How to Save, Export and Import Your Cookie Clicker Game (Browser, Cloud and Steam)

Losing your Cookie Clicker save is one of the most frustrating experiences a player can have. Whether you’re switching browsers, clearing your cache, or just want a backup, this guide covers everything you need to know about saving, exporting, and importing your game.

Quick answer: to back up, open Options → Export save and copy the whole code (or use Save to file). To restore it in another browser, on another computer or in the Steam version, open Options → Import save (shortcut Ctrl+O), paste the code and press Load. Browser and Steam use the same save code, so a web bakery can be moved to Steam and back. Importing replaces the bakery that is currently loaded, so export that one first if you want to keep it.

How Cookie Clicker Saves Work

Cookie Clicker automatically saves your game to your browser’s localStorage every 60 seconds (closing the tab does not trigger a save, so press Ctrl+S first). This means:

• ✅ Your save is tied to the specific browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.) on your device
• ✅ Saves persist between browser sessions as long as you don’t clear browsing data
• ❌ Clearing cookies/cache will delete your save
• ❌ Using private/incognito mode means your save is lost when you close the window
• ❌ Saves do not sync between different browsers or devices automatically

How to Manually Save Your Game

Cookie Clicker auto-saves frequently, but you can force a save at any time:

1. Click the Options button in the middle panel
2. Scroll down and click the “Save” button
3. You’ll see “Game saved!” confirmation at the top of the screen

How to Export Your Save (Make a Backup)

Exporting gives you a text string you can paste anywhere to back up your progress:

1. Click Options
2. Click “Export save”
3. A long string of characters (Base64 encoded) will appear in a text box
4. Copy the entire string (Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C)
5. Paste it into a text file, Google Doc, email draft, or anywhere safe

Next to it, Save to file downloads the same backup as a file on your computer, and Load from file reads it back in.

Pro tip: Export your save after every major milestone — first Ascension, 100 of each building, etc. That way you always have a fallback.

How to Import a Save

Moving to a new browser or device? Here’s how to restore your game:

1. Open Cookie Clicker on the new browser or device
2. Click Options
3. Click “Import save” (or press Ctrl+O)
4. Paste your save string into the text box
5. Click “Load”
6. Your game will reload with all your progress intact

Saving to Steam vs Browser

If you own Cookie Clicker on Steam, that version keeps its own save on your computer (and in Steam Cloud when its cloud save option is on), not in your browser. The two saves do not sync by themselves, but they use the same save code, so you can move a bakery either way:

1. Browser → Steam: in the browser game, Options → Export save and copy the code. Start the Steam version, Options → Import save, paste, Load.
2. Steam → browser: do the same in reverse: Export save in Steam, then Import save here.

Steam and the web version get the same updates, so your buildings, upgrades and achievements carry over. The import overwrites whatever bakery is loaded on the receiving side.

Cloud Save on This Site

If you play on cookieclickernew.com, you can also keep your bakery on our server. Click ☁ Sign in to save at the top of the game and create a free account with a username and password, or continue with Google.

• Every time the game autosaves (about once a minute while you play) and when you leave the page, your save is uploaded.
• Sign in on another computer or browser and your bakery loads there.
• If both the cloud and the browser you are on already have progress, the game asks which one to keep and shows the cookies baked in each, so nothing is overwritten silently.
• The cloud save replaced by a newer one is kept as a backup for a while, in case something goes wrong.

The account is optional. Without it the game still saves in your browser exactly as described above.

Tips to Never Lose Your Save Again

• 📅 Export weekly — Set a reminder to export your save every week
• ☁️ Store in cloud — Paste your save string into a Google Doc or Notion note
• 🖥️ Avoid incognito — Never play in private browsing mode unless you intend to start fresh
• 🚫 Be careful clearing cache — Always export before clearing browsing data
• 🔄 Use multiple backups — Keep at least 2 copies in different locations

My Save Disappeared — What Do I Do?

If your save is gone and you didn’t export it, unfortunately recovery is very difficult. A few things to try:

1. Check your browser’s localStorage directly (press F12 → Application tab → Local Storage → the game’s domain)
2. Check if you’re using a different browser profile than before
3. Try a different browser — sometimes saves persist in a browser you haven’t used recently
4. Contact us at our support page — while we can’t recover saves, we may be able to help diagnose the issue

Conclusion

Your Cookie Clicker save is valuable — treat it like the precious cookie empire it represents! Export regularly, store backups in multiple places, and you’ll never have to start from zero again. Happy baking! 🍪