> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/modrinth/code/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Backups

> Protect your server data with automated and manual backups

## Overview

Every Modrinth server includes **15 backup slots** at no additional cost. Backups are stored securely off-site and can be restored at any time.

<Note>
  Backups are stored separately from your server, so they remain safe even if your server has issues.
</Note>

## Automatic Backup Schedules

Modrinth can automatically create backups on a schedule you define.

### Setting Up Auto-Backups

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Backups tab">
    Navigate to **Backups** in your server management panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable automatic backups">
    Toggle the **Automatic backups** switch to enable scheduled backups.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure schedule">
    Choose your backup frequency:

    * Every 6 hours
    * Every 12 hours
    * Daily (recommended)
    * Every 2 days
    * Weekly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set retention">
    Decide how many automatic backups to keep before old ones are deleted.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Daily backups provide a good balance between protection and storage usage. Adjust based on how frequently your world changes.
</Tip>

### How Auto-Backups Work

1. **Scheduled backup runs** at the configured time
2. **Server saves world data** to ensure consistency
3. **Backup archives created** with world files and configs
4. **Upload to storage** happens in the background
5. **Old backups pruned** automatically based on retention policy

<Warning>
  Backup creation temporarily increases server load. If running a high-player server, schedule backups during off-peak hours.
</Warning>

## Manual Backups

Create a backup manually whenever you need to preserve the current server state.

### Creating a Manual Backup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Backups">
    Open the **Backups** tab in your server panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create Backup">
    Click the **Create Backup** button in the top-right.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name your backup">
    Enter a descriptive name:

    ```
    Before_Major_Update
    Pre_Mod_Installation
    Working_Version_2024_03_14
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for completion">
    Watch the progress bar as the backup is created and uploaded.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Always create a manual backup before:

  * Installing major mods or updates
  * Making significant configuration changes
  * Updating server software
  * Performing world edits
</Tip>

### When to Create Manual Backups

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Before updates" icon="download">
    Create a backup before updating:

    * Minecraft version
    * Server software
    * Major mods
  </Card>

  <Card title="Before changes" icon="wrench">
    Backup before:

    * Installing new mods
    * Editing world data
    * Changing server properties
  </Card>

  <Card title="After milestones" icon="flag">
    Save progress after:

    * Completing major builds
    * Reaching goals
    * Server events
  </Card>

  <Card title="Before troubleshooting" icon="bug">
    Protect data before:

    * Debugging issues
    * Testing fixes
    * Removing problematic mods
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Restoring from Backups

### Restore Process

<Warning>
  **Important:** Restoring a backup will replace all current server data. Make sure this is what you want to do.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Stop your server">
    Stop the server before restoring. This prevents data conflicts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select backup">
    In the **Backups** tab, find the backup you want to restore.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Restore">
    1. Click the **Restore** button next to the backup
    2. Read the confirmation warning
    3. Type the server name to confirm
    4. Click **Confirm Restore**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for restoration">
    The backup will be downloaded and extracted. This may take several minutes depending on size.

    Progress is shown in real-time:

    ```
    Downloading backup... 45%
    Extracting files... 78%
    Restoring complete!
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start server">
    Once restoration completes, start your server normally.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If restoration fails, your server will remain in its pre-restore state. Contact support if you encounter issues.
</Note>

### What Gets Restored

A full backup restore includes:

* **World data** - All dimensions and chunks
* **Player data** - Inventories, positions, stats
* **Server configurations** - `server.properties` and config files
* **Installed mods/plugins** - All mod files
* **Permissions and data** - Player permissions and plugin data

<Warning>
  Backups do **not** include:

  * Server software binaries (automatically reinstalled)
  * Custom startup scripts (reconfigured automatically)
  * Network settings (preserved separately)
</Warning>

## Backup Retention Policies

### Understanding Backup Slots

You have 15 backup slots:

```
📦 Slot 1: Auto_2024_03_14_12_00
📦 Slot 2: Auto_2024_03_13_12_00  
📦 Slot 3: Manual_Before_Update
📦 Slot 4: Auto_2024_03_12_12_00
...
📦 Slot 15: Auto_2024_03_01_12_00
```

### Automatic Cleanup

When backup slots are full:

1. **Manual backups** are kept and never auto-deleted
2. **Oldest automatic backups** are deleted first
3. **New backups** fill the freed slots

