ElvUI Profiles: Import, Export & Backup Guide

What ElvUI profiles include and what they leave out

ElvUI profiles can store module options, anchors, colors, filters and layouts. They do not install ElvUI, WeakAuras, fonts, textures, SharedMedia packs or third-party extensions shown in a creator screenshot.

Before importing, match the client branch, ElvUI release, screen resolution and UI scale. A valid profile string can still look wrong when the display or dependency set is different.

Import, export and back up an ElvUI profile

1. 1

   Install and test base ElvUI

   Open /ec and confirm the core interface works without optional plugins.

2. 2

   Create a separate target

   Choose Profiles, make or select a new profile and keep the current working profile untouched.

3. 3

   Import and reload

   Paste the complete string, review its name, apply it and reload when prompted.

4. 4

   Export the stable result

   Export the working profile to a dated text file and copy the matching WTF folder before a major update.

Why an imported profile looks different

Check fonts, textures, SharedMedia, WeakAuras, optional ElvUI plugins, resolution and UI scale before importing the same string again. If only one module is wrong, review its profile scope instead of resetting every setting.

For a portable example, name an export with the client and display, such as Retail-Healer-1440p, and record the ElvUI version, required media and dependency list beside it.

What ElvUI profiles include and what they leave out

ElvUI profiles store configuration for ElvUI modules, anchors, colors, filters and layouts. They can reproduce much of a creator's unit-frame, action-bar, chat, bag, map and nameplate setup when the same ElvUI version, client branch, resolution and scale are used. ElvUI profiles do not install the core addon, and they do not automatically include WeakAuras, fonts, textures, SharedMedia packs, combat-text addons or third-party ElvUI extensions shown in a screenshot.

This distinction explains why an imported layout can look incomplete even when the profile string is valid. Read the creator's requirements and update dates before importing. Check whether the profile was made for Retail, Classic Era, progression Classic or another branch. Modules and frames available in one branch may not exist or behave the same in another. A profile created at 4K resolution can also place elements differently on a 1080p display.

Install and test base ElvUI first. Open settings with /ec, complete the initial setup and verify that the core interface works without optional plugins. A known-good baseline makes every later profile difference easier to diagnose.

ElvUI profiles import and backup workflow

An ElvUI profiles import and backup workflow begins in /ec. Choose Profiles and create or select a separate target profile before importing. Copy the complete profile string from its source, choose Import Profile and review the proposed name. Apply it, reload when prompted and keep the previous working profile available. Do not import directly over the only layout used for raids, healing or accessibility needs.

Continue the ElvUI profiles import and backup workflow by checking screen resolution and UI scale before moving individual frames. Confirm the required fonts and media packs, then inspect action bars, unit frames, party or raid frames, nameplates, auras, chat and data panels. If only one module remains unchanged, it may use a global, private, class-specific or character-specific profile scope rather than the main ElvUI profile. Review that module's profile options instead of importing the same string repeatedly.

Finish the ElvUI profiles import and backup workflow before using community platforms such as Wago, which distribute user-generated profiles rather than the ElvUI addon itself. Review the creator, update date, comments and dependency list. A profile string can change many settings at once, so export the current profile and back up WTF before applying a complex package from an unfamiliar source.

Export, name and back up ElvUI profiles

Use descriptive profile names that identify role, client and purpose, such as Retail-Healer-1440p or Era-Tank-Compact. Separate names reduce accidental overwrites and make exports easier to match with screenshots and dependency notes. In /ec under Profiles, select Export Profile and save the complete string in a dated text file outside the WoW directory.

Record the ElvUI release, WoW interface, display resolution, UI scale and optional plugins with each export. If the layout depends on custom fonts, textures or WeakAuras, list their exact names and export them separately where supported. The profile string is only one layer of the interface. A dependency record turns a screenshot-based memory into a repeatable configuration.

For complete recovery, close WoW and copy the WTF directory. This captures saved variables for ElvUI and other addons that interact with the layout. Keep at least one backup from before a major WoW or ElvUI update. Test restoration on a copied profile when possible rather than discovering during a raid that an old export omitted a global setting.

Troubleshoot ElvUI profiles after updates or client changes

When ElvUI profiles shift after an update, first confirm the active profile name, resolution and UI scale. Then disable optional ElvUI extensions and reload. A companion addon can override positions, skins or media while the underlying profile remains intact. If the base profile works without extensions, update and re-enable them one at a time.

When moving a profile between Retail and Classic, expect branch-specific differences. Copying can provide a starting point, but modules for class resources, raids, bags or Blizzard frames may not map exactly. Create a branch-specific copy and adjust it instead of forcing both clients to share one profile. This preserves a stable layout when either branch updates independently.

If an import produces Lua errors, verify the ElvUI release and every required plugin before resetting saved variables. Test a new profile to separate corrupted settings from addon-code problems. Deleting WTF should remain a last-resort step performed only after backups and exports exist. Well-managed ElvUI profiles are portable because their version, dependencies and recovery path are documented, not because one string contains the entire interface.

Review saved ElvUI profiles periodically and remove abandoned test copies only after confirming that no character still selects them. A smaller, clearly named profile list reduces accidental edits and makes exports easier to associate with the correct role and client.