diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/types.ts b/apps/obsidian/src/types.ts
index f7bc3fc41..ef4ea1256 100644
--- a/apps/obsidian/src/types.ts
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/types.ts
@@ -117,4 +117,29 @@ export type ImportFolderMetadata = {
   userName?: string;
 };
 
+export type DiscourseSchemaTemplate = {
+  name: string;
+  content: string;
+};
+
+export type DiscourseSchemaFile = {
+  version: number;
+  exportedAt: string;
+  pluginVersion: string;
+  vaultName: string;
+  /** Obsidian appId of the exporting vault; lets importers rebuild the source RID. */
+  vaultId: string;
+  nodeTypes: DiscourseNode[];
+  relationTypes: DiscourseRelationType[];
+  discourseRelations: DiscourseRelation[];
+  templates: DiscourseSchemaTemplate[];
+};
+
+export type SchemaSelection = {
+  nodeTypeIds: string[];
+  relationTypeIds: string[];
+  discourseRelationIds: string[];
+  templateNames: string[];
+};
+
 export const VIEW_TYPE_DISCOURSE_CONTEXT = "discourse-context-view";
diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/utils/nativeJsonFileDialogs.ts b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/nativeJsonFileDialogs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a784c61e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/nativeJsonFileDialogs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+type SaveDialogResult = {
+  canceled: boolean;
+  filePath?: string;
+};
+
+type OpenDialogResult = {
+  canceled: boolean;
+  filePaths: string[];
+};
+
+type ElectronDialog = {
+  showSaveDialog: (options: {
+    title: string;
+    defaultPath: string;
+    filters: Array<{ name: string; extensions: string[] }>;
+  }) => Promise<SaveDialogResult>;
+  showOpenDialog: (options: {
+    title: string;
+    properties: string[];
+    filters: Array<{ name: string; extensions: string[] }>;
+  }) => Promise<OpenDialogResult>;
+};
+
+type ElectronLike = {
+  dialog?: ElectronDialog;
+  remote?: {
+    dialog?: ElectronDialog;
+  };
+};
+
+type FsPromisesLike = {
+  readFile: (path: string, encoding: string) => Promise<string>;
+  writeFile: (path: string, data: string, encoding: string) => Promise<void>;
+};
+
+type ElectronWindow = Window & {
+  require: (name: string) => unknown;
+};
+
+export class NativeFileDialogCancelledError extends Error {
+  constructor() {
+    super("File dialog cancelled");
+    this.name = "NativeFileDialogCancelledError";
+  }
+}
+
+const getElectronWindow = (): ElectronWindow => {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined" || !("require" in window)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Schema export/import requires Obsidian desktop (Electron).",
+    );
+  }
+  return window as ElectronWindow;
+};
+
+const getFsPromises = (electronWindow: ElectronWindow): FsPromisesLike => {
+  const fsPromises = electronWindow.require("fs/promises");
+  if (
+    typeof fsPromises !== "object" ||
+    fsPromises === null ||
+    !("readFile" in fsPromises) ||
+    !("writeFile" in fsPromises)
+  ) {
+    throw new Error("Unable to access filesystem read/write APIs.");
+  }
+  return fsPromises as FsPromisesLike;
+};
+
+const getElectronDialog = (electronWindow: ElectronWindow): ElectronDialog => {
+  const electron = electronWindow.require("electron") as ElectronLike;
+  const dialog = electron.dialog ?? electron.remote?.dialog;
+  if (!dialog?.showSaveDialog || !dialog.showOpenDialog) {
+    throw new Error("Unable to access Electron file dialogs.");
+  }
+  return dialog;
+};
+
+export const saveJsonToUserLocation = async ({
+  title,
+  fileName,
+  content,
+}: {
+  title: string;
+  fileName: string;
+  content: string;
+}): Promise<string> => {
+  const electronWindow = getElectronWindow();
+  const dialog = getElectronDialog(electronWindow);
+  const result = await dialog.showSaveDialog({
+    title,
+    defaultPath: fileName,
+    filters: [{ name: "JSON files", extensions: ["json"] }],
+  });
+  if (result.canceled || !result.filePath) {
+    throw new NativeFileDialogCancelledError();
+  }
+  const fsPromises = getFsPromises(electronWindow);