<Tip>
  If you want to preserve an automatic backup, rename it to convert it to a manual backup.
</Tip>

### Managing Backup Storage

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Check storage usage" icon="database">
    View backup storage in the **Backups** tab header:

    ```
    Backups: 12 / 15 slots used
    Total size: 8.4 GB
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Delete old backups" icon="trash">
    Manually delete backups you no longer need:

    1. Find the backup in the list
    2. Click the three-dot menu (...)
    3. Select **Delete**
    4. Confirm deletion

    <Warning>
      Deleted backups cannot be recovered. Make sure you don't need them.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rename backups" icon="pen">
    Give backups descriptive names:

    1. Click the three-dot menu (...)
    2. Select **Rename**
    3. Enter new name
    4. Click **Save**
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Download Backups Locally

You can download backups to your computer for extra security or to use in other environments.

### Downloading a Backup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Backups tab">
    Navigate to **Backups** in your server panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select backup to download">
    Find the backup you want to download.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Download">
    1. Click the three-dot menu (...) next to the backup
    2. Select **Download**
    3. Choose a location on your computer
    4. Wait for the download to complete
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Backup downloads are provided as compressed `.tar.gz` archives to reduce file size.
</Note>

### Using Downloaded Backups

You can use downloaded backups to:

* **Run locally** - Extract and run on your own computer
* **Migrate servers** - Move to a different hosting provider
* **Archive** - Keep offline backups of important worlds
* **Share** - Send world to others

#### Extracting a Backup

**On Windows:**

```bash theme={null}
# Using 7-Zip
7z x backup.tar.gz
7z x backup.tar
```

**On macOS/Linux:**

```bash theme={null}
tar -xzf backup.tar.gz
```

<Tip>
  After extraction, you'll find your world folder, server files, and configurations ready to use.
</Tip>

## Backup Progress Tracking

Modrinth provides real-time progress updates for backup operations via WebSocket connection.

### Backup States

| State         | Description                   |
| ------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Queued**    | Backup is waiting to start    |
| **Ongoing**   | Backup is being created       |
| **Done**      | Backup completed successfully |
| **Failed**    | Backup encountered an error   |
| **Cancelled** | Backup was manually cancelled |
| **Unchanged** | No changes since last backup  |

### Progress Indicators

During backup operations, you'll see:

```
Creating backup...
[================>             ] 65%

Files processed: 1,234 / 1,890
Size: 2.4 GB
```

<Note>
  You can continue using your server normally during backup creation. Performance impact is minimal.
</Note>

### Cancelling Backups

If you need to stop a backup in progress:

1. Find the ongoing backup in the list
2. Click the **Cancel** button
3. Confirm cancellation

The partial backup will be discarded.

## Backup Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Regular schedule" icon="calendar">
    Enable automatic backups with daily frequency for active servers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Before changes" icon="shield">
    Always create a manual backup before:

    * Major updates
    * Mod installations
    * Configuration changes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Test restores" icon="flask">
    Periodically test backup restoration to ensure they work correctly.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keep local copies" icon="hard-drive">
    Download important backups to your computer for additional safety.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Backup Naming Convention

Use descriptive names for manual backups:

```
✅ Good names:
   - Before_1.20_Update
   - Pre_Mod_Cleanup_2024_03
   - Working_Dragon_Fight_Arena

❌ Bad names:
   - backup1
   - test
   - asdf
```

## Troubleshooting Backups

### Backup Creation Failed

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Not enough storage" icon="database">
    **Solution:** Delete old backups to free up slots, or contact support to increase your backup quota.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Server is offline" icon="power-off">
    **Solution:** Backups can only be created when the server is running. Start your server and try again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Another backup in progress" icon="clock">
    **Solution:** Wait for the current backup to complete before starting a new one.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Restore Failed

<Steps>
  <Step title="Verify server is stopped">
    Make sure your server is completely stopped before restoring.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check backup integrity">
    If a backup is corrupted, try a different backup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Contact support">
    If restoration repeatedly fails, contact Modrinth Support with:

    * Server ID
    * Backup name
    * Error message
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Backup Shows "Unchanged"

This means no files were modified since the last backup:

* Server was offline
* No players joined
* No world changes occurred

This is normal and saves storage space.

<Note>
  Need more than 15 backup slots? Contact support to discuss your requirements.
</Note>