Backups: automatic, manual and restoring

What happens automatically

Every server is backed up once a day, around 04:30 Central European Time. Each plan keeps three backups. When a new one is taken, the oldest is deleted to make room.

A backup is a copy of everything in your server's folder: code, requirements.txt, database files, .env, logs. Installed packages in .local are included too.

Where backups are kept

On the same machine as your server. That protects you from your own mistakes, a bad update or a deleted file. It does not protect you from that machine failing. A second copy kept somewhere else is built but not switched on yet. Until it is, download a backup now and then, and keep your code in Git on your own computer or GitHub.

Taking a backup yourself

1. Open Backups and press Create backup.
2. Give it a name so you can tell it apart, like before upgrading discord.py.
3. Ignored Files & Directories is optional. List things to leave out, one per line, for example .local or bot.log.

Your own backups use the same three slots as the automatic ones. If all three are full, delete one first.

Keep a backup from being replaced

Open the backup's menu and choose Lock. A locked backup is never deleted by the daily job or by you until you unlock it. It still counts as one of your three, so if you lock all three, no new daily backups are taken until you unlock one.

Download a backup

Backup menu, Download. You get a .tar.gz file. Windows opens these with 7-Zip; macOS and Linux open them natively.

Restore a backup

1. Download anything you want to keep from now. Restoring puts files back as they were, which includes rolling back any data your bot saved since.
2. Backup menu, Restore.
3. Decide on Delete all files before restoring backup. Ticked, your folder ends up exactly like the backup. Unticked, files in the backup overwrite current ones, and files created since the backup are left alone.
4. Confirm. The server stops while it restores. Start it again afterwards.

After you cancel

When a subscription ends, the server is suspended and your files and backups are kept for 14 days, then deleted for good. Download what you want before then. Terms, clause 8.

Something here wrong or out of date? Tell us and it gets fixed.