Separate downloadedAt from dashboards as code for cleaner version control #18159
Description
Description
When exporting charts and dashboards as YAML, each file includes a downloadedAt timestamp field. This creates unnecessary git diffs on every export, even when the actual configuration hasn't changed. For teams managing Lightdash configurations in version control, this makes it nearly impossible to track meaningful changes or maintain clean commit histories.
Current behaviour
Every exported YAML includes:
downloadedAt: "2025-11-17T08:03:05.157Z"This timestamp changes with each export, generating diffs that obscure real configuration changes.
Proposed solution
Move export metadata like downloadedAt to a separate file (e.g., .lightdash-export-meta.json or a _metadata.yaml file) that can be gitignored while still being available when needed.
The core YAML files would contain only the actual chart/dashboard configuration, keeping them stable and diff-friendly. Teams that need the timestamp for auditing or sync purposes could still access it, but it wouldn't pollute the version-controlled configuration files.
Use case
Teams using git to version control their Lightdash setup, track changes over time, review config