Import Your Eagle Library Into refern
You can try refern with your existing Eagle collection while keeping Eagle available. The dedicated importer copies supported media and transfers the supported metadata listed below.
Before you start
Keep a backup of the Eagle library. Make its .library folder accessible on your computer and allow space for the copied media, refern's database, and generated previews.
Normal refern workspace indexing reads existing files in place. The Eagle importer is a separate operation: it creates an Eagle Library folder in the destination workspace and copies media into it. It leaves the source Eagle library unchanged.
Run the import
- Open the refern workspace that should receive the collection.
- Open Settings > Import.
- Under Import Eagle library, select Browse and choose the Eagle .library folder.
- Read the confirmation. Choose whether to include trashed items, then start the import.
- Review the import summary, including missing files or formats excluded by workspace settings. Follow its retry guidance if you change the file policy.
Duration depends on the library and your drives. Re-running the importer skips Eagle IDs already imported; it is not a live sync between the two apps.
What transfers
| In Eagle | In refern |
|---|---|
| Nested folders | Folder structure, descriptions, tags, and mapped colors |
| File types allowed by the workspace, including generic and extensionless files | A copied file |
| Item tags and ratings | Tags and ratings |
| Source URLs | URLs and source names derived from their domains |
| Annotations | Descriptions |
| Comments | Custom metadata |
| An item in several folders | One media copy, with linked placements after the first |
Password-protected folders lose their locks on import. Saved smart-folder rules and arbitrary plugin-owned data are outside the supported transfer surface. Recreate any smart folders you still need.
Check before switching
Compare a few nested folders in both apps. Open some images and videos, then check tags, ratings, source links, and notes. Include an item that appeared in more than one Eagle folder. Then open the Tag Manager's Needs attention view to find tags that differ only by case or a simple plural, and merge the ones you want to combine.
Keep the source library and its backup while you evaluate the result. If something is missing, retain the import summary and contact us with the details. You can decide what to archive or remove once you have checked the collection and tested your backup.