Backup types
Both kinds are full backups — schema and data. There’s no incremental or schema-only mode.
What’s in a backup
Taking a manual backup
1
Switch to the environment you want to back up
Use the environment switcher at the top of the project chrome.
2
Open Backups
From the switcher dropdown, open the Backups view.
3
Click Create backup
The backup runs as a background job. The status moves through
pending → running → completed.4
Optionally name the backup
Add a label like
pre-stripe-migration or release-v2 to make the snapshot easy to find later.Manual), the user who created it, the timestamp, and the size.
Restoring a backup
A restore reverts the entire environment — schema and data — to the snapshot point. It’s not a per-change undo.1
Find the backup
In the Backups view, locate the entry to restore. Pre-merge backups are linked from the corresponding history entry.
2
Pick the target environment
By default, restoring puts the snapshot back in the same environment it was taken from. You can also restore into a different environment — including a new environment that takes over a deleted one’s name (see below).
3
Confirm
The platform locks the target, drops its current state, and replays the backup. The status transitions through
restoring and back to active when complete.Restoring to a deleted environment
A backup outlives its environment — even if you deletefeature-x, its backups stick around through the retention window. To restore them, the platform recreates the environment as part of the restore:
1
Find the backup
Backups for deleted environments are still listed in the project’s Backups view, with their original environment name shown.
2
Restore
Click Restore. If no environment with that name currently exists, the platform recreates the environment as part of the operation. The new environment inherits the backup’s schema, data, and configuration.
3
Reconfigure secrets
Auth provider secrets and OAuth credentials are not in the backup — re-enter them in the recreated environment before exposing it.
Pre-merge backups in the merge flow
Every merge automatically produces one pre-merge backup on the target. The backup ID is recorded in the history entry alongside the merge — you don’t have to hunt for it. Common pattern: after a merge intomaster, if a regression surfaces, open History → find the merge → follow the backupId to the Backups view → restore.
Retention
Backups are retained for a configurable window per project. Once a backup ages out, it’s pruned and can no longer be restored. Manual backups can be marked retain forever to opt them out of pruning — useful for capturing release-train snapshots that you want to keep indefinitely. If you need a long rollback window for a specific merge, promote its automatic pre-merge backup to a retained manual backup before the retention window expires.Permissions
Creating, listing, and restoring backups is governed by Role-Based Access. Restore is destructive — typically restricted to admin or operator roles. Read access can be granted more widely if you want broader visibility into snapshots without the ability to restore.FAQ
Are files in S3 / GCS included in the backup?
Are files in S3 / GCS included in the backup?
No. The backup captures the file storage provider configuration and the references records hold to files (file IDs, paths). The actual blobs stay in the configured object store. Treat your storage provider’s own snapshot/versioning as the source of truth for file content.
Can I take a schema-only backup?
Can I take a schema-only backup?
What happens during a restore — is the environment offline?
What happens during a restore — is the environment offline?
The target is locked while the restore runs. Reads continue from the existing data until the restore completes; mutations are rejected with the environment-locked error. Once complete, the target reflects the snapshot’s state and reopens for writes.
Can I restore a backup from one project to a different project?
Can I restore a backup from one project to a different project?
No. Backups are project-scoped — they reference project-specific identifiers (auth keys, project ID, RBAC role IDs) that don’t translate across projects. To clone a project, branch within it.
What if the restore fails?
What if the restore fails?
The target stays in
error state with a failure reason recorded. The platform doesn’t automatically partial-restore — either the backup applies cleanly or the environment is left as it was, in error. Recovery is to run the restore again, or restore a different snapshot.