# Manually sharing content with Finder (classic)

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Nexthink Finder is a Windows-only desktop application whose functionality is now available within the Nexthink web interface. Nexthink can now be used directly from a browser and most functions no longer require an additional desktop application.
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## Overview <a href="#manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-overview" id="manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-overview"></a>

Finder can export content to either the clipboard or to a file in XML format. It does not matter whether the content is local to an Engine or centralized. Finder can also help the XML to be imported into another system at a later time.

We exclude from this discussion the content that is local to the Finder itself (sessions and custom actions) or non-sharable (tags). See the reference article on [local and shared content](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/references/references-classic/database-information-and-organization-classic/local-and-shared-content-with-finder-classic) content for more information.

## Exporting content <a href="#manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-exportingcontent" id="manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-exportingcontent"></a>

To share an item, such as an investigation:

1. Log in to Finder.
2. Locate the investigation on the left-hand side accordion panel of Finder.
3. Right-click the name of the investigation and select **Export**:
   * Click **Investigation to clipboard** to copy the contents of the investigation to the clipboard.
   * Click **Investigation to file...** to save the contents of the investigation to an XML file.

If you have organized your investigations in folders, right-click the name of a folder and select **Export** in order to export all the investigations in the folder. To export all the investigations that are visible from Finder at once, right-click the header of the section **Investigations** (or in the empty area within the section) and select the **Export** option. Again, when exporting multiple investigations, choose whether you want to export the **Investigations to clipboard** or the **Investigations to file...**.

## Importing content <a href="#manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-importingcontent" id="manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-importingcontent"></a>

To import the previously exported investigation into another Engine:

1. Open a Finder session in the other Engine.
2. Right-click the header of the **Investigations** section or in the empty area of the section and select **Import** from the menu.
3. Depending on how you exported the investigations:
   * Select **Investigation from clipboard**, if you copied the contents of the investigation to the clipboard.
   * Select **Investigation from file...**, if you saved the contents of the investigation to an XML file.

If any of the imported investigation already exists in the destination Engine, Finder displays a dialog box for [resolving the conflicts](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/using-finder-classic/importing-and-exporting-authored-content-classic/conflict-resolution-classic).

## Other sharable content <a href="#manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-othersharablecontent" id="manuallysharingcontentwithfinder-classic-othersharablecontent"></a>

The method described above using investigations as an example works with other types of content as well. Apply the same method to export and import:

* Investigations
* Investigation-based alerts
* One-click investigations
* Categories
* Metrics
* Services
* Campaigns
* Scores
* Remote actions

Note that you can manually export and import content that is local to an Engine as well as centralized content. Although centralized content is shared by definition, its sharing capabilities are limited to the set of Engines managed by one Portal. Therefore, you may still want to export centralized content to Engines managed by different Portals. For example, this is especially useful for bringing content from a pre-production environment to a production environment.

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RELATED TASK

* [Conflict resolution](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/using-finder-classic/importing-and-exporting-authored-content-classic/conflict-resolution-classic)

RELATED REFERENCE

* [Local and shared content](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/references/references-classic/database-information-and-organization-classic/local-and-shared-content-with-finder-classic)
