# Back Up Your Secret Phrase
## **Your Secret phrase is your account**.
It is essential that you keep your Secret Phrase in a safe place at all times — losing it means losing access to your funds. We also strongly suggest that you never store your Secret Phrase online, as this is an unnecessary risk of leaking it to the outside world. Store it physically, e.g. on a piece of paper, and hide it in a safe place that only you have access to.
Although JSON files are a popular way to store your accounts when migrating from one wallet/extension to another, JSON files are not a time-proof way to store your accounts. If you forget the password associated to your JSON files and you don't have a Secret Phrase for those accounts, you will no longer be able access those funds. \
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Therefore, you must keep your Secret Phrase safely locked away offline alongside any JSON file that you have. You can always obtain a new JSON file from a Secret Phrase, *but you can never obtain a Secret Phrase from a JSON file.*
## Accessing your Secret Phrase
1. From the Expanded view of the Talisman extension, click Settings
2\. On the left tab, click Recovery Phrase
Note: from Talisman wallet small view, you may access this screen by clicking click the More > Backup Wallet
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3. If you haven’t backed up your recovery phrase yet, you will see this Backup option which you can select to reveal your recovery phrase OR click the three dot button > select Backup
4. Once you’ve read the notice, click Acknowledge and Continue
5. Enter your Talisman password and click Verify Recovery Phrase
6. After you backup your phrase, you may proceed to Verify My Recovery Phrase.
7. After you verify your recovery phrase, select Complete Verification.
Congratulations! You have successfully backed up your recovery phrase.
## Export Your Private Key
1. From the Expanded view of the Talisman extension, click Settings
2. Select Manage Accounts
3. Click the three dot menu and select Export Private Key
4. Once you enter your Talisman Wallet password, click submit
5. Now you may export your private key
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v 3.1.7
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