Bulk backup of all Plaud.ai recordings (audio, transcripts, AI summaries) across multiple accounts, using Plaud's official CLI (@plaud-ai/cli). Resumable, per-account logins.

A developer published an open-source Node.js script, plaud-backup.mjs, that uses Plaud's official CLI (@plaud-ai/cli) to bulk-export all recordings from one or more Plaud.ai accounts, including audio, transcripts, AI summaries and highlight images. The tool isolates each account in its own login profile under a per-account home directory so multiple accounts can be backed up without logging out, and re-runs resume by skipping completed recordings while fetching any missing photos. It retries on network and timeout errors but stops immediately on authentication failures.

| | /usr/bin/env node | | | // plaud-backup.mjs — back up every Plaud recording audio, transcripts, summaries | | | // from one or more Plaud accounts, using Plaud's official CLI @plaud-ai/cli . | | | // | | | // Usage PowerShell : | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs - prompts for an account label, logs in, backs up | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs --out "D:\PlaudBackup" | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs --account work - skip the prompt | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs --account work --yes - also skip the "is this the right account?" check | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs --no-audio - skip audio files | | | // node plaud-backup.mjs --no-images - skip photos from highlights/summaries | | | // | | | // Each account gets its own login profile under <out \ profiles\<label , so you can | | | // back up several accounts without logging out/in. Re-running resumes: recordings | | | // already finished are skipped but photos missing from older runs are fetched . | | | | | | import { spawnSync, execSync } from "node:child process"; | | | import { existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, appendFileSync, renameSync, createWriteStream, unlinkSync, readdirSync } from "node:fs"; | | | import { join, extname } from "node:path"; | | | import { homedir } from "node:os"; | | | import { createInterface } from "node:readline/promises"; | | | import { Readable } from "node:stream"; | | | import { pipeline } from "node:stream/promises"; | | | | | | // ---------- args ---------- | | | const args = process.argv.slice 2 ; | | | const argVal = name = { const i = args.indexOf name ; return i = 0 ? args i + 1 : undefined; }; | | | const OUT ROOT = argVal "--out" ?? join homedir , "Documents", "PlaudBackup" ; | | | let ACCOUNT = argVal "--account" ; | | | const SKIP AUDIO = args.includes "--no-audio" ; | | | const AUTO YES = args.includes "--yes" ; | | | const SKIP IMAGES = args.includes "--no-images" ; | | | | | | // ---------- locate the official CLI ---------- | | | function findCli { | | | if process.env.PLAUD CLI PATH return process.env.PLAUD CLI PATH; | | | let root; | | | try { root = execSync "npm root -g", { encoding: "utf8" } .trim ; } catch { root = ""; } | | | const p = join root, "@plaud-ai", "cli", "dist", "index.js" ; | | | if existsSync p { | | | console.error "Plaud CLI not found. Install it first: npm install -g @plaud-ai/cli" ; | | | process.exit 1 ; | | | } | | | return p; | | | } | | | const CLI = findCli ; | | | | | | const ANSI = /\x1b\ 0-9; A-Za-z /g; | | | const strip = s = s ?? "" .replace ANSI, "" ; | | | const sleep = ms = new Promise r = setTimeout r, ms ; | | | const safe = s, max = 60 = | | | s \|\| "untitled" .replace / < :"/\\\|? \x00-\x1f /g, " " .replace /\s+/g, " " .trim .replace / . +$/, "" .slice 0, max \|\| "untitled"; | | | | | | // ---------- run CLI under a per-account home ---------- | | | let PROFILE HOME; | | | function cliEnv { | | | return { | | | ...process.env, | | | USERPROFILE: PROFILE HOME, // Windows: os.homedir - tokens in <PROFILE HOME \.plaud | | | HOME: PROFILE HOME, // macOS/Linux | | | FORCE COLOR: "0", | | | NO COLOR: "1", | | | PLAUD TELEMETRY DISABLED: "1", | | | PLAUD NO UPDATE NOTIFIER: "1", | | | }; | | | } | | | function runCli cliArgs, { inherit = false } = {} { | | | const r = spawnSync process.execPath, CLI, ...cliArgs , { | | | env: cliEnv , | | | encoding: "utf8", | | | stdio: inherit ? "inherit" : "pipe", | | | maxBuffer: 256 1024 1024, | | | } ; | | | return { code: r.status ?? 