How to Import Your Eagle Library Into refern (2026)

By refern | Last updated: June 2026

You can import your Eagle library into refern in a few minutes. refern reads Eagle's folder structure, tags, ratings, source URLs, and notes directly from the Eagle library folder on your disk. Your original files are never moved or copied, so you can keep Eagle running alongside refern while you evaluate the switch.

This guide covers exactly what transfers, what does not, and how to run both apps during the transition.

What comes across from Eagle

Before you start, it helps to know what refern's Eagle importer reads from an Eagle .library folder.

Eagle copies every imported file into its .library folder on disk [AlternativeTo reviews, eagle.cool]. refern does not work that way. refern indexes files in place: your originals stay exactly where they are, and refern adds a small sidecar index alongside them. After the import, refern points to the same files Eagle already copied into its library, so nothing is duplicated a second time.

Before you start

You need:

• refern installed on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Download a free 30-day trial at refern.app, no account required.
• Your Eagle .library folder accessible on disk. This is the folder Eagle created when you first set up a library. By default it is named something like My Library.library and lives in your Documents folder or wherever you chose during Eagle setup.
• Enough free disk space for refern's thumbnail cache (roughly 1 to 3 percent of your library size, generated on first index).

You do not need to uninstall Eagle. Both apps can coexist. refern and Eagle can point at the same originals at the same time because refern never locks files.

Step 1: Open refern and create a workspace

When you launch refern for the first time, it walks you through creating a workspace. A workspace in refern is a normal folder on your disk. refern stores its index (a SQLite database) and thumbnail cache inside that folder, alongside your files.

For an Eagle import, you will point the new workspace at your Eagle library folder in the next step.

If you already have a refern workspace open, go to the workspace switcher in the top-left corner and choose New Workspace.

Step 2: Run the Eagle import

1. In refern, open the Import menu (File menu or the import button in the sidebar).
2. Choose Import from Eagle.
3. A folder picker opens. Navigate to your Eagle .library folder and select it.
4. refern reads the Eagle library metadata: folders, sub-folders, tags, ratings, source URLs, and notes.
5. A staging area shows you a preview of what will be imported. Review it, then confirm.

refern begins indexing your files. For a library of 10,000 images this typically takes a few minutes. For very large libraries (100,000 or more images), allow 20 to 40 minutes for the first full index and thumbnail generation. A progress indicator shows scanning, then thumbnail processing.

A user with 27,000 images confirmed the indexer runs smoothly without stalling or crashing.

Step 3: Watch the pipeline complete

refern uses a streaming pipeline that indexes your library in phases: scan, thumbnail generation, then done. You will see a progress card in the main view showing phase, count, and estimated time remaining.

You can cancel at any time. If you close refern mid-import, it resumes where it left off on next open.

Do not run a reconcile or resync until the pipeline finishes (the progress card disappears). Two pipelines cannot run at the same time.

Step 4: Check your folders and tags

Once the pipeline finishes, your library is live in refern.

• Folders. Eagle's nested folder structure appears in refern's sidebar exactly as it was organized in Eagle.
• Tags. Every tag attached to each image in Eagle appears in refern's tag panel for that image.
• Ratings. Star ratings (1 to 5) are imported as refern ratings.
• Source URLs. Eagle's source URL field maps to refern's Source field in the metadata sidebar.
• Notes and descriptions. Eagle notes appear in refern's Notes or Description fields.

Browse your library, open a few images, and check that metadata looks correct in the right-hand sidebar.

Step 5: Recreate smart folders (Eagle's do not transfer)

Eagle's smart folders are saved filter queries stored inside Eagle. refern has its own smart folders system, but Eagle smart folders are not automatically converted because the filter syntax is different.

To recreate them:

1. In refern, right-click in the sidebar and choose New Smart Folder.
2. Use refern's filter builder to set up the same conditions (tag, rating, file type, date range, and others).
3. Give it the same name.

refern's smart folder system supports all the common conditions Eagle uses, plus additional operators like derived:, linked:, color:, and is:duplicate. See the smart folder guide for the full operator reference.

