How to Export Evernote Notes with Attachments Intact
Attachments are where most Evernote exports go wrong. Images disappear, PDFs become inaccessible, and documents get corrupted. Here's how to avoid losing the most valuable parts of your notes.
Why Attachments Are the Hardest Part of Evernote Export
When people think about backing up Evernote, they focus on the text content of their notes. But for most long-term users, attachments represent the vast majority of their data - and they're far more likely to cause problems during export.
Attachments Dominate Your Account
Consider what a typical Evernote account contains:
Typical Account Breakdown
In most accounts, attachments represent 90-95% of total data.
Attachments Are More Complex
Text is simple - it's just characters. Attachments introduce complexity:
- Binary data: Images and PDFs must be encoded/decoded correctly
- Large files: A single video can be hundreds of megabytes
- Many file types: PNG, JPG, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, MP3, MOV, and more
- Positioning: Attachments appear at specific locations within notes
- Naming: Original filenames should be preserved
Each of these factors creates opportunities for something to go wrong during export.
Common Attachment-Related Problems
Users encounter a predictable set of problems when exporting notes with attachments. Understanding these helps you verify your exports are complete.
Problem 1: Missing Attachments
The export completes, but some attachments simply aren't there. The note might show a placeholder or broken image icon. This often happens with large files or when network issues occur during export.
Problem 2: Corrupted Files
The attachment appears to export, but the file is damaged. PDFs won't open, images display as garbage, or documents show an error when you try to view them. This typically happens when the download is interrupted.
Problem 3: Lost Filenames
Attachments are renamed to generic identifiers like "attachment_1.pdf" or hashes like "a8f3b2c1.png". The original filename "Q4_Budget_Final.xlsx" is lost, making files hard to identify.
Problem 4: Broken Inline References
In Evernote, images appear inline where you placed them. After export, images might be extracted to a folder but the note doesn't link to them correctly. You see text content but images are missing from their positions.
Problem 5: Embedded vs Linked Confusion
Some exports embed attachments directly in the file (base64 in HTML) while others link to external files. If you move the HTML file without the attachments folder, all images break.
The discovery gap: Most of these problems aren't discovered until you actually try to use the backup - often months or years later. By then, the original notes might be gone from Evernote.
Limitations of Official Export Methods
Evernote's built-in export handles attachments, but with significant limitations that affect reliability at scale.
ENEX Export Limitations
When you export to ENEX format:
- Attachments are base64 encoded: A 10 MB PDF becomes ~13 MB of encoded text inside the XML file
- File sizes balloon: Large notebooks create multi-gigabyte ENEX files that are slow to process
- No partial recovery: If the export fails partway, you can't extract the attachments that did complete
- Memory intensive: Encoding/decoding large attachments requires significant RAM
No Native HTML/Markdown Export
Evernote doesn't offer direct HTML or Markdown export with properly handled attachments. Users must:
- Export to ENEX first
- Use a third-party converter
- Hope the converter handles attachments correctly
Each conversion step introduces opportunities for attachment loss or corruption.
No Verification Built In
The export process doesn't verify that attachments downloaded completely. It doesn't compare file sizes, check for corruption, or report which attachments succeeded or failed. You get an ENEX file and have to trust it's complete.
Silent failures: The most dangerous aspect is that attachment failures often produce no error message. The export "succeeds" but is incomplete.
What a Good Attachment Backup Looks Like
A reliable attachment backup has specific characteristics that ensure you can actually use those files in the future.
Key Characteristics
1. Separate, Accessible Files
Attachments should be saved as individual files you can open directly - not encoded inside XML or embedded in HTML. Double-click a PDF and it opens in your PDF reader.
2. Preserved Original Filenames
Files should keep their original names. "Invoice_March_2024.pdf" should remain "Invoice_March_2024.pdf", not become "attachment_47.pdf" or "8a3f2b1c.pdf".
3. Organized Folder Structure
Attachments should be organized logically - either in folders matching notebooks or alongside their parent notes. You should be able to find an attachment without opening every folder.
4. Correct Links from Notes
When viewing an exported note, inline images should display. PDFs and documents should be linked so you can click to open them. The relationship between note and attachment should be preserved.
5. Verified Integrity
The backup process should verify that each attachment downloaded completely and isn't corrupted. File sizes should match, and there should be a clear record of what succeeded or failed.
