Game server and bot backups: adding, creating and restoring

A backup is a copy of your server's files that you can go back to when something goes wrong: a failed update, a broken plugin, griefing or a deleted world. Here's how to add a backup, create one, protect it, restore it and download it.

How backups work#

• A slot is room for one backup. In the Backups tab you see Used X of Y, meaning how many slots are taken out of how many.
• No game server or Discord bot package includes a backup.
• The “1 backup” add-on adds one slot for 120 CZK a month. A service can have at most one backup slot; we don't offer more. Older services that had a slot included keep it.
• You create backups by hand. The only automatic backup is the one a Minecraft server gets before a software change (see below).
• Nothing gets overwritten on its own. When all slots are full, the Create backup button is disabled and you see The limit has been reached. To make a new backup, delete the old one first.
• A backup that failed doesn't count toward the limit.

Adding a backup slot#

You can add a slot right when you order (the Server backup option, for a bot Bot backup), or any time later:

1. Open My services, click the server or bot and go to the Change plan tab.

2. Under Bigger package, leave Keep the current package selected (backup only).

3. Under Backup, add the backup.

4. Check the Pay now row. You only pay the prorated part until the end of the current period; from the next period the price is 120 CZK higher.

5. Click Order and pay and pay.

   Once paid, the slot is available right away; no server restart is needed.

Only the service owner can add a backup. A member of a shared service sees The service owner can add a backup. A service that already has a slot doesn't get the offer.

Removing the backup#

You remove the backup as a smaller change from the next period:

1. In the Change plan tab, under Smaller package, remove the backup.
2. Click Schedule the change.

The slot goes away and the price drops by the add-on price from the start of the next period. Nothing is refunded for the current period. Until then, you can cancel the change with the Cancel the scheduled change button. Once the next period is already paid at the lower price, it can't be cancelled.

You don't need to delete your saved backup to schedule the change. You can keep restoring and downloading it until the end of the paid period.

Creating a backup#

For important backups (before an update, before a wipe), the safest option is to stop the server for a moment. While the server is running, it may be writing the world, and the backup might not be fully consistent.

1. In the Console tab, click Stop and wait until the server is stopped.

2. Go to the Backups tab.

3. In the Backup name (optional) field, write why you're making the backup, for example before-plugin-update. A month from now you'll know what's in it.

4. Click Create backup.

   The backup shows in progress…. The page refreshes on its own; when it's done, the date and size appear.

5. In the Console tab, start the server again with the Start button.

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save-all flush

Locking a backup#

The Lock button protects a backup from being deleted: a locked backup has no Delete button and shows the locked label in the list. It's handy for a “last good state” backup you don't want to delete by accident while cleaning up.

A locked backup still takes up a slot. When you need room for a new one, click Unlock and then Delete.

The lock only protects against deleting in the Backups tab. If you remove the backup add-on, we delete even a locked backup at the start of the next period (see Removing the backup).

Restoring from a backup#

1. In the Backups tab, click Restore next to the backup you want.
2. Decide whether to tick Delete all current files before restoring (see the table below).
3. Confirm the restore with the Slide to restore slider.
4. Wait for the restore to finish. If the server isn't running afterwards, start it in the Console tab with the Start button.

Downloading a backup to your computer#

A copy outside the server is your safety net in case you delete the backup by accident or cancel the service.

1. In the Backups tab, click Download next to the backup.

   Your browser downloads a backup-….tar.gz archive.

2. Extract the archive. On Windows 10 and 11, the built-in tar command works (or the 7-⁠Zip program); on macOS and Linux, tar works too:

   tar -xzf <DOWNLOADED_FILE>

   • tar – a program for working with archives.
   • -x – extract.
   • -z – the archive is compressed with gzip (.gz).
   • -f <DOWNLOADED_FILE> – the name of the archive to extract.

   Replace <DOWNLOADED_FILE> with the name of the downloaded file without the angle brackets, for example backup-a1b2c3d4-5e6f7a8b.tar.gz. Run the command in the folder where the archive is (on Windows in PowerShell, on macOS and Linux in Terminal). The contents are extracted into the same folder.

Automatic backup before a software change (Minecraft)#

When you change the server type or Minecraft version in the Software tab, the customer area backs up the server before the change on its own (We back up the server before the change.). The backup takes up a slot.

• When the slots are full, you see All backup slots are used (… of …). Delete a backup in the Backups tab.
• The owner can also continue without a backup (Continue without a backup). The change can't be undone then, though.

Details are in Changing version and software.

Recommended backup routine#

With one slot, we recommend this routine:

Verify it works#

• In the Backups tab, the backup shows a date and size, not in progress… or failed.
• The downloaded archive can be extracted and contains the server files (for example the world folder or server.cfg).

Troubleshooting#

There's no slot in the Backups tab#

The service has no backup slot. Add one in the Change plan tab as described in “Adding a backup slot”. If you're a member of a shared service, you see The service owner can add a backup.

The Create backup button can't be clicked and I see The limit has been reached.#

The slot is taken. Delete an older backup (unlock a locked one first). We don't offer more than one slot per service.

The backup's status is failed#

Most often the server ran out of disk space, or the server was writing a lot of data during the backup. Check the space, delete files you don't need (old logs, unused worlds) and try again with the server stopped. A failed backup doesn't take up a slot.

After a restore, files that shouldn't be there stayed on the server#

You restored without the Delete all current files before restoring option. Restore the backup again with the option ticked.

After a restore, plugin data in the database doesn't work#

A file backup doesn't bring back the database contents. Restore the database from your own export (an SQL file), for example in HeidiSQL.

The backup disappeared at the start of the period#

You removed the backup in the Change plan tab, so we deleted it when the paid period ended. A deleted backup can't be restored. You can add the slot again, but the old backup won't come back.