Backups

Backups save a snapshot of your node installation—application files plus your data/ tree—so you can recover after a bad update or manual mistake.

Where to manage backups

Sign in → Settings → Backup.

Create a backup

  • Open the Backup settings tab.
  • Click Create backup.

The node copies install files and data (excluding previous backup folders) into data/restore_backup/ (or the equivalent path for your layout). It records version, time, and file count, then builds a download zip.

Creating a new backup replaces the previous restore point on the server.

Requirements: ZipArchive must be enabled and data/ must be writable by the web server. See Host requirements.

Download a backup

After a successful create, Download zip appears. The file name looks like node-backup-YYYY-MM-DD-{version}.zip. It contains:

  • files/ — backed-up paths from your install and data tree
  • manifest.json — version and metadata
  • RESTORE.txt — short manual restore notes

Keep downloaded zips somewhere safe off the server (your computer, object storage, etc.).

Restore from backup

Restore in Settings rolls the installation files back from the on-server restore point. This replaces current node.php, assets, and copied data files with the backed-up copies.

  • You are asked to confirm; restore is destructive to the current install tree.
  • After a successful restore, the on-server restore point is removed; reload the page if prompted.
  • Your live data/ content is replaced by what was in the backup—treat restore like rewinding the whole node to the backup moment.

For manual recovery without using Restore, unzip the download and copy the contents of files/ into your install root as described in RESTORE.txt.

What backups are not

  • They are not a separate cloud service—everything stays on your host unless you download the zip.
  • They do not replace routine copies of data/ you keep elsewhere; one on-server restore point is kept at a time.
  • Hub software (when available) uses the same backup mechanism on hub.php installs.

Related

  • Updates — check and install official releases (back up before major changes)
  • Data — what lives in data/
  • Host requirements — ZipArchive and writable data/