Import and Export Connections

Last updated: April 2026

RockTerm provides tools to export your connection profiles for backup, share them with teammates, or migrate them to a new machine. You can also import sessions from PuTTY to streamline the transition to RockTerm.

Exporting Profiles

To export all connection profiles, go to File > Export Connections. RockTerm will generate a .rockterm-export file (JSON format) containing every profile and group in your Connection Manager.

The export includes:

• Display names, hostnames, ports, and usernames
• Authentication method settings (password or key-based)
• Key file paths (the path string only — private key files themselves are not included)
• Group hierarchy and profile ordering

The export does not include:

• Saved passwords (RockTerm does not store passwords)
• Private key file contents
• Application settings (font, color theme, etc.)

Store the export file in a secure location. While it does not contain credentials, it does contain hostnames, IP addresses, usernames, and network topology information that may be sensitive.

Importing Profiles

To import profiles from an export file, go to File > Import Connections and select a .rockterm-export file. RockTerm will parse the file and present a preview of the profiles to be imported.

Duplicate Handling

If the import file contains profiles that match existing profiles (same hostname, port, and username), RockTerm will flag them as duplicates and give you three options:

• Skip duplicates — existing profiles are left unchanged; only new profiles are imported
• Overwrite duplicates — existing profiles are replaced with the imported versions
• Import as new — duplicates are imported alongside existing profiles with (Imported) appended to the display name

Group structure from the import file is preserved. If a group with the same name already exists, imported profiles are merged into the existing group.

Migrating from PuTTY

RockTerm can import saved sessions directly from a local PuTTY installation. Go to File > Import from PuTTY. RockTerm reads the PuTTY session registry entries from:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions

For each PuTTY session found, RockTerm extracts:

• Session name (used as the display name)
• Hostname and port
• Username (if saved in the session)
• Key file path (if configured for public key authentication)
• Protocol type (only SSH sessions are imported; serial, telnet, and raw sessions are skipped)

A preview screen shows all discovered PuTTY sessions with checkboxes, so you can select which ones to import. Imported profiles are placed in a group called Imported from PuTTY for easy identification.

Notes on PuTTY Migration

• PuTTY stores sessions in the Windows registry. If PuTTY is installed but no sessions are saved, the import will find nothing.
• If your PuTTY sessions use .ppk key files, RockTerm supports PPK format natively — no conversion is needed.
• PuTTY-specific settings (terminal type, color palette, font size, proxy configuration) are not migrated. You can configure these in RockTerm's application settings.
• If PuTTY sessions were exported to a .reg file on another machine, you must first import that .reg file into the Windows registry before RockTerm can read it.

Other SSH Clients

RockTerm does not currently support direct import from other SSH clients. If you are migrating from one of these applications, you will need to re-create profiles manually or via Quick Connect:

• MobaXterm — sessions are stored in a proprietary format within MobaXterm.ini or the Windows registry. Manual re-entry is required.
• SecureCRT — sessions are stored as individual .ini files under the SecureCRT configuration folder. Manual re-entry is required.
• Termius — sessions are stored in the cloud and not accessible for local export. Manual re-entry is required.
• OpenSSH ~/.ssh/config — if you maintain an SSH config file, you can reference it to quickly re-create profiles in RockTerm. Each Host block maps to one profile.

If you have a large number of sessions to migrate from an unsupported client, contact support and we can help you find the fastest path forward.

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Still need help?

If you're still experiencing issues, contact us or email info@rockriverresearch.com.