Move an archive into Chest

Move-in brings an existing set of documents into Chest from one archive file. It is under Move-in in the top bar, for the owner only.

Prepare the archive

Move-in reads one JSON file in the documented chest-archive-1 format. Each item carries its original bytes (base64), their SHA-256 and their size, plus the fields for the document type you will file it under:

{
  "format": "chest-archive-1",
  "source": "supplier-records-2026-10",
  "items": [{
    "path": "Acme/certificate.txt",
    "title": "Acme certificate",
    "base64": "aGVsbG8=",
    "sha256": "2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824",
    "size": 5,
    "fields": {"reference": "CERT-1"},
    "reference": {"kind": "supplier", "name": "Acme"},
    "reviewDate": "2026-12-01",
    "expiryDate": "2027-01-01",
    "principals": ["someone@example.com"],
    "decisions": [{"actor": "source reviewer", "decision": "approved"}]
  }]
}

An archive holds up to 100 items and 16 MB; each original up to 8 MB. Chest does not read exports from other products directly: convert them to this format first, and keep the source system until you have checked the result.

Preview it

Choose the Archive JSON file, the Destination collection, the Document type, the Responsible owner and the Reviewer, then press Preview archive. Preview writes nothing. Review archive mapping lists every item as admitted, skipped or rejected with its reason, along with duplicate paths or bytes and the people and decisions Chest cannot carry over. Unsafe paths or bytes that do not match their SHA-256 reject the archive.

Apply it

If the preview is right, press Apply this reviewed fingerprint. Chest applies exactly what you reviewed and shows an Operation receipt with a job ID. Keep that ID.

Every imported record starts private and unapproved: people and approvals from the source are kept as history, not turned into Chest access or Chest approvals. Grant access and approve each record as you would a new one.

Resume or undo a batch

Under Resume or undo a batch, enter the Job ID and choose an action, then press Run batch action:

• Inspect shows the batch's progress.
• Resume continues a batch that stopped.
• Undo untouched batch removes the records it created, as long as nobody has edited them. If someone has, Chest keeps that edit and tells you.