1, out: strip r.stdout , err: strip r.stderr }; | | | } | | | // Retry on network 3 / timeout 4 / generic 1 ; stop hard on auth 2 . | | | async function cli cliArgs, tries = 4 { | | | let last; | | | for let i = 0; i < tries; i++ { | | | last = runCli cliArgs ; | | | if last.code === 0 return last; | | | if last.code === 2 throw new Error "AUTH: login expired or invalid — re-run the script to log in again." ; | | | await sleep 2000 i + 1 ; | | | } | | | return last; | | | } | | | | | | // ---------- parsing ---------- | | | function parseFilesPage out { | | | const ids = ; | | | let inTable = false; | | | for const line of out.split /\r?\n/ { | | | if line.includes "\u2500\u2500\u2500" { inTable = true; continue; } | | | if inTable continue; | | | if /^\s Page \d+/.test line break; | | | const m = line.match /^\s{2} \S+ \s{2,}/ ; | | | if m ids.push m 1 ; | | | } | | | const countMatch = out.match /Files on this page:\s \d+ / ; | | | return { ids, count: countMatch ? Number countMatch 1 : ids.length }; | | | } | | | function parseDetails out { | | | const get = k = { const m = out.match new RegExp ^\\s ${k}:\\s . $ , "m" ; return m ? m 1 .trim : ""; }; | | | return { name: get "name" , created at: get "created at" , start at: get "start at" , duration: get "duration" }; | | | } | | | function stamp iso { | | | const d = new Date iso ; | | | if isNaN d return "unknown-date"; | | | const p = n = String n .padStart 2, "0" ; | | | return ${d.getFullYear }-${p d.getMonth + 1 }-${p d.getDate } ${p d.getHours }${p d.getMinutes } ; | | | } | | | function audioExt url, contentType { | | | const fromUrl = extname new URL url .pathname .toLowerCase ; | | | if fromUrl && fromUrl.length <= 6 return fromUrl; | | | const ct = contentType \|\| "" .toLowerCase ; | | | if ct.includes "mpeg" return ".mp3"; | | | if ct.includes "ogg" \|\| ct.includes "opus" return ".opus"; | | | if ct.includes "wav" return ".wav"; | | | if ct.includes "mp4" \|\| ct.includes "m4a" \|\| ct.includes "aac" return ".m4a"; | | | return ".audio"; | | | } | | | | | | // ---------- images highlight photos + images embedded in summaries ---------- | | | function imageExt url, contentType { | | | let fromUrl = ""; | | | try { fromUrl = extname new URL url .pathname .toLowerCase ; } catch {} | | | if /^\. png\|jpe?g\|webp\|gif\|heic\|bmp $/.test fromUrl return fromUrl; | | | const ct = contentType \|\| "" .toLowerCase ; | | | if ct.includes "png" return ".png"; | | | if ct.includes "jpeg" \|\| ct.includes "jpg" return ".jpg"; | | | if ct.includes "webp" return ".webp"; | | | if ct.includes "gif" return ".gif"; | | | if ct.includes "heic" return ".heic"; | | | return ".img"; | | | } | | | function mmss ms { | | | const s = Math.floor Number ms \|\| 0 / 1000 ; | | | return ${String Math.floor s / 60 .padStart 2, "0" }m${String s % 60 .padStart 2, "0" }s ; | | | } | | | function findImageLinks dir { | | | const links = ; | | | const hl = join dir, "highlights.txt" ; | | | if existsSync hl { | | | try { | | | const items = JSON.parse readFileSync hl, "utf8" ; | | | if Array.isArray items items.forEach it, i = { | | | const url = it?.picture full url \|\| it?.picture link; | | | if typeof url === "string" && /^https?:\/\//.test url | | | links.push { url, base: highlight ${mmss it.timestamp } ${String i + 1 .padStart 2, "0" } } ; | | | } ; | | | } catch {} | | | } | | | const sm = join dir, "summary and notes.md" ; | | | if existsSync sm { | | | const re = / \ ^\ \ \ https?:\/\/ ^ \s + /g; | | | let m, k = 0; | | | const text = readFileSync sm, "utf8" ; | | | while m = re.exec text links.push { url: m 1 , base: summary ${String ++k .padStart 2, "0" } } ; | | | } | | | return links; | | | } | | | async function downloadImages dir { | | | const problems = ; | | | const imgDir = join dir, "images" ; | | | if existsSync join imgDir, ".done" return problems; | | | const links = findImageLinks dir ; | | | if links.length return problems; | | | mkdirSync