Where Does Kimai Store Config and Data?
Kimai env file and invoice document paths for self-hosted time tracking installs on Linux. And restore steps.
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Kimai keeps settings in a .env file at the web root. That file holds database passwords, APP_SECRET, and mail options. Timesheet data itself lives in MySQL per that config.
Generated invoices land under var/data beside the env file. Docker installs map the same pair through volumes. Back up the env file with a database dump. The secret encrypts tokens, so keep the original. Rates bill per activity. Export PDFs for clients. Plugins add SSO logins. Teams share project access. Dashboard shows weekly totals.
Where Kimai stores this, by platform
/var/www/kimai/.env
Database credentials, APP_SECRET, and mail settings. Restrict read access to the web user. Changing secrets logs everyone out.
/var/www/kimai/var/data
Invoice documents and export caches per customer. Serve with web user ownership. Copy whole tree with the database for migration.
Frequently asked questions
what do i back up for a Kimai move
Copy the .env file with var/data and a database dump. The env holds APP_SECRET and mail settings. Timesheets live in the database. Both restore tracking. Check version paths.
where is Kimai configured
Open the .env file in the web root to read database and mail blocks. Invoice docs default under var/data. The file decides the backend. Keep copies safe.
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