Back up and move your firewall rules

Step by step

1. Export to a file. Run outboundctl rules export rules-backup.json from a directory you can write to. Keep the output file somewhere you back up.
2. Inspect the export. Open the JSON file in a text editor and check that it contains the expected rules. Treat process paths and internal destinations as sensitive.
3. Prepare the destination Mac. Install and configure the intended Outbound release. Export the destination’s current rules to a separate file before importing anything.
4. Import your user rules. Run outboundctl rules import rules-backup.json. The command validates the file and replaces your user rules with user rules from the export.
5. Test important connections. Check exact paths and signing identities on the destination. Test your normal apps. If needed, import the destination backup to restore its previous user rules.

The commands

outboundctl rules export rules-backup.json
outboundctl rules import rules-backup.json
outboundctl rules list

The CLI’s import is a user-rule operation. It does not transplant MDM policy, blocklist subscriptions or profile settings. Managed and blocklist rules in the imported file are ignored.

Automatic backup is a second layer

The rule store keeps the previous file as a backup and can fall back to it if the main file is corrupt. That is not a substitute for a separate export before a deliberate change.

Moving from another firewall

Outbound has no LuLu or Little Snitch importer. Re-create the rules you need and test them rather than renaming another product’s export file. LuLu’s official documentation describes its own export/import options; formats are product-specific.