Backups

Backups apply to database Services on self-managed Worker Nodes in the applications flow. Open the Backups tab; the heading is Backups, with the description: create and manage database backups.

App and Docker Services do not use this tab for code backups. Use Git tags, registry snapshots, and your own object-storage pipelines for application artifacts.

For dump formats, SSH flow, permissions, and limits, see Backups and restore.

Open the Backups tab

1. Go to Applications → your application → Environment.
2. Open your database service.
3. Click Backups.

The tab has three areas:

1. Backup destination — internal vs external storage (saved per database service).
2. Create backup schedule, Create backup, and Import from file — automation and one-off actions.
3. Backup list — each row shows timestamp, storage type, schedule badges, status, and actions.

Organisation-wide backup list

The organisation sidebar includes Backups (/{organisation}/backups). It lists database backups across all applications and services in read-only form (no Restore or Delete from this page). Use a service’s Backups tab to manage snapshots for that database.

Backup destination

On the Backups tab, choose Internal storage (dump files on the worker node) or External storage (S3-compatible bucket via Integrations → Backup Storage). Click Save destination before creating backups or schedules.

For External storage, pick a verified provider from the dropdown. If none exist, the UI links to Open Backup Storage under Integrations.

After you save a new destination, the next manual or scheduled run uses it. Existing backup rows keep their original storage type.

Create an on-demand backup

1. Open the Service → Backups tab.
2. Confirm the backup destination and external provider (if applicable).
3. Click Create backup.
4. Wait for the toast confirming the job was Added to queue.

Restore or delete a snapshot

When backups exist, each success row shows Download, Restore, and Delete.

Confirm carefully: restores overwrite live data for that Service.

• Restores and deletes enqueue work; follow progress in toasts and Logs if something stalls.

Download a backup dump

On any success row, click Download (icon) to save the .dump file locally.

• External backups download via a short-lived link to your bucket.
• Internal backups are staged to temporary platform storage first; the dashboard polls until the file is ready.

Import a dump from your computer

Click Import from file on the Backups tab to upload a dump and restore it into the live database. Any file extension is accepted.

1. Choose or drag a dump file and wait for the upload to finish.
2. Confirm that restore will overwrite all current data.
3. Click Restore from dump.

The restore runs as a background job over SSH, same as restoring an existing backup row.

Backup schedules

Create backup schedule opens Configure backup schedule with Hourly, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly options. Enable one or more tiers, then click Save schedule. Uncheck all tiers and save to turn automation off.

After you save, the Backup destination card shows Active schedules: with the tier names you enabled. Saving a schedule also triggers an immediate run for due tiers.

The schedule dialog describes retention in plain language (for example “kept for 7 days” on Daily); the platform enforces the count in the table above. When a scheduled backup succeeds, older successful backups for that tier only are pruned automatically.

Scheduled backups respect the backup destination on the same tab. External storage requires a verified Backup Storage provider; Internal storage does not.

A background check runs about every 10 minutes for services with at least one tier enabled. If a backup is already in-progress, further scheduled tiers for that service are skipped until it finishes.

Backup status

Rows may also show badges for internal / external, schedule tier (hourly, daily, etc.), and scheduled (automation vs manual Create backup).

Backups left in-progress for more than about two hours are marked failed automatically.

Operational notes

• Backups require self-managed compute (servers). Managed compute disables Backups tab actions in the dashboard.
• Internal backups are only as durable as the underlying Worker Node disk. Use External storage for off-server copies.
• Test restores on a non-production Environment before you rely on a path for incidents.
• When deleting an Environment, Application, or detaching compute, you can optionally delete associated backups (internal dump files and external bucket objects when metadata is complete).
• Legacy managed project types may block backup creation at the API (Not allowed to create backup).

Screenshots

Recommended captures:

• Backups tab with Backup destination, Create backup, and Import from file.
• Backup list with Download, Restore, and Delete visible.
• Configure backup schedule dialog.
• Organisation Backups page showing cross-project list.

Related

• Backups and restore (deep dive on dumps, permissions, limits)
• Backup storage integration
• Redeploy and rollback (data vs code recovery)
• Deployment issues
• Databases overview (engine context)