Example Structure
evernote-backup/
├── Work/
│ ├── Project Alpha/
│ │ ├── Meeting Notes 2024-03-15.html
│ │ └── attachments/
│ │ ├── project_timeline.pdf
│ │ ├── budget_v2.xlsx
│ │ └── whiteboard_photo.jpg
│ └── Client Contracts/
│ ├── Acme Corp Agreement.html
│ └── attachments/
│ └── Acme_Contract_Signed.pdf
├── Personal/
│ ├── Recipes/
│ │ ├── Grandma's Cookies.html
│ │ └── attachments/
│ │ └── cookie_photo.jpg
│ └── Travel/
│ ├── Japan Trip 2023.html
│ └── attachments/
│ ├── itinerary.pdf
│ ├── temple_kyoto.jpg
│ └── train_schedule.png
└── index.htmlThe test: Can you navigate to any attachment and open it directly without special software? Can you understand what the file is from its name and location? If yes, your backup is properly organized.
HTML vs Markdown Handling of Attachments
How attachments are handled differs significantly between HTML and Markdown exports. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right format for your needs.
HTML Export Approach
Two Options for Images
Option A: Embedded (Base64)
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo..." />- + Self-contained - one file has everything
- + Easy to move and share
- - Large file sizes (33% bigger)
- - Harder to extract individual images
Option B: Linked Files
<img src="attachments/screenshot.png" />- + Smaller HTML files
- + Easy to access individual files
- - Must keep folder structure intact
- - Moving files can break links
Markdown Export Approach
Standard Markdown Image Syntax
[Download the PDF](attachments/report.pdf)- Images: Displayed inline using
syntax - PDFs and documents: Linked for download, not displayed
- Obsidian-specific: May use
![[filename]]wiki-link syntax
Comparison
| Aspect | HTML | Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Image display | Full support | Good support |
| PDF handling | Can embed viewer | Link only |
| File extraction | Depends on method | Always separate |
| Portability | Keep folder structure | Keep folder structure |
| Obsidian compatibility | Poor | Excellent |
Recommendation: For pure archival, HTML with linked files gives the best balance. For Obsidian migration, Markdown with proper attachment paths is essential. In both cases, keep attachments as separate files rather than embedded.
A More Reliable Export Approach
Given the challenges with attachments, here's what a reliable export process should include.
Step 1: Download Before Converting
Rather than exporting directly to a final format, first download all data to a local database. This separates the network-dependent download from the local conversion process. If a download fails, you retry just that note - not the entire export.
Step 2: Verify Attachment Integrity
After download, verify that each attachment:
- Has the expected file size
- Can be opened without errors
- Has a valid file header (magic bytes)
This catches corrupted downloads before you rely on the backup.
Step 3: Extract to Separate Files
Save attachments as individual files in organized folders. Use original filenames where possible. Create a clear folder structure that mirrors your notebook organization.
Step 4: Maintain Correct References
When exporting notes to HTML or Markdown, ensure that image tags and links point to the correct attachment locations. Use relative paths so the export remains portable.
Step 5: Generate a Verification Report
After export, produce a summary showing:
- Total notes exported
- Total attachments exported
- Any failures or warnings
- Total data size
Example Verification Output
Export Complete
===============
Notes exported: 3,847
Attachments: 8,234
Total size: 12.4 GB
By notebook:
Work (1,203 notes, 3,421 attachments)
Personal (892 notes, 2,156 attachments)
Archive (1,752 notes, 2,657 attachments)
Warnings: 0
Errors: 0
All attachments verified successfully.Key principle: Never assume an export worked. Always verify, especially for attachments. The few minutes spent checking saves hours of frustration later.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Attachments represent most of your Evernote data and are the most likely thing to go wrong during export. A backup that loses attachments has lost most of its value.
Key Takeaways
- Attachments dominate: 90%+ of your Evernote data is likely attachments, not text
- Silent failures are common: Exports often "succeed" while losing attachments
- Official export has limits: No verification, no incremental backup, no error recovery
- Good backups use separate files: Attachments should be individually accessible, not encoded
- Preserve filenames: Original names make files findable years later
- HTML vs Markdown: Both can work well with proper attachment handling
- Verification is essential: Always check that attachments actually exported correctly
The Bottom Line
Your Evernote attachments likely include irreplaceable items: scanned documents, photos of whiteboards, receipts, signed contracts, research PDFs. These deserve the same care in backup as your note text - arguably more, since they're harder to recreate.
Don't trust that an export worked just because it completed without error. Open some exported notes, verify images display, check that PDFs open. Pick a few random notes from different notebooks and confirm everything is there.
A few minutes of verification now can save you from discovering months later that the backup you thought you had is missing the most important parts.