+  await fsPromises.writeFile(result.filePath, content, "utf8");
+  return result.filePath;
+};
+
+export const openJsonFromUserLocation = async ({
+  title,
+}: {
+  title: string;
+}): Promise<{ content: string; sourcePath: string }> => {
+  const electronWindow = getElectronWindow();
+  const dialog = getElectronDialog(electronWindow);
+  const result = await dialog.showOpenDialog({
+    title,
+    properties: ["openFile"],
+    filters: [{ name: "JSON files", extensions: ["json"] }],
+  });
+  if (result.canceled || !result.filePaths[0]) {
+    throw new NativeFileDialogCancelledError();
+  }
+  const fsPromises = getFsPromises(electronWindow);
+  const sourcePath = result.filePaths[0];
+  const content = await fsPromises.readFile(sourcePath, "utf8");
+  return { content, sourcePath };
+};
diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/utils/specValidation.ts b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/specValidation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..09f96f7e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/specValidation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+import type {
+  DiscourseNode,
+  DiscourseRelation,
+  DiscourseRelationType,
+  DiscourseSchemaFile,
+  DiscourseSchemaTemplate,
+} from "~/types";
+import { TLDRAW_COLOR_NAMES } from "~/utils/tldrawColors";
+
+export const DG_SCHEMA_EXPORT_VERSION = 1;
+
+const discourseNodeSchema: z.ZodType<DiscourseNode> = z
+  .object({
+    id: z.string(),
+    name: z.string(),
+    format: z.string(),
+    template: z.string().optional(),
+    description: z.string().optional(),
+    shortcut: z.string().optional(),
+    color: z.string().optional(),
+    tag: z.string().optional(),
+    keyImage: z.boolean().optional(),
+    folderPath: z.string().optional(),
+    created: z.number(),
+    modified: z.number(),
+    importedFromRid: z.string().optional(),
+    authorId: z.number().optional(),
+  })
+  .passthrough();
+
+const relationImportStatusSchema = z.enum(["provisional", "accepted"]);
+
+const discourseRelationTypeSchema: z.ZodType<DiscourseRelationType> = z
+  .object({
+    id: z.string(),
+    label: z.string(),
+    complement: z.string(),
+    color: z.enum(TLDRAW_COLOR_NAMES),
+    created: z.number(),
+    modified: z.number(),
+    importedFromRid: z.string().optional(),
+    status: relationImportStatusSchema.optional(),
+    authorId: z.number().optional(),
+  })
+  .passthrough();
+
+const discourseRelationSchema: z.ZodType<DiscourseRelation> = z
+  .object({
+    id: z.string(),
+    sourceId: z.string(),
+    destinationId: z.string(),
+    relationshipTypeId: z.string(),
+    created: z.number(),
+    modified: z.number(),
+    importedFromRid: z.string().optional(),
+    status: relationImportStatusSchema.optional(),
+    authorId: z.number().optional(),
+  })
+  .passthrough();
+
+const templateExportSchema: z.ZodType<DiscourseSchemaTemplate> = z
+  .object({ name: z.string(), content: z.string() })
+  .passthrough();
+
+export const dgSchemaFileSchema: z.ZodType<DiscourseSchemaFile> = z
+  .object({
+    version: z.literal(DG_SCHEMA_EXPORT_VERSION),
+    exportedAt: z.string(),
+    pluginVersion: z.string(),
+    vaultName: z.string(),
+    vaultId: z.string(),
+    nodeTypes: z.array(discourseNodeSchema),
+    relationTypes: z.array(discourseRelationTypeSchema),
+    discourseRelations: z.array(discourseRelationSchema),
+    templates: z.array(templateExportSchema),
+  })
+  .passthrough();
+
+const normalizeToKebabCase = (value: string): string => {
+  return value
+    .trim()
+    .toLowerCase()
+    .replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, "-")
+    .replace(/^-+|-+$/g, "")
+    .replace(/-{2,}/g, "-");
+};
+
+export const getDgSchemaFileName = (vaultName?: string): string => {
+  const normalizedVaultName = vaultName ? normalizeToKebabCase(vaultName) : "";
+  const safeVaultName =
+    normalizedVaultName.length > 0 ? normalizedVaultName : "vault";
+  return `dg-schema-${safeVaultName}.json`;
+};
+
+export const parseDgSchemaFile = (value: unknown): DiscourseSchemaFile => {
+  return dgSchemaFileSchema.parse(value);
+};