Migrate from folders to PrintStash without breaking anything

You do not have to upload an established model folder into PrintStash. A shared volume indexes files where they already live, so existing slicer paths and NAS jobs can keep working.

PrintStash stores the index, parsed metadata, and generated thumbnails. The source files remain in the mounted folder.

Start with a small representative folder

Copy or select a small folder containing the awkward parts of your library: nested directories, a large STL, several 3MF files, duplicate downloads, and G-code from the slicers you use. Test that set before indexing ten years of files.

Mount the host path into the api container, then add the container path under Settings -> Shared volumes. Use manual scanning at first. Confirm that previews, metadata, collections, and duplicate handling look sensible.

The first scan hashes and parses every supported file, so large or remote folders can take time. Later scans use file size and modification time to skip unchanged entries.

Review the duplicates first

Content hashing finds byte-identical files even when their names differ. Review those matches before deleting anything from disk. Two files with similar names may contain different meshes, and two identical files may exist in separate project folders for a reason.

Shared-volume indexing is intentionally conservative. Review what PrintStash found before using that index to clean the folder.

Add your project folders

Once the test looks right, add the real root folder. Choose how its subdirectories map to collections:

• mirror the folder tree as nested collections; or
• place every indexed model in one selected collection.

Use separate shared volumes only when the roots have different ownership, schedules, or collection behavior. Splitting every top-level folder into its own configuration creates maintenance work without improving search.

Keep your slicer workflow intact

Local folders can use filesystem watching for quick updates. NFS and SMB mounts normally rely on scheduled scans because native filesystem events do not cross those mounts reliably. Keep a periodic scan enabled even when local watching works, since it catches changes missed during restarts.

If the NAS becomes unavailable and the mounted directory appears empty, PrintStash aborts the scan instead of treating the whole library as deleted. Fix the mount and scan again.

Keep write-back deliberate

New uploads and revisions for a model in a writable shared volume can be written back into that folder. PrintStash adds files but does not overwrite existing bytes.

Mount the path read-only during the first migration if you want to rule out accidental writes. Change the Docker mount only after you understand where new files will land.

Import from Printables, MakerWorld, and Thingiverse

Use URL import for the cloud models you want to keep, not every item you ever saved. Select the shared volume as the destination when those files should join the existing folder rather than PrintStash-owned storage.

Migration checklist

1. Back up the original folder.
2. Mount and scan a representative test set.
3. Confirm container permissions and paths.
4. Choose mirrored or flat collection mapping.
5. Run the first full scan manually.
6. Review duplicates and missing previews without deleting source files.
7. Enable the appropriate scan schedule.
8. Test write-back with one disposable upload if the folder is writable.

Removing a shared volume from PrintStash does not delete its source files. It removes the indexed records through trash while leaving the folder itself alone. The NAS shared-volume guide covers the Docker mount in more detail.