Step 6: Run both apps side by side during your evaluation

Because refern indexes your files in place and never copies them, Eagle's copies of those files inside its .library folder are unaffected. Both apps can run at the same time pointing at the same originals.

This means you can:

• Use refern for new captures and canvas work while keeping Eagle as your fallback.
• Check that everything you need is working in refern before you stop using Eagle.
• Import only a subset of your Eagle library first (one folder) to validate the process before doing your full library.

There is no rush to decide. refern's 30-day free trial starts when you install it, not when you import. Take the time to evaluate properly.

What refern does differently from Eagle

Once you are inside refern, a few things work differently from Eagle. These are worth knowing before you commit.

Files stay where they are. Eagle copies every file into its .library folder on import, which is why Eagle libraries often take more disk space than your actual files [AlternativeTo reviews, eagle.cool]. refern never does this. Your originals stay in place and refern adds an index sidecar next to them. No disk doubling.

Canvas is built in. Eagle has no infinite canvas. If you used Eagle alongside PureRef for moodboards, refern combines both workflows in one app. You can drag from your library directly onto a canvas, add text, shapes, freehand drawings, and set windows to stay on top with transparency, the same way PureRef works as an overlay.

Relationship graph. refern shows a navigable graph of how your images, folders, canvases, and groups connect to each other. Eagle has no equivalent. It works like an Obsidian graph view for your visual references.

Linux support. Eagle has no Linux client (confirmed by Eagle's own support documentation). refern runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

3 devices per license. Eagle's base license covers 2 devices ($34.95 one-time as of 2026, with additional devices at $17.50 each). refern's base license covers 3 devices at $30 one-time (launch pricing, going to $35 about two months after launch).

What Eagle still does better

Be honest with yourself before switching. Eagle is a mature product with real strengths.

Format preview breadth. Eagle previews 99 formats on Windows and 108 on macOS, including fonts, audio files, and 3D models (GLB, STL). refern previews images and video natively; PSD, AI, Sketch, and other creative source files are indexed with metadata but not rendered as thumbnails.

Font management. Eagle lets you preview and categorize font files without installing them. refern does not have this.

Plugin ecosystem. Eagle has hundreds of community plugins for format conversion, tools, downloaders, and more. refern has no plugin system at launch (planned for a future release).

Auto-tagging. Eagle's AI Action plugin can auto-name, auto-tag, and auto-sort files on import. refern's equivalent (local-model auto-tagging) is on the roadmap but not yet shipped.

Larger community. Eagle has been around longer, with more YouTube tutorials, forum posts, and third-party write-ups. If you get stuck, Eagle has more self-service resources available.

If font management or the plugin ecosystem are critical to your workflow, Eagle is the right tool for you right now.

Common problems and fixes

The pipeline is stuck or very slow. Large libraries (100,000 or more images) take time. Check that your disk is not nearly full. If the progress card shows no movement for more than 10 minutes, cancel and restart. refern resumes from where it left off.

Some images are missing after import. refern only indexes formats it supports. If Eagle imported AVIF files, those will not appear in refern (AVIF support is planned but not yet shipped). Other unsupported formats are indexed with metadata but without a thumbnail preview.

Tags look different or are missing. If an image in Eagle had tags applied via folder inheritance (Eagle automatically tags items with their parent folder's tag), those inherited tags may not carry over the same way. Check the original Eagle library and re-apply tags manually in refern if needed.

Smart folders are empty. Eagle smart folders do not transfer. Recreate them in refern as described in step 5.

The import completed but ratings are wrong. Double-check in Eagle that the ratings are set at the item level, not just shown as a filter. Item-level ratings transfer; display-only filter states in Eagle do not carry meaning outside Eagle.

Next steps

Once your Eagle library is imported and you have validated the metadata:

• Browse the refern vs Eagle comparison if you want a full feature breakdown before deciding to switch permanently.
• Read the full Eagle migration guide for the narrative side of the switch: why people move, what to expect, and how to handle your existing workflow.
• Set up smart folders to replace any Eagle saved filters you relied on.
• Try the infinite canvas by dragging a few images from your newly imported library onto a new canvas file.