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The supported Uptime Kuma backup is a stopped copy of its complete persistent data directory. For Docker, that means the host folder or named volume mounted at /app/data. For a non-Docker installation, back up the directory set by DATA_DIR (the documented default is ./data/). Stop Uptime