Last updated: 2026-04-18

Export Azure Data Studio Connections

Azure Data Studio stores saved connections in a user settings.json file under the datasource.connections key. To export them, open that file, copy the datasource.connections array, and paste the values into Jam SQL Studio (or any other SQL client) connection-by-connection. Passwords are not included because ADS keeps them in the OS credential store.

Why Export ADS Connections

Microsoft retired Azure Data Studio on February 28, 2026. Once you move to a supported client, you will need every server address, database name, and authentication setting you accumulated over the years. Exporting the settings.json file gives you a portable, machine-readable inventory of all your connections so the migration is a lookup exercise, not a memory exercise.

Where ADS Stores Connections

The short answer: in a single JSON file per user profile. The exact path depends on your operating system.

Inside the file, two keys hold the connection data:

• datasource.connections — an array of saved connection objects.
• datasource.connectionGroups — an array of folder/group objects that organize the connections.

Step-by-Step Export

The process takes about 10 minutes. You are copying text, not running an export wizard.

1. Locate the settings.json file at the path for your OS above. In Azure Data Studio itself, you can also run Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) from the Command Palette to jump straight to it.
2. Back up the file by copying it to settings.backup.json in the same folder. This lets you roll back if anything goes wrong during editing.
3. Open settings.json in any text editor and search for "datasource.connections". You should see an array of objects, each with an options sub-object containing the server, database, and authentication fields.
4. Copy the connection entries into a separate file such as ads-connections.json. This gives you a portable export you can diff, version-control, or share between machines.
5. Gather your passwords from your password manager or OS credential store (Keychain, Credential Manager, libsecret). ADS never stored them in settings.json, so they are not part of the export.
6. Re-create each connection in Jam SQL Studio using the exported values. See Importing Into Jam SQL Studio below.

What's In the Exported JSON

Each entry in datasource.connections is a small object with an options block. Here is the shape of a typical SQL Server connection:

{
  "datasource.connections": [
    {
      "options": {
        "connectionName": "Production AdventureWorks",
        "server": "prod-sql-01.example.com,1433",
        "database": "AdventureWorks2019",
        "user": "reporting_user",
        "authenticationType": "SqlLogin",
        "applicationName": "azdata",
        "trustServerCertificate": true,
        "encrypt": "Mandatory"
      },
      "groupId": "C777F06B-202E-4480-B475-FA416154D458",
      "providerName": "MSSQL",
      "savePassword": true,
      "id": "8f9d1e4a-1c2b-4a0e-9c2a-1f2e3d4c5b6a"
    }
  ],
  "datasource.connectionGroups": [
    {
      "name": "Production",
      "id": "C777F06B-202E-4480-B475-FA416154D458",
      "parentId": "ROOT",
      "color": "#515151"
    }
  ]
}

The fields you care about for a migration are:

Importing Into Jam SQL Studio

Jam SQL Studio does not parse settings.json directly, but every field in the ADS export has a one-to-one equivalent in the New Connection dialog. Open the full Connections guide for the connection-creation UI, then map the fields as follows.

1. Open Jam SQL Studio and click New Connection in the sidebar.
2. Paste values from the exported JSON into the matching fields using the table above.
3. Enter the password (ADS did not export it).
4. Click Test to verify connectivity, then Save.
5. Repeat for each entry in the datasource.connections array.

Password Caveat

Azure Data Studio never wrote passwords into settings.json. The savePassword: true flag only means ADS remembered the password in the operating system credential store, which is not exportable in a portable way.

• macOS: passwords live in Keychain under entries like Microsoft.SqlTools|itemtype:Profile|id:....
• Windows: passwords live in Credential Manager under Generic Credentials with a similar target name.
• Linux: passwords live in libsecret/GNOME Keyring.

Before you start importing, collect the passwords you will need. The fastest options are:

• Your password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, KeePass, LastPass).
• The OS credential store, accessed via Keychain Access / Credential Manager / Seahorse.
• Your organization's secrets manager (Azure Key Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Azure Data Studio store connections?

In a single file: settings.json inside the user profile directory. On macOS that is ~/Library/Application Support/azuredatastudio/User/settings.json, on Windows %APPDATA%\azuredatastudio\User\settings.json, and on Linux ~/.config/azuredatastudio/User/settings.json. The relevant keys are datasource.connections (the saved servers) and datasource.connectionGroups (the folder hierarchy).

Can I export ADS connections to a CSV or XML file?

Not directly. Azure Data Studio never shipped a native Export Connections command for CSV or XML. The supported export format is the existing JSON in settings.json. Because it is already machine-readable, you can convert it to CSV with a one-liner in PowerShell, Python, or jq if your target tool needs a tabular format.

Does the ADS export include passwords?

No. Passwords are stored in the OS credential store (Keychain, Credential Manager, libsecret), never in settings.json. The JSON export contains usernames and authentication types but not secrets. Plan to re-enter each password after import.

How do I import these connections into Jam SQL Studio?

Open Jam SQL Studio, click New Connection, and copy each field from the exported JSON using the mapping table in the Importing Into Jam SQL Studio section. The server, database, user, and authentication values transfer one-to-one. See the Connections guide for the full connection dialog reference.

Can I use these exported connections with SSMS or DBeaver?

Yes, the underlying values are vendor-neutral. SSMS stores Registered Servers as XML, DBeaver stores connections in its own data-sources.json, and Jam SQL Studio uses an internal store — but every tool asks for the same primitives: server, database, user, and authentication type. You can paste those values into any client.

What happens to my ADS connections after February 28, 2026?

The application was retired on that date. It may still launch on your machine, but it no longer receives security updates or new SQL Server driver fixes. Exporting settings.json preserves your connection inventory so you can rebuild it in a supported client without waiting for ADS to break. See the ADS retirement announcement for the full timeline.