Your server's backups: create, download and restore

What backups your server has

Up to 2 backups that you make and restore yourself, plus the automatic daily backup (it's named “Copia diaria automática”), which is made by itself every night and replaces the previous day's. They're in “Advanced settings” → “Backups”; from “Home” you also get there with the shortcut of the same name.

A backup saves all the server's files: the world, the mods or plugins and the configuration. It's stored on the server's machine; to have one safe from everything, download the latest to your computer every now and then. For Minecraft, what's worth keeping and how often is in the Minecraft backups guide.

The free server has no backups: download your world from “Files”.

How to make a backup

1. Open “Backups”

   In “Advanced settings”, in your server's menu.

2. Press “Create Backup”

   Give it a name that means something to you (“before the modpack”). In “Ignored Files & Directories” you can leave out what isn't needed.

3. Press “Start backup”

   It takes more or less time depending on the size. It works with the server running, but the safest is to make it stopped: that way no file gets copied halfway through saving.

4. If you already have 2

   To make another, delete one of yours with “Delete”.

How to restore a backup

1. Pick the backup and press “Restore”

   In that backup's menu.

2. Decide whether to delete what's there now

   With “Delete all files before restoring backup.” ticked, the server ends up exactly as in the backup. Unticked, the backup's files go on top and anything created afterwards stays.

3. Wait for it to finish

   The server stops and, until it's done, you can't start it, open its files or make more backups. Then, start it.

Downloading a backup to your computer

In the backup's menu, “Download”. It's a compressed file with the whole server. Keep it somewhere else: if you ever need it, upload it in “Files” (or over SFTP, if it's big) and open it with “Decompress”.

It's the best habit if the world matters to you: one backup on the server to roll back quickly and another at home in case something big happens.

Locking a backup so it isn't deleted

A backup with “Lock” isn't deleted until you unlock it, neither by itself nor by accident. Use it on the good backup from before a big change.

The automatic daily backup is replaced every day. If you want to keep it (for example, the one from before a problem), lock it: it becomes yours and counts as one of your 2.

If you schedule backups in “Schedules”, watch out: when there's no slot left, the panel deletes the oldest backup that isn't locked, even one you made yourself. Lock the ones you don't want to lose.

The backups the game makes itself

Some games also keep their own. Valheim leaves automatic world backups next to it (set in “Settings” → “Saving and the game's backups”), and Hytale saves every 30 minutes to Server/backups, the last 5 (how to go back to one). They're a nice extra: they don't replace the panel's.

Frequently asked questions