---
name: "borg-key-export-related-secrets"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "borg"
version: "1.4.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/borg-key-export-related-secrets"
---

# borg-key-export-related-secrets(1)

Export secrets for creating related repositories

## Name

borg-key-export-related-secrets - Export secrets for creating related repositories

## SYNOPSIS

borg \[common options\] key export-related-secrets \[options\] \[REPOSITORY\] \[PATH\]

## DESCRIPTION

This command exports the deduplication secrets (**id\_key** and **chunk\_seed**) of a repository. These secrets can be used to initialize a **related repository**.

Related repositories share the same deduplication metadata but have their own independent encryption keys. This is useful for:

- 1\.

  Creating independent backup targets that still benefit from being "compatible" for future archive transfers.

- 2\.

  Preparing for a migration to Borg 2.0, where archives can be transferred between related repositories using **borg transfer**.

The exported secrets are stored in a JSON file. This file contains sensitive information and should be deleted immediately after usage.

Examples:

```
# Export secrets from an existing repository
$ borg key export-related-secrets /path/to/repo1 secrets.json
# Initialize a new related repository using these secrets
$ borg init --import-related-secrets=secrets.json --encryption=repokey /path/to/repo2
$ rm secrets.json
```

**Important:**

When initializing a related repository using **borg init --import-related-secrets**, the new repository must use the same ID hash algorithm (either both HMAC-SHA256 or both BLAKE2) as the original repository.

- •

  HMAC-SHA256: **repokey**, **keyfile**, **authenticated**

- •

  BLAKE2: **repokey-blake2**, **keyfile-blake2**, **authenticated-blake2**

**Warning:**

Please note that future Borg 2.0 versions might remove support for BLAKE2 in new repositories (see #8867).

## OPTIONS

See *[borg-common(1)](/borg-common/1.md)* for common options of Borg commands.

### arguments

REPOSITORY

- **PATH**

  where to store the secrets

## SEE ALSO

*[borg-common(1)](/borg-common/1.md)*

## Author

The Borg Collective