [@Kevin.Herron](#): > > I suspect the original intention... was maybe that only a user with permission to edit or un-protect that resource could export it FYI, in my example even the person who set the resource as protected (me) is unable to export it unless I unprotect it first, painful if I use resource protection widely, and prone to introduce WTF moments if I forget this tidbit of information. ---
**Author:** ![tyler.bennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@tyler.bennett](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tyler.bennett)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/6 "2023-12-16T17:51:31Z")
Opened a feature/modification suggestion. > **[Allow export for protected resources from within designer. | Ignition...](https://ideas.inductiveautomation.com/ignition-features-and-ideas/p/allow-export-for-protected-resources-from-within-designer)** > > Please allow export of protected resources from Ignition. Designer. My impression from documentation is that the intent of the Protecting Project Resources ---
**Author:** ![tyler.bennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@tyler.bennett](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tyler.bennett)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/7 "2023-12-16T18:06:08Z")
@Kevin.Herron, thanks for your quick responses. What are the chances of this behavior getting changed in the near future (I'd guess chances are slim). Seems we need general clarification on whether the resource protection is about protecting against access/visibility, modification or both. Personally I'd prefer it was only a check (road-bump) against modifying something in-place that your not supposed to edit and that it should not prevent export, copy, or viewing (read-only) even while protection is turned on. If ignition developers are on-board with my thoughts on the matter perhaps it would be more aptly be referenced as a read-only (or locked) flag on the resource. Resource protection could be something more akin to to blocking any access to configuration for security or IP protection with per-resource role-based security applied... which I don't personally support or think necessary. BTW, I'd also support the idea of allowing the user to open any resource in read-only mode so one can inspect without introducing changes (and without creating conflicts with someone else viewing/editing the resource). > **[Open Protected Resources as Read Only | Ignition Features and Ideas |...](https://ideas.inductiveautomation.com/ignition-features-and-ideas/p/open-protected-resources-as-read-only)** > > Add an option in Designer to open protected resources (scripts, windows, etc) as read only. Similar to how inherited resources with override disabled can still ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/8 "2023-12-16T18:07:42Z")
> [@tyler.bennett](#): > > What are the chances of this behavior getting changed in the near future Don't know, I opened an issue internally, it will get reviewed by the appropriate product owner and team. If and when something happens from there is up to them. ---
**Author:** ![tgarrison](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/tgarrison/32/80965_2.png) [@tgarrison](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tgarrison)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/9 "2025-05-20T17:00:26Z")
Where did this end up? I see @tyler.bennett's issue still opened. It makes it stupidly difficult to backup just a project. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/why-are-protected-resources-excluded-from-export-features-in-ignition-designer/83230/10 "2025-05-20T17:05:32Z")
Ended up being classified low priority and currently sits unassigned for some future 8.3.x version.