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How to Migrate from SillyTavern to Tavern Studio

Tavern Studio includes a built-in SillyTavern migration tool designed to simplify your transition. You do not need to manually export or copy individual character cards, world books, presets, API configs, or chat files. Instead, you can point Tavern Studio to your SillyTavern project folder, preview the import summary, select the content you want to migrate, and run the import process.

The migration process is read-only for your SillyTavern files. Tavern Studio reads the assets from the source directory and imports copies into its own workspace, database, and resource management system. Your original SillyTavern folder remains unaffected by this secure read-only import—files are not deleted, moved, or modified.

This guide walks you through the migration workflow for transferring character cards, World Info / Lorebooks, OpenAI-compatible presets, API keys and configurations, and standard JSONL chat histories.

Who This Is For

  • Existing SillyTavern users transitioning to Tavern Studio.
  • Users with libraries of character cards, lorebooks, presets, and conversation logs.
  • Users seeking a native desktop client while preserving their creative assets.
  • Users who want to verify the import results in a preview before migrating.
  • Users who want to ensure their original SillyTavern folder remains unaffected.

Core Content

The built-in migration flow supports common SillyTavern data types:

  • Character Cards: Your locally stored character cards.
  • World Info / Lorebooks: Lorebooks and world-building assets.
  • OpenAI-Compatible Presets: Custom system prompts and configurations.
  • API Keys & Configs: API keys and provider-specific configurations.
  • Standard JSONL Chat Logs: Individual chat logs associated with characters.

When importing API settings, Tavern Studio maps standard OpenAI-compatible configurations where possible. Providers such as OpenAI, Groq, Mistral, Perplexity, Cohere, and xAI are mapped to equivalent Tavern Studio API settings with standard defaults.

However, certain API configurations require manual setup after migration. You will need to manually configure:

  • Custom API endpoints and local LLM services (e.g., LM Studio, Ollama).
  • Reverse proxies and custom proxy addresses.
  • Azure OpenAI and Cloudflare Workers AI integrations.
  • Provider account IDs, missing base URLs, or missing default model selections.

Note: Group chats are not fully supported yet. Tavern Studio may skip unsupported group chat data during migration to avoid creating corrupt or unmanageable chat files.

How Tavern Studio Handles This Problem

Tavern Studio handles migration as an integrated data management task. Rather than forcing you to drag and drop assets individually, the built-in importer scans your SillyTavern project directory, generates an itemized preview, lets you filter by user and choose content ranges, and then writes the data into the Tavern Studio workspace.

Once the import completes, Tavern Studio reloads the application data to make the newly migrated characters, lorebooks, chats, and API settings available. If any newly imported assets (such as custom avatars, backgrounds, or lorebooks) do not appear immediately, restarting the application or refreshing the active page will trigger a fresh resource read.

Operation Steps

Step 1: Locate your SillyTavern project root folder

Identify the root folder of your SillyTavern installation. It must contain the data directory where SillyTavern stores its configuration and assets.

For example, on Windows the folder path typically looks like:

C:\code\SillyTavern\SillyTavern

Within this root folder, verify that the data subfolder exists:

C:\code\SillyTavern\SillyTavern\data

Note: If you select the data folder itself by mistake, Tavern Studio will attempt to automatically correct the path, but choosing the root folder containing the data folder is the recommended approach.

Step 2: Open the importer in Tavern Studio

Launch Tavern Studio and navigate to:

Settings -> Data Management -> Import from SillyTavern

Click Choose Folder and select your SillyTavern project root folder.

Step 3: Review the import preview

Wait for the importer to scan the folder. The screen will display a preview containing counts for:

  • Characters
  • World books / Lorebooks
  • Presets
  • API configs
  • Chat logs

If the preview is empty or the numbers look incorrect, cancel the migration and ensure you have selected the correct SillyTavern root folder.

Step 4: Select users and content ranges

Select the specific SillyTavern user data and content groups you want to import. If you have a large dataset, you can choose to migrate primary character card sets first to simplify post-import verification.

Step 5: Execute the import

Click Import and wait for the process to complete. Once finished, Tavern Studio will reload its database and workspace automatically.

Step 6: Verify imported assets

After the import is finished, verify the following sections in Tavern Studio:

  • Characters: Check the character list to ensure cards are present.
  • Chats: Open imported characters to verify that their JSONL chat history has loaded correctly.
  • World Books: Navigate to the lorebook manager to inspect imported World Info files.
  • API Settings: Go to the API Configuration section to check key mapping.
  • Resource Assets: Confirm that avatars, backgrounds, and other asset files have loaded.

Step 7: Check API and endpoint configurations

For all migrated API configs, verify:

  • The API key is correctly saved.
  • The Base URL matches the provider's active endpoint.
  • The default model is selected and supported.
  • Any manual fields, such as custom proxies, account IDs, or local hostnames, are filled out.

Send a quick test message with one of your imported characters and presets to ensure the connection works properly before starting a long chat session.

Relationship to SillyTavern

Tavern Studio is an independent alternative and is not affiliated with the official SillyTavern project. It is a separate, local-first application designed to support standard community AI character cards and formats. The importer is provided as a utility to help you reuse your creative assets and configurations without modifying or affecting your existing SillyTavern installation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which folder should I select in the importer?

You must select the SillyTavern root directory—the folder that contains the data directory (e.g., C:\code\SillyTavern\SillyTavern). Do not select individual character folders or the data folder itself.

Will importing damage my SillyTavern files?

No. The importer is strictly read-only. It reads your SillyTavern directory and writes copies of the assets into Tavern Studio's independent database and workspace. The original files remain unmodified.

What data types are supported?

Tavern Studio can import character cards, World Info / Lorebooks, OpenAI-compatible presets, API keys/configs, and standard JSONL chat logs.

Will my chat histories be migrated?

Yes, standard JSONL chat logs associated with characters will be imported. Each chat file is imported as a separate conversation thread while preserving the correct message order. Damaged, corrupt, or unsupported chat files may be skipped.

Are group chats supported?

Group chats are not fully supported yet. The importer may skip unsupported group chat data to prevent the creation of broken conversation histories.

Why do some local endpoints or custom proxies require manual setup?

Custom endpoints, reverse proxies, local LLM configurations (like Ollama or LM Studio), Azure OpenAI, and Cloudflare Workers AI require specific hostnames, account IDs, or custom routing paths that cannot be fully automated. You will need to input these details manually on the API settings page.

What should I do if imported characters or assets do not appear?

Check the import log to see if any errors occurred. If the files were successfully imported but aren't showing up, refresh the page or restart Tavern Studio to force a reload of the resource database.

Should I back up my SillyTavern folder before migrating?

While the importer is read-only and does not touch your SillyTavern directory, creating a backup of your original SillyTavern data is always recommended before performing any migration.

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