How to Create and Restore a Backup of your Minecraft Server

How to Create and Restore a Backup of your Minecraft Server

Creating regular backups is the single most important task for any server owner.

A backup is your safety net against world corruption, configuration mistakes, or any other unexpected issues. This guide will show you how to use the panel's built-in backup system and how to create a manual off-site backup for maximum security.

Method 1: Using the Panel's Backup System (Recommended)

This is the easiest and quickest way to create and restore a full server backup.

1. Stop your server. While some backups can be taken live, stopping the server ensures that all files are saved in a consistent state.
2. In your game panel, navigate to the "Backups" tab on the left sidebar.
3. Click the blue "Create Backup" button.
4. Give the backup a descriptive name so you can easily identify it later (e.g., "Pre-Update-Backup" or a date). Click "Start backup".
5. Wait for the process to complete. The panel will create a full archive of your server files and list it under your available backups.

Restoring a Panel Backup

Restoring a backup will overwrite all of your current server files with the files from the backup archive.

1. Stop your server.
2. Go to the "Backups" tab.
3. Find the backup you wish to restore from the list and click the "⋯" button next to it and click "Restore".
4. A prompt will appear warning you that this will delete and replace your current files. Confirm the action to proceed.

Method 2: Manual Off-Site Backup (via FTP)

For ultimate security, we recommend periodically saving a backup to your own computer. This protects you in the rare case of a server-side hardware failure.

1. Stop your server.
2. Connect to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla or WinSCP. If you are unsure how, see our guide on how to connect via FTP.
3. On your own computer, create a new folder to store the backup.
4. In your FTP client, select all the files from your server (the remote site) and drag them into the new folder on your computer (the local site).
5. Wait for the file transfer to complete.

Conclusion

Regular backups are not just a good idea; they are essential for protecting the time and effort you've invested in your server.

We recommend using the panel's system for frequent, daily backups, and taking a full manual backup to your own computer before any major changes or at least once a week.