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A Coolify instance backup protects Coolify’s control-plane database: projects, resources, settings, saved credentials, and deployment history. It does not back up application files, workload database contents, Docker volumes, or storage mounted on connected servers. To make a recovery usable, keep the database dump and the exact APP_KEY from /data/coolify/source/.env, then protect workload data with separate, engine-aware backups.
The safest design keeps at least one copy away from the Coolify host, uses an S3-compatible destination when practical, retains an independently stored local or offline copy, and periodically proves that a restore works on a disposable target.
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What a Coolify instance backup contains
Coolify’s instance backup is a dump of its own PostgreSQL control-plane database. Restoring it brings back the information Coolify uses to describe and manage deployments:
- Projects and resources
- Instance settings
- Saved credentials and other encrypted configuration
- Deployment history
The dump is not a complete server image. It does not contain the data produced by the applications Coolify deploys, nor the files and storage those applications use.
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| Data | In the Coolify instance dump? | Required protection |
|---|---|---|
| Projects, resources, settings, credentials, deployment history | Yes | Coolify’s instance backup and its restore procedure |
| Application source files and uploaded files | No | Back up the source repository and application file locations separately |
| PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse, or SQLite workload data | No | Use Coolify’s engine-aware database backup features |
| Redis, Dragonfly, or KeyDB data | No | Use that service’s persistence and backup tools |
| Docker volumes and directory mounts | No | Configure storage backups and test a file-level restore |
| External storage on connected servers | No | Back up the external system independently |
This separation matters during a server move. A successful Coolify restore can recreate the control plane while an application still has no database rows, uploaded media, or persistent volume contents until those separate backups are restored.
The encryption key you must save separately
Save the complete line beginning with APP_KEY= from /data/coolify/source/.env. Store it in a password manager or another encrypted location that is not dependent on the Coolify server.
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Design a backup that survives a host failure
A backup job reporting success only proves that a file was created or uploaded at that time. It does not prove that the file can be downloaded, decrypted with the intended key, or restored into a working Coolify installation.
Use at least two failure domains:
- Coolify storage: Keep the configured local copy long enough to recover from an operator mistake.
- Separate storage: Send a copy to S3-compatible object storage or another server so a lost host does not also destroy the backup.
- Offline or portable copy: Periodically download a
.dmpfile and recovery records to a portable external SSD or other offline medium.
Local and S3 retention limits are independent. A retention value of 0 means no limit. Choose limits for each location deliberately rather than assuming one setting controls both.
Back up a self-hosted Coolify instance
Run an immediate backup
- Sign in to the Coolify dashboard and open Settings > Backup.
- If backups are not configured, select the storage destination and configure the job first.
- Select Back up now.
- Wait for the execution result to show Success. Do not treat a queued or running job as a completed backup.
- Confirm that at least one storage location contains the resulting backup. Download a local copy, or retrieve a remote-only copy through the S3-compatible storage service.
Check that the downloaded file is non-empty before moving it to another system. Keep the filename, creation time, Coolify version, and the location of the matching APP_KEY in your recovery record.
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Copy the entire APP_KEY=... line from the server’s /data/coolify/source/.env into your password manager. Do not place the key in the same unencrypted folder as a publicly accessible dump. Record which Coolify instance and approximate software version produced the dump, because the version can affect the installer and migration step during recovery.
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Set a recurring schedule
In Settings > Backup, configure:
- How often Coolify creates a dump
- The execution timeout
- How many local copies to retain
- Whether to upload to S3-compatible storage and how many remote copies to retain
The documented timeout range is 60 to 36,000 seconds. Retention limits operate separately for local and remote destinations, and a value of 0 removes the limit for that destination. Set a timeout long enough for the database size and network speed, then monitor executions for repeated failures instead of silently increasing it.
Verify every destination
After the first scheduled run, verify both sides of the design:
- The dashboard records Success.
- A local file can be downloaded and opened as a non-empty dump.
- The remote object exists and can be retrieved with the credentials used for recovery.
- The corresponding
APP_KEYis available outside the host.
If an upload fails, determine which copy remains and whether the next run will overwrite the only good local file. A schedule is not a substitute for checking the failure path.
What to back up outside the instance dump
Workload databases
Use Coolify’s engine-aware database backup capability for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse, and SQLite workloads. Engine-aware backups account for how each database exports and imports data; copying a live database directory is not an equivalent method.
Redis, Dragonfly, and KeyDB require their own persistence or backup tools. Define retention, destination, and restore steps for each service rather than expecting the Coolify dump to contain its keys or data.
Volumes, mounts, and application files
Configure storage backups for Docker volumes and directory mounts. Keep at least one copy outside the deployment server and test restoring files into a clean location. Also protect source repositories, uploaded assets, certificates, and any external storage that an application uses. These items remain absent even when the Coolify dashboard and deployment history are restored perfectly.
Prepare before restoring
Gather all of the following before changing the target:
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- The intended
.dmpfile - The matching
APP_KEYline - SSH access to the target server
- The Coolify version that created the dump, if known
- Separate backups of workload databases, volumes, and files
For a replacement server, also preserve the SSH material Coolify uses to reach managed servers: /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, or independent backups of those files. Without the expected keys, the restored control plane may list servers that it can no longer authenticate to.
