> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://bolt-builder-bolt-cli-5b0aab46-mintlify-541a0110.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Local Database (bolt db)

> Bolt stores every session, message, and tool call in a local SQLite database. Inspect it, back it up, or query it directly with bolt db.

Bolt keeps every session, message, and tool call in a local SQLite database. It's fully inspectable and fully yours — nothing is uploaded unless you explicitly share a session.

## Common operations

```bash theme={null}
bolt db path                        # print the path to the SQLite file
bolt db                             # open an interactive SQL shell
bolt db "SELECT id, title FROM sessions ORDER BY time_updated DESC LIMIT 20"
```

## Backing it up

Because it's a single SQLite file, backup is a copy:

```bash theme={null}
cp "$(bolt db path)" ~/backups/bolt-$(date +%Y%m%d).db
```

For long-term storage or transport, prefer `bolt export` / `bolt import` — they produce a portable JSON representation that survives schema migrations.

## Schema at a glance

* `sessions` — one row per session, with title, project, timestamps, and status.
* `messages` — the full turn log per session.
* `tool_calls` — every invocation with inputs, outputs, and duration.

Exact columns evolve; use `PRAGMA table_info(<table>)` to see the live schema.

## Related

* [Sessions](/concepts/sessions) — what the database stores.
* [Stats & Cost](/reference/stats-and-cost) — aggregated views over the same data.