laurent22/joplin · error · Error

HTML export is not supported. Please use the desktop applica

Error message

HTML export is not supported. Please use the desktop application.

What it means

Thrown by `export <path>` when `--format html` is supplied. The CLI exporter list (command-export.ts:21) already filters html out via `m.format !== 'html'`, so html never appears in advertised formats — this is the defensive hard-stop. HTML export requires the renderer + asset pipeline that only ships with the desktop app.

Source

Thrown at packages/app-cli/app/command-export.ts:33

	}

	public override options() {
		const service = InteropService.instance();
		const formats = service
			.modules()
			.filter(m => m.type === 'exporter' && m.format !== 'html')
			.map(m => m.format + (m.description ? ` (${m.description})` : ''));

		return [['--format <format>', _('Destination format: %s', formats.join(', '))], ['--note <note>', _('Exports only the given note.')], ['--notebook <notebook>', _('Exports only the given notebook.')]];
	}

	public override async action(args: { path: string; options: { format?: string; note?: string; 'notebook'?: string } }) {
		const exportOptions: ExportOptions = {};
		exportOptions.path = args.path;

		exportOptions.format = args.options.format ? args.options.format as ExportModuleOutputFormat : ExportModuleOutputFormat.Jex;

		if (exportOptions.format === 'html') throw new Error('HTML export is not supported. Please use the desktop application.');

		if (args.options.note) {
			const notes = await app().loadItems(ModelType.Note, args.options.note, { parent: app().currentFolder() });
			if (!notes.length) throw new Error(_('Cannot find "%s".', args.options.note));
			exportOptions.sourceNoteIds = notes.map(n => n.id);
		} else if (args.options.notebook) {
			const folders = await app().loadItems(ModelType.Folder, args.options.notebook);
			if (!folders.length) throw new Error(_('Cannot find "%s".', args.options.notebook));
			exportOptions.sourceFolderIds = folders.map(n => n.id);
		}

		const service = InteropService.instance();
		const result = await service.export(exportOptions);

		result.warnings.map(w => this.stdout(w));
	}
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 2654b33620)

Solutions

1. Use the desktop app: File > Export > HTML (the only supported path for html)
2. Pick a CLI-supported format instead: omit --format (defaults to `jex`), or use `--format md` / `--format raw`
3. If a static-site build is the goal, export to md and feed the output into a separate static generator
4. Pin to a Joplin CLI version that still shipped html export if you cannot move off CLI (not recommended)

Example fix

// before
joplin export backup.zip --format html   // throws

// after
joplin export backup.jex                   // default JEX archive
// or, for portable markdown:
joplin export backup.md --format md

import { ExportModuleOutputFormat } from '@joplin/lib/services/interop/types';

const CLI_SUPPORTED = new Set<ExportModuleOutputFormat>([
  ExportModuleOutputFormat.Jex,
  ExportModuleOutputFormat.Md,
  ExportModuleOutputFormat.Raw,
]);

function assertExportFormat(format: string): void {
  if (format === 'html') {
    throw new Error('HTML export is desktop-only. Use the desktop app, or pick jex/md/raw.');
  }
  if (!CLI_SUPPORTED.has(format as ExportModuleOutputFormat)) {
    throw new Error(`Unsupported CLI export format: ${format}`);
  }
}

const isCliExportFormat = (f: string): f is ExportModuleOutputFormat =>
  f !== 'html' && Object.values(ExportModuleOutputFormat).includes(f as ExportModuleOutputFormat);

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `joplin export out.zip --format html` explicitly. Following an outdated tutorial or script that predates the removal of the CLI html exporter.

Common situations: Migration scripts written for an older Joplin CLI version; users wanting a browsable export who reach for html out of habit; CI pipelines invoking `joplin export --format html`.

Related errors

• Cannot find "%s".
• Format "${format}" can only be exported to a file
• More than one item match "%s". Please narrow down your query
• Cannot find "%s".
• No notebook selected.

AI-assisted analysis of laurent22/joplin@2654b33620 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d4f675adebb39c91. Report an issue: GitHub.