I realized that there might be a bit of confusion about the two different export functions inside Pinegrow. Rather than spend time creating a video, I just want to jump in with a quick explanation. (hopefully this doesn’t get lost in the forum)
Pinegrow has two different ways that you can export “stuff.” One, is to export your Pinegrow project. This lets you take all the project files and back them up to your computer or edit them using Pinegrow Desktop. To access this export, go to the “menu” button and click “download.” Remember, this is a backup of the source project files and can’t be installed on a site as a plugin or theme.
The other export function is for the WordPress theme or block plugin. This is the thing that actually runs on your WordPress site. Under normal circumstances you don’t need this since the Pinegrow builder installs it for you when you use the export function, but it’s there as a way for you to quickly export & download your theme or block plugin as a zip file so you can use it on another website without having to ssh or FTP into your server, copy and zip files, etc.
I hope this helps clear up any confusion about the two options.