imgDir, { recursive: true } ; | | | for const { url, base } of links { | | | if readdirSync imgDir .some f = f.startsWith base + "." continue; // already have it | | | try { | | | const res = await fetch url ; | | | if res.ok throw new Error HTTP ${res.status} ; | | | const target = join imgDir, base + imageExt url, res.headers.get "content-type" ; | | | await pipeline Readable.fromWeb res.body , createWriteStream target + ".part" ; | | | renameSync target + ".part", target ; | | | } catch e { | | | problems.push image ${base}: ${e.message} ; | | | } | | | } | | | if problems.length writeFileSync join imgDir, ".done" , new Date .toISOString ; | | | return problems; | | | } | | | | | | // ---------- main ---------- | | | let rl; | | | const ask = async q = { rl ??= createInterface { input: process.stdin, output: process.stdout } ; return rl.question q ; }; | | | if ACCOUNT ACCOUNT = await ask "Label for this Plaud account e.g. personal, work : " .trim ; | | | ACCOUNT = safe ACCOUNT, 40 ; | | | PROFILE HOME = join OUT ROOT, " profiles", ACCOUNT ; | | | mkdirSync PROFILE HOME, { recursive: true } ; | | | const ACCT DIR = join OUT ROOT, ACCOUNT ; | | | mkdirSync ACCT DIR, { recursive: true } ; | | | const ERRLOG = join ACCT DIR, "errors.log" ; | | | | | | console.log \nBacking up account "${ACCOUNT}" to ${ACCT DIR}\n ; | | | | | | // Login if needed each account has its own token store | | | let me = runCli "me" ; | | | if me.code == 0 { | | | console.log "Signing in. A browser window will open." ; | | | console.log "IMPORTANT: if your browser is already signed in to a DIFFERENT Plaud account, sign out of" ; | | | console.log "web.plaud.ai first, or copy the printed URL into an InPrivate/Incognito window.\n" ; | | | runCli "login" , { inherit: true } ; | | | me = runCli "me" ; | | | if me.code == 0 { console.error "Login failed:\n" + me.err ; process.exit 2 ; } | | | } | | | console.log me.out.trim ; | | | const ok = AUTO YES ? "y" : await ask "\nIs this the account you want to back up? y/n : " .trim .toLowerCase ; | | | if ok == "y" { | | | console.log Logging this profile out. Re-run and sign in with the right account. ; | | | runCli "logout" , { inherit: true } ; | | | process.exit 0 ; | | | } | | | rl?.close ; | | | | | | // 1 List every recording | | | const allIds = ; | | | for let page = 1; page <= 1000; page++ { | | | const r = await cli "files", "-p", String page , "-s", "100" ; | | | if r.code == 0 { console.error Failed listing page ${page}:\n${r.err} ; process.exit 1 ; } | | | const { ids, count } = parseFilesPage r.out ; | | | allIds.push ...ids ; | | | process.stdout.write \rListed ${allIds.length} recordings... ; | | | if count < 100 break; | | | } | | | const ids = ...new Set allIds ; | | | console.log \nFound ${ids.length} recordings.\n ; | | | | | | // Map already-finished folders resume support | | | const doneById = new Map ; | | | for const d of readdirSync ACCT DIR, { withFileTypes: true } { | | | if d.isDirectory && existsSync join ACCT DIR, d.name, ".done" { | | | const m = d.name.match / .{1,8} $/ ; | | | if m doneById.set m 1 , d.name ; | | | } | | | } | | | | | | const indexPath = join ACCT DIR, "index.csv" ; | | | if existsSync indexPath writeFileSync indexPath, "id,date,name,duration,folder,audio,transcript,summary,status\n" ; | | | const csv = v = "${String v ?? "" .replace /"/g, '""' }" ; | | | | | | // Catch-up pass: recordings finished by an older version of this script may have | | | // photos that were never downloaded. Refresh their links and fetch the images. | | | if SKIP IMAGES { | | | const needImages = ...doneById.entries .filter , folder = { | | | const dir = join ACCT DIR, folder ; | | | return existsSync join dir, "images", ".done" && findImageLinks dir .length 0; | | | } ; | | | if needImages.length console.log Fetching images for ${needImages.length} previously saved recording s ... ; | | | for const tag, folder of needImages { | | | const dir = join ACCT DIR, folder ; | | | const fullId = ids.find x = x.endsWith tag ; | | | if fullId await cli "transcript", fullId, "--block", "mark memo", "-o", join dir, "highlights.txt" ; // fresh links | | | const probs = await downloadImages dir ; | | | if probs.length appendFileSync ERRLOG, ${new Date .toISOString } ${folder} images \n + probs.join "\n " + "\n" ; | | | } | | | } | | | | | | let n = 0, failed = 0, skipped = 0; | | | for const id of ids { | | | n++; | | | const tag = id.slice -8 ; | | | if doneById.has tag { skipped++; continue; } | | | | | | const problems = ; | | | try { | | | const det = await cli "file", id ; | | | if det.code == 0 throw new Error file details: ${det.err.trim } ; | | | const info = parseDetails det.out ; | | | const folderName = ${stamp info.start at && info.start at == "-" ? info.start at : info.created at } ${safe info.name } ${tag} ; | | | const dir = join ACCT DIR, folderName ; | | | mkdirSync dir, { recursive: true } ; | | | console.log ${n}/${ids.length} ${info.name \|\| id} ; | | | writeFileSync join dir, "details.txt" , id: ${id}\n + det.out.trim + "\n" ; | | | | | | // Transcripts missing blocks are simply skipped by the CLI | | | const blocks = | | | "transaction", "transcript.txt" , | | | "transaction polish", "transcript polished.txt" , | | | "outline", "outline.txt" , | | | "mark memo", "highlights.txt" , | | | ; | | | for const block, fname of blocks { | | | const r = await cli "transcript", id, "--block", block, "-o", join dir, fname ; | | | if r.code == 0 problems.push transcript ${block} : ${r.err.trim } ; | | | } | | | | | | // Summaries / notes: readable + raw JSON | | | let r = await cli "summary", id, "--all", "-o", join dir, "summary and notes.md" ; | | | if r.code == 0 problems.push summary: ${r.err.trim } ; | | | r = await cli "summary", id, "--json", "-o", join dir, "notes.json" ; | | | if r.code == 0 problems.push notes json: ${r.err.trim } ; | | | | | | // Images photos from highlights + images embedded in summaries | | | if SKIP IMAGES problems.push ...await downloadImages dir ; | | | | | | // Audio | | | let gotAudio = false, noAudio = false; | | | if SKIP AUDIO { | | | for let attempt = 0; attempt < 3 && gotAudio; attempt++ { | | | const a = await cli "audio", id ; | | | const url = a.out.match /https?:\/\/\S+/ \|\| 0 ; | | | if url { | | | if /not available for this recording/i.test a.out { noAudio = true; break; } // genuinely no audio | | | await sleep 5000 ; | | | continue; | | | } | | | try { | | | const res = await fetch url ; | | | if res.ok throw new Error HTTP ${res.status} ; | | | const target = join dir, "audio" + audioExt url, res.headers.get "content-type" ; | | | const part = target + ".part"; | | | await pipeline Readable.fromWeb res.body , createWriteStream part ; | | | renameSync part, target ; | | | gotAudio = true; | | | } catch e { | | | problems.push audio download attempt ${attempt + 1}: ${e.message} ; | | | for const f of readdirSync dir if f.endsWith ".part" try { unlinkSync join dir, f ; } catch {} | | | await sleep 5000 ; | | | } | | | } | | | if gotAudio && noAudio problems.push "audio: not downloaded" ; | | | } | | | | | | const has = f = existsSync join dir, f ? "yes" : "no"; | | | const audioFile = readdirSync dir .find f = f.startsWith "audio." ; | | | const status = problems.length ? "partial" : "ok"; | | | appendFileSync indexPath, id, info.start at && info.start at == "-" ? info.start at : info.created at , info.name, info.duration, folderName, | | | audioFile ? "yes" : "no", has "transcript.txt" , has "summary and notes.md" , status .map csv .join "," + "\n" ; | | | | | | if problems.length { | | | failed++; | | | appendFileSync ERRLOG, ${new Date .toISOString } ${id} ${info.name}\n + problems.join "\n " + "\n" ; | | | } else { | | | writeFileSync join dir, ".done" , new Date .toISOString ; | | | } | | | } catch e { | | | failed++; | | | appendFileSync ERRLOG, ${new Date .toISOString } ${id}\n ${e.message}\n ; | | | console.error ${e.message} ; | | | if e.message.startsWith "AUTH" process.exit 2 ; | | | } | | | } | | | | | | console.log \nDone. ${ids.length} recordings: ${ids.length - failed - skipped} saved, ${skipped} already done, ${failed} with problems. ; | | | if failed console.log See ${ERRLOG}. Re-run the same command to retry anything incomplete. ; | | | console.log Backup folder: ${ACCT DIR} ; |