Set up and restore automatic backups

The Pelican panel ships with a backup system that takes full snapshots of your server (worlds, configs, plugins). These backups can be restored at any time.

Cause / The problem

A botched update, a corrupted world, a plugin that wipes data by mistake: without a recent backup, the loss is permanent. Backups must be scheduled and tested.

Solution

Create a manual backup

1. In the Pelican panel, open your server → Backups tab.
2. Click Create Backup.
3. Give it an optional name (e.g. “before 1.21 update”) then click Start Backup.
4. The backup appears in the list with its size and date. You can download it locally via the download button.

Schedule automatic backups

1. Recent Pelican versions offer a Schedules (or Tasks) tab to automate actions.
2. Create a new scheduled task:
   • Action: Create backup.
   • Frequency: daily (recommended) or every 12 h for active servers.
   • Time: outside peak hours (e.g. 4 AM).
3. Cap the number of backups kept so you don’t blow the quota (visible in Settings → Backup limit). Older ones are deleted automatically.

Restore a backup

1. Stop the server (recommended before restoring).
2. Backups tab → click the three dots next to the desired backup → Restore.
3. Confirm. The restore replaces the current files with those from the snapshot.
4. Restart the server and check its state (world, inventories, plugins).
5. Download the backup locally first before a risky restore, so you can re-inject it if needed.

For off-site backups, manual download remains the simplest method. A locally stored backup tested regularly is your best guarantee against data loss.