If you highlight passages while reading on a Kobo, getting those highlights off the device and somewhere useful is surprisingly tricky. This guide covers every method — from the simplest to the most powerful — and shows you how to view all your highlights beautifully in Luminaria once you've exported them.

In this guide
  1. Exporting with Kobo native firmware
  2. Exporting with KOReader
  3. Viewing your highlights in Luminaria
  4. Keeping your highlights in sync automatically

Method 1: Exporting with Kobo native firmware

If you're using the standard Kobo firmware (not KOReader), Luminaria has a built-in import tool that reads your highlights directly from the device — no third-party software or file conversion needed.

Using the Luminaria Kobo import tool

Step 1

Connect your Kobo to your computer via USB and tap Connect when prompted on the device.

Step 2

Go to luminaria.uk in your browser and click Use Kobo native firmware? Export highlights here below the drop zone.

Step 3

Click Select KoboReader.sqlite and navigate to the .kobo folder on your device. The file you need is called KoboReader.sqlite.


On Mac: press Cmd + Shift + . to show hidden files. On Windows: enable "Show hidden items" in File Explorer.

Step 4

Luminaria reads the file directly in your browser — nothing is uploaded anywhere — and your highlights load instantly, organised by book.

✓ Completely private The KoboReader.sqlite file is read locally in your browser using WebAssembly. It is never sent to any server. Your highlights stay on your device.

For books purchased from Kobo (alternative method)

If you prefer, Kobo's website also lets you export annotations from books you've bought directly from the Kobo Store. Sign in at kobo.com, go to My Books, click the Actions icon next to a book, then click Export Annotations. Note this only works for Kobo Store purchases, not sideloaded books, and exported files are only stored for 30 days.

Method 2: Exporting with KOReader

KOReader is an open-source reading app that runs on Kobo devices (and many others). It has the best highlight export of any e-reader app — it exports all your highlights from all your books into a single, well-formatted markdown file with one tap.

Exporting all highlights at once

Step 1

Open KOReader on your device and tap the top of the screen to bring up the menu.

Step 2

Tap the Search icon (magnifying glass), then tap Export all highlights.

Step 3

KOReader generates a single .md file containing every highlight from every book, organised by title and author. Connect your device via USB and copy the file from /mnt/onboard/.adds/koreader/clipboard/ to your computer.

Step 4

Drag the file into Luminaria — your highlights load instantly.

View your highlights beautifully

Drop your exported file into Luminaria and browse every passage you've ever marked, organised by book with full-text search.

Open Luminaria →

Viewing your highlights in Luminaria

Luminaria is a private web app built specifically for reading highlights. It supports highlights from Kobo native firmware, KOReader, Kindle, and Readwise.

Step 1

Go to luminaria.uk in any browser.

Step 2

Either drag and drop your exported file onto the page, or use the Kobo import tool to load directly from your device's SQLite database — no export file needed.

Step 3

Your highlights appear instantly, organised by book in the sidebar. Search across every passage, star your favourites, copy quotes to clipboard, and export to PDF or Notion with a free token.

Keeping your highlights in sync automatically

If you use KOReader, Luminaria has a sync feature that keeps your highlights up to date automatically — no file management needed.

Export to PDF or Notion

Get a free token to sync from KOReader. Upgrade to unlock PDF export and Notion export — works however you loaded your highlights.

Get your free token →