Backups & restores

How one-click and scheduled backups work, how to lock important ones, and how to restore.

Every server on Sapling is backed up automatically. This page covers what we capture, how long we keep it, and how to restore when something goes wrong.

What gets backed up

The entire server file tree: world saves, mod JARs, configs, plugins, logs.
Server metadata: the mod list, Minecraft version, mod loader, server.properties.

We do not back up data outside the server's file system (e.g. external databases you've hooked up). If you're running mods that store data elsewhere, set up your own backup for that data.

When backups run

Nightly, at roughly 03:00 in your server's region. We stagger start times across the fleet to keep load even, so your exact backup time may drift by 30 minutes night to night.

You can also trigger a manual backup any time from the dashboard. Manual backups don't count against your retention quota.

How long we keep them

Daily backups: the last 7.
Weekly backups: the last 4.
Monthly backups: the last 3.
Locked backups: kept indefinitely. See below.

Locking a backup

Made a great build and want to make sure it never rolls off? Click the lock icon next to a backup in the dashboard. Locked backups don't count against retention and won't be deleted until you unlock them.

Most plans include enough storage for a few locked backups. If you're close to your limit, the dashboard will warn you before refusing further uploads.

Restoring

Open the server's Backups tab.
Find the backup you want and click Restore.
Confirm — restoring overwrites the current server state. We'll snapshot the current state first as a safety net before swapping in the restore.

Restore time depends on world size; expect a small modded server to be back online in under five minutes. The server is shut down for the duration of the restore.