Baldur’s Gate 3 makes the folder boundary important: each save folder contains the .lsv archive and related slot context. Backing up the whole folder avoids separating the main payload from supporting files. Campaigns can also be sensitive to mods, so SaveEditor.com treats mod compatibility as part of restoration rather than calling every failed load corruption. Larian cross-save is useful for recent saves, but a complete local archive is still the better long-term backup.
Choose the correct backup boundary
For Baldur's Gate 3, the researched PC save location is Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3PlayerProfilesPublicSavegamesStory | macOS: $HOME/Documents/Larian Studios/Baldur's Gate 3/PlayerProfiles/Public/Savegames/Story/ | Linux / Steam Play: $XDG_DATA_HOME/Larian Studios/Baldur's Gate 3/PlayerProfiles/Public/Savegames/Story/. The known save file or folder pattern is <save-folder><save-name>.lsv. Copy the entire Story directory or selected complete save folders. For heavily modded campaigns, also keep the mod configuration required by that campaign. Copying the complete documented save boundary is safer than selecting one visually obvious file, because companion metadata, indexes, backups, or multiple slots can be required together.
Make an offline copy before changing anything
Close the game first, wait for the active launcher to finish writing, then copy the save data to a separate folder that the game and sync client do not watch. Label the copy with the game, storefront, profile, and date. Documented launcher context: Steam, GOG Galaxy. The same Larian profile hierarchy is used across desktop platforms, with OS-specific base directories. Steam also exposes a remote cloud area.
Account for cloud saves
Steam Cloud is documented. Larian account cross-save can synchronize a limited set of recent saves across supported PC storefronts/platforms. Before restoring an older backup, decide which copy should win. If the game or launcher starts while an older manual copy is in place, synchronization can replace it before you confirm that it works. Keep the untouched backup outside the live save path until the restored progress has been opened and saved normally.
Restore without changing format assumptions
Each campaign save is stored in its own folder and includes an .lsv archive. Preserve the whole save folder rather than extracting only the archive when making a normal backup. Compatibility note: An .lsv can be structurally valid but still depend on mods or game versions that are not present on the destination system. Restore into the matching storefront/profile context whenever possible. Do not rename a save extension, move a folder into a different container type, or assume a console/mobile copy is equivalent unless a tested migration path specifically says so.
Recovery fallback
When a campaign save fails after migration, check the exact save folder, mods, and profile before assuming the archive is damaged. Cloud cross-save only covers supported recent saves, not every local backup. If the restored copy fails, put the untouched original back first. Then compare location, account/profile, cloud state, and the full directory structure before trying a different backup. The objective is reversible recovery, not repeated destructive experiments on the only copy.
Verification context: Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam remote/cloud, and Larian cross-save notes were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage.