PRACTICAL GUIDE / SEPTEMBER 5, 2026
Check the export.
Then hand it over.
A ZIP file is a delivery format. It does not, by itself, tell you whether the right pages arrived or whether their links still work. Use three separate checks: intended scope, local references, and readable content.
1. Write down what should be there.
Before reviewing files, make a short list of the pages and attachments the recipient actually needs. Include one person who can confirm the scope, the export date, and any agreed exclusions. Keep the original archive unchanged.
For example, a project handover might require the project brief, decision log, onboarding instructions and a specific diagram. A report that finds no broken links cannot tell you that an entirely absent, unreferenced decision log should have existed.
Notion says exports can omit pages the exporter cannot access and content excluded by teamspace settings. Its workspace export includes an index for navigation, and uploading an export does not instantly rebuild the original workspace. See Notion’s export documentation for the current format and permission rules.
2. Check references inside the archive.
Follow a few links in the extracted index and open representative pages. Then check the wider set of local references. Keep missing files separate from missing anchors: a page may exist while a link to a particular section is broken.
| Finding | What to investigate |
|---|---|
| Missing local file | Is the target absent, renamed, or in another part of a split export? |
| Missing anchor | Does the target page contain the section identifier the link requests? |
| Repeated title | Are these distinct pages with the same title? This is a review prompt, not proof of a duplicate. |
| Filename collision | Could letter case or Unicode differences become ambiguous when extracted on another computer? |
Online links need a separate review. An archive can contain a valid-looking web address whose destination is unavailable, requires a login, or changes later.
3. Open content the recipient depends on.
Choose examples from each important content type: a long page, a nested page, a page with images, a downloadable attachment and any database-related information. Confirm that the recipient can read the required information in the intended environment.
A text-only reader can make page content convenient to search. It is not a substitute for the original attachment files or a test of Notion’s database behavior. Preserve both the original export and any generated reading copy, with clear names.
If the archive contains another ZIP, inspect that part separately. Do not treat the outer archive’s successful opening as a check of every nested file.
4. Compare a replacement before swapping it in.
If a second export is supplied to fix a problem, compare its relative file paths and contents with the first version. Review added and removed files as well as changed files. A filename change can appear as a removal and an addition; a byte change can be formatting rather than a meaningful content edit.
Revisit the original scope list after comparison. The useful question is whether the missing deliverable is now present and readable, not whether the total number of files increased.
A compact handover record
Save the export filename and date, intended scope, checks performed, findings still open, and the person responsible for each unresolved item. A specific record such as “diagram missing; owner will provide it separately” is more useful than an unsupported “backup verified” label.
This checklist organizes a review. It does not certify completeness, restoration, legal retention requirements or data quality.