Choose what to back up
FlashBackup finds databases on your server automatically. You decide which ones are backed up, and you can add folders too.
Databases found automatically
| Type | How it's found | How it's backed up |
|---|---|---|
| MySQL / MariaDB | Lists all databases (system databases are skipped) | mysqldump with a consistent snapshot. Live sites keep working. |
| PostgreSQL | Lists all databases | pg_dump (custom format) |
| MongoDB | Lists all databases | mongodump archive |
| SQLite | Searches /home, /root, /var/www, /srv and /opt for SQLite files | SQLite's safe online backup, so the file is never copied half-written |
The server is scanned when the agent starts, every 15 minutes, and when you click Look for databases again.
If a database doesn't appear, or the server page shows a yellow warning, see Database credentials.
Switch items on or off
Open Servers and click a server. Each database has an On / Off button. Only databases that are On are backed up, and only those count towards your plan.
New databases are switched on automatically while your plan has room. To turn this off, untick Automatically back up new databases in Settings.
Back up folders
Databases don't include uploaded files such as product photos, documents, or WordPress media. To back those up, add the folder on the server page under Folders. Type the full path, for example:
/var/www/mysite/storage(Laravel uploads)/var/www/wordpress/wp-content/uploads(WordPress media)/home/ubuntu/app/uploads
Folders are saved as compressed .tar.gz archives. You don't need to back up your code if it is already in Git.
Plan limits
Each plan allows a certain number of databases, folders and servers. Your current usage is on the Overview and Billing pages. If you reach the limit, switch something off or upgrade your plan. If you downgrade below your current usage, the oldest items stay switched on, up to the new limit.
A database disappeared
If a database is deleted or renamed on the server, the dashboard marks it not found on server and stops backing it up. Its existing backups stay in Drive until they expire. Click Remove to tidy the list.