Backups

Create, manage, restore, and download backups of your server directly from the game panel.

Overview

The Backups page lets you create and manage snapshots of your entire server at any point in time. Use backups to safeguard your world data, configs, and plugins before making changes — or simply as a routine safety net.

Create Backups

Snapshot your entire server with one click, with optional file exclusions.

Restore Anytime

Roll your server back to any saved backup instantly.

Download Locally

Download backup archives directly to your computer for offsite storage.

Each server plan includes up to 10 backup slots. Once all slots are used, you must delete an existing backup before creating a new one.

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Creating a Backup

To create a backup, click the Create Backup button in the top right corner of the Backups page.

A modal will appear with the following options:

1. Enter a backup name (optional)

   Give your backup a descriptive name to make it easy to identify later — for example, Before plugin update or Pre-reset world. If left blank, the backup will be named automatically using the current date and time.

2. Set ignored files and directories (optional)

   Enter any files or folders you want to exclude from the backup, one per line. Leave this blank to use the contents of the .pteroignore file in your server root if one exists.

   Wildcard matching is supported. You can also negate a rule by prefixing the path with ! — for example, !plugins/EssentialsX would force that folder to be included even if a broader rule would exclude it.

3. Toggle the Locked option (optional)

   Enable Locked to prevent this backup from being deleted until it is explicitly unlocked. Useful for protecting important snapshots from accidental deletion.

4. Click Start Backup

   Click the Start Backup button. The backup will begin processing immediately and appear in your backup list with a status of Created.

Do not stop or restart your server while a backup is in progress. Doing so may result in an incomplete or corrupted backup file.

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Viewing Your Backups

Once a backup has been created, it will appear as a row in your backup list.

Each backup entry displays the following information:

Backup Name

The name you gave the backup, or an auto-generated name based on the timestamp (e.g. Backup at 2026-03-02 02:22:54).

Size

The total compressed size of the backup archive (e.g. 96.64 MiB). This reflects the actual disk space used by the backup file.

SHA1 Checksum

A unique hash of the backup file (e.g. sha1:cd6eba110870a1aa1d247c0ef559001041fc6a49). You can use this to verify the integrity of a downloaded backup.

Created timestamp

How long ago the backup was created (e.g. less than 20 seconds ago) along with a Created status label. In-progress backups will show a spinner instead.

Backup slot usage

A counter below the list shows how many of your 10 backup slots have been used (e.g. 1 of 10 backups have been created for this server).

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Backup Actions

Click the ··· menu on the right side of any completed backup row to access the available actions.

Download

Download the backup archive directly to your computer as a compressed file. Useful for keeping an offsite copy of your server data.

Restore

Roll your server back to the state captured in this backup. The server will stop, the backup will be applied, and the server will restart automatically.

Lock

Lock the backup to prevent it from being deleted. A locked backup must be explicitly unlocked before it can be removed. Toggle this again to unlock.

Delete

Permanently delete the backup and free up a backup slot. Locked backups cannot be deleted until they are unlocked first.

Restoring a backup will overwrite your current server data. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost. Consider creating a fresh backup of your current state before restoring an older one.

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Best Practices

Back up before making any major changes

Always create a backup before installing or removing plugins, updating your server version, or editing critical config files. This gives you a safe restore point if something goes wrong.

Use descriptive names

Name your backups clearly so you can identify them at a glance — for example, Before 1.21 update or Working EssentialsX config. Auto-generated names based on timestamps can be hard to distinguish when you have multiple backups.

Lock your most important backups

Use the Lock feature on backups you want to keep long-term, such as a clean world start or a stable server state. Locked backups are protected from accidental deletion.

Download backups for offsite storage

The panel only stores up to 10 backups. For long-term safekeeping, download important backups to your own computer or cloud storage. This is especially important for world saves you want to preserve.

Exclude large unnecessary files

Use the Ignored Files and Directories field to skip folders like cache/, logs/, or large mod archives that don’t need to be backed up. This keeps backup sizes smaller and speeds up the process.

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Quick Reference

Create a backup

Click Create Backup in the top right, fill in the optional fields, and click Start Backup.

Restore a backup

Click the ··· menu on the backup row and select Restore.

Download a backup

Click the ··· menu on the backup row and select Download.

Lock or unlock a backup

Click the ··· menu on the backup row and select Lock or Unlock.

Delete a backup

Click the ··· menu and select Delete. Unlock the backup first if it is locked.

Check backup slot usage

The counter beneath your backup list shows how many of your 10 slots have been used.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many backups can I store?

Each server plan supports up to 10 backup slots. You will need to delete an existing backup before you can create a new one once all slots are full.

How long does a backup take?

Backup time depends on the size of your server. A small server may complete in under a minute, while a large world with many plugins could take several minutes. You can monitor the status in the backup list.

Will creating a backup affect my server performance?

Backups may briefly impact performance while the snapshot is being created, particularly on large servers. We recommend scheduling backups during off-peak hours if your server has many active players.

Can I restore a backup without stopping the server?

No — restoring a backup requires the server to stop. The panel handles this automatically: it stops the server, applies the backup, then restarts it.

What does the SHA1 checksum do?

The SHA1 hash is a fingerprint of the backup file. If you download a backup and want to verify it was not corrupted during transfer, you can compare the hash of your downloaded file against the one shown in the panel.

Can I back up only specific folders?

You cannot select specific folders to include, but you can use the Ignored Files and Directories field to exclude folders you do not need. Everything not excluded will be backed up.

What happens if I run out of backup slots?

You will not be able to create new backups until you delete an existing one. Consider downloading and deleting older backups to free up slots while keeping the files safe locally.

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Need Help?

Contact Support

Our support team is available 24/7. Reach out if you are having trouble creating, restoring, or downloading backups.