An export is useful when you can read it outside the app that made it. For Markdown notes, that means checking more than whether a .md file appeared in a folder.
Export a representative sample first
Choose a plain note, a long note, a checklist, a note with links, and one with an image or file. Export them before you commit an entire library to a workflow. Open the text in a second editor and inspect the results.
Check these parts:
- Text: Are paragraphs, headings, lists, and code blocks intact?
- Names and folders: Can you tell what each file is without the original app?
- Attachments: Did images and files arrive, with links that resolve?
- Metadata: If dates, tags, or links between notes matter, where did they go?
- Line endings and encoding: Do special characters display correctly?
An app may export one Markdown file at a time, a zipped collection, or a folder with supporting files. The export shape can differ from its internal storage. Do not infer that an app stores .md files simply because it exports them.
Keep the collection together
Relative links work only when the referenced paths still exist. If a note points to images/chart.png, keep that images folder in the same relative place. A linked local path from one computer may not work on another. The attachments guide has examples.
Restore, do not merely archive
Move a copy of the export to another folder or device. Open a few files, search for a phrase, and follow links. This is a small restore rehearsal. It can expose missing assets or undocumented conventions while there is still time to change the workflow.
Sync and backup answer different questions. Sync moves current state between devices; a backup helps recover an earlier state or a lost collection. Keep an independent backup of notes you cannot replace.
First-party example: Ember Notes, made by this site's publisher, keeps its standard note library in an app-managed SwiftData and CloudKit store and supports Markdown export. If a folder of directly editable .md files is essential, verify the storage model before choosing any app.