---
title: Back up Coolify
description: Create and verify self-hosted Coolify instance backups, save the instance encryption key, and configure recurring backups.
---

import { BrowserTerminal, Refresh23 } from 'reicon-react';

# Back up Coolify

An instance backup saves Coolify's own data, including your projects, resources, settings, and deployment history. It does not back up data stored inside your applications, databases, or volumes.

<Callout type="warn" title="Self-hosted instances only">
The Coolify team manages Coolify Cloud instance backups. You are still responsible for backing up the applications and databases deployed to your connected servers.
</Callout>

For a self-hosted instance, open **Settings** in the left sidebar, then select **Backup**.

If Coolify says instance backups are disabled, validate the server that runs Coolify:

1. Select **Open server settings**.
2. On the server page, select **Validate connection**.
3. After validation succeeds, open **Settings > Backup** again.

The first time you open **Backup**, select **Configure backup**. Coolify then creates the backup configuration and turns on a daily backup schedule.

## Before you back up

- Choose where you will keep a copy of the backup, such as another server or your computer. Do not keep the only copy on the Coolify server.
- Save the instance `APP_KEY` as described below. Coolify uses this key to encrypt secrets stored in its database.

---

## Choose a backup path

Use the dashboard while it is available. Use the terminal when the dashboard is unavailable or you need a backup that does not depend on the configured schedule.

<Tabs id="manual-instance-backup" items={['Dashboard', 'Terminal']}>
<Tab value="Dashboard" icon={Refresh23}>

### Create a backup from the dashboard

<Steps>
<Step>

**Queue the backup**

Under **Backup schedule**, select **Back up now**.

<ZoomableImage src="/docs/images/knowledge-base/how-tos/backup-restore-coolify/2.webp" alt="Backup Now action in the Scheduled Backup section" />

</Step>
<Step>

**Confirm the result**

After you select **Back up now**, a new entry appears under **Executions**. Its status changes from **In Progress** to **Success** when the backup is ready. If it changes to **Failed**, read the message shown in the entry.

Select **Download** while **Local Storage** is available to save a copy to your computer.

</Step>
</Steps>

</Tab>

<Tab value="Terminal" icon={BrowserTerminal}>

### Create a backup from the terminal

Run the following command on the server that hosts Coolify to create the backup file:

```sh
mkdir -p /data/backups
docker exec coolify-db \
  pg_dump --format=custom --no-acl --no-owner \
  --username=coolify coolify \
  > /data/backups/coolify-db-manual-backup.dmp
```

Confirm that the file exists and is not empty:

```sh
test -s /data/backups/coolify-db-manual-backup.dmp \
  && ls -lh /data/backups/coolify-db-manual-backup.dmp
```

The backup is now stored at `/data/backups/coolify-db-manual-backup.dmp`. Copy it to another computer or server so it is not lost if the Coolify server fails.

</Tab>
</Tabs>

---

## Save the instance encryption key

Coolify encrypts saved credentials and private keys before storing them in its database. The `APP_KEY` in `/data/coolify/source/.env` is the key used for that encryption. A database backup does not include this file.

<Callout type="warn" title="Without this key, restored secrets cannot be read">
Save the `APP_KEY` before you need to restore the instance. Treat it like a password and do not publish or share it.
</Callout>

On the server that hosts Coolify, display the key:

```sh
grep '^APP_KEY=' /data/coolify/source/.env
```

Copy the complete `APP_KEY=...` line into a password manager or another secure place outside the Coolify server. S3 instance backups include only the database backup file, so you must save this key separately.

---

## Configure recurring backups

The default **Frequency** is `0 0 * * *`, which creates one backup each day at midnight in the instance timezone.

<Steps>
<Step>

**Set the schedule**

{/* <ZoomableImage src="shadow-to-do" alt="Backup schedule settings with Frequency, Timezone, and Timeout" /> */}

Select **Enable backup** if the schedule is disabled. Select **Disable backup** to pause scheduled runs. Enter a valid cron expression in **Frequency**, or use `every_minute`, `hourly`, `daily`, `weekly`, `monthly`, or `yearly`.

**Timezone** is read-only and uses the instance timezone.

Set **Timeout** to the maximum backup runtime in seconds, then select **Save changes**. The accepted range is `60` to `36000`; the default is `3600` seconds.

</Step>
<Step>

**Configure local retention**

{/* <ZoomableImage src="shadow-to-do" alt="Local Backup Retention settings" /> */}

Under **Retention > Local backups**, set any combination of these limits:

- **Backups to keep** accepts `0` or a positive integer.
- **Days to keep** accepts `0` or a positive integer.
- **Maximum storage (GB)** accepts `0` or a positive number, including decimals.

A value of `0` makes that limit unlimited. The limits work independently, and Coolify removes the oldest successful backups when any configured limit is reached.

</Step>
<Step>

**Add an S3 copy**

{/* <ZoomableImage src="shadow-to-do" alt="S3 backup and S3 Storage Retention settings" /> */}

Under **S3 storage**, select a validated **S3 storage** target, select **Enable S3**, then select **Save changes**. If no validated target exists, add and validate a storage target first.

When S3 is enabled, **Retention > S3 backups** provides the same three independent limits for S3 copies.

Set **Local copy** to **Delete after S3 upload** only when S3 should be the sole backup location. Keep **Keep local backup** to retain both copies. Coolify deletes the local file after a successful upload. If an S3 upload fails, Coolify keeps the local file and marks the execution **Success (S3 Warning)**.

The dashboard cannot download a remote-only file. Download the backup from your S3 storage provider instead.

</Step>
</Steps>

---

## Verify and manage backups

**Executions** shows the status, database name, size, location, and storage availability for each backup.

<ZoomableImage src="/docs/images/knowledge-base/how-tos/backup-restore-coolify/3.webp" alt="Successful backup execution with its file location and storage availability" />

For a usable backup, confirm that the execution shows **Success** and that at least one storage location is available. Local instance backups are stored under `/data/coolify/backups/coolify/coolify-db-<server-ip>/`; use the exact **Location** shown in the execution to find a specific file.

The available actions depend on the execution:

- **Download** saves the local backup to your computer.
- **Delete** removes the local backup and can also remove its S3 copy when one exists.
- **Clean failed backups** removes failed execution records.
- **Clean deleted entries** removes execution records already marked as deleted from local storage. It does not delete backup files.

Periodically check that you can access the copies stored on another server or your computer. Also confirm that you still have the saved `APP_KEY`. To test or perform recovery, follow [Restore a Coolify instance](/core/backup-and-recovery/instance-restore).