Confirm that the dump and key belong to the same intended instance. Restoring a valid dump with a key from another installation can leave encrypted credentials unusable.
Restore the Coolify database
1. Check the target database container
SSH to the target and confirm that the coolify-db container is running and healthy. Fix a stopped or unhealthy database before attempting an import; otherwise the restore can fail for reasons unrelated to the dump.
2. Copy and check the dump
Place the file on the target, for example at /data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmp. Verify that the path is correct and that the file is non-empty:
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test -s /data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmp && echo "dump is non-empty"Use the exact file you selected during preparation, not merely the newest file in a directory.
3. Preserve the replacement server’s environment
On a new installation, retain the environment values generated for that server, including DB_PASSWORD. Replace only APP_KEY with the saved value from the original instance. Do not overwrite unrelated target settings unless the recovery plan specifically calls for it.
4. Run the destructive database restore
Run pg_restore against the Coolify database with the required safety and ownership flags:
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pg_restore --clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owner
--host="$DB_HOST" --port="$DB_PORT"
--username="$DB_USER" --dbname="$DB_NAME"
/data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmpSet DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_USER, and DB_NAME to the connection values for the target’s Coolify database, or use the connection method documented by that installation. The important restore flags are:
--cleandrops database objects before recreating them.--if-existsavoids errors when an object is not present.--exit-on-errorstops at the first restore error instead of continuing with an uncertain result.--no-acland--no-ownerprevent the dump from trying to recreate source permissions and ownership on the target.
Because --clean removes current objects, this operation replaces the target Coolify database. Take a separate backup of anything currently on the target and recheck the dump and key before pressing Enter.
5. Restore SSH files when needed
Put the saved files back in their expected locations if the replacement server does not already contain them. Check permissions and ownership, then confirm that the keys correspond to the managed servers listed in Coolify.
6. Rerun the Coolify installer
Rerun the Coolify installer after the database import. If the original version is known, specify that version so migrations run against the release expected by the restored database. Once the installation is on the intended version, allow its normal startup and migration process to complete before testing deployments.
Verify the restore instead of trusting the import
Open the dashboard and check each recovery layer:
- The dashboard opens without an encryption error.
- Projects and resources appear with expected names and settings.
- Saved credentials can be used, proving that the matching
APP_KEYis active. - Localhost validation succeeds.
- Managed servers connect using the restored SSH material.
- Deployment history and instance settings are present.
- A controlled, low-risk deployment can reach its intended server.
- Workload databases, volumes, and application files are restored separately and contain expected data.
Do not call the process complete merely because pg_restore returned successfully. A backup is not a restore test until the dashboard, encryption, server connections, and representative application data have been checked.
Move Coolify to a new server
A server migration combines the database restore with an infrastructure change. Use this order to avoid confusing a control-plane problem with a missing workload backup:
- Create and verify a current Coolify instance dump on the old server.
- Save the matching
APP_KEYoutside the old server. - Export workload databases and copy volumes, mounted directories, application files, and external storage using their separate backup procedures.
- Preserve
/data/coolify/ssh/keys/and~/.ssh/authorized_keys, or make sure an independent copy exists. - Install Coolify on the replacement server and note its generated environment values.
- Confirm that the replacement
coolify-dbis healthy. - Copy the chosen
.dmpto the replacement and verify it is non-empty. - Keep the replacement server’s values such as
DB_PASSWORD, substitute the originalAPP_KEY, and run the flaggedpg_restorecommand. - Restore SSH files, rerun the installer at the required version, and wait for migrations to finish.
- Validate the dashboard, credentials, localhost, managed servers, and deployment history.
- Restore workload databases and persistent files, then perform a controlled deployment and application-level check.
Only after those checks should you redirect normal traffic or retire the old host. Keeping the old server intact until validation gives you a recovery path if the selected dump, key, or workload copy is wrong.
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Common failures and how to diagnose them
The dashboard shows an encryption error
The target is usually using an APP_KEY that does not match the dump. Stop and verify the complete line from the original /data/coolify/source/.env; do not generate a new key for an existing encrypted database.
Projects or resources are missing
Check that you restored the intended non-empty .dmp and that pg_restore connected to the target Coolify database rather than another PostgreSQL database. Confirm the installer completed its migrations afterward.
Managed servers do not connect
Check the restored SSH key directory and authorized_keys, then verify network access and the server identities recorded in the restored instance. A database restore alone does not recreate missing private keys.
The restore stops with database errors
Confirm that coolify-db is healthy, the connection variables point to the target, and the target has enough space. Because --exit-on-error stops at the first failure, resolve that error and rerun against a clean, intentionally prepared target rather than assuming later objects loaded correctly.
The dashboard works but application data is gone
This is expected when only the instance dump was restored. Import the workload database backup and restore the relevant volumes, mounts, files, and external storage using their separate procedures.
How often to test recovery
Test a representative dump on a disposable server on a schedule appropriate to the value of the workloads. A useful test includes downloading a remote copy, supplying the separately stored APP_KEY, importing the database, rerunning the installer, and checking credentials and managed-server access. Restore at least one workload database and a sample volume or directory as well.
Record the elapsed time, software version, commands, errors, and missing prerequisites. Update the recovery record whenever retention, storage destinations, server keys, or Coolify versions change. This turns a collection of backup files into a repeatable recovery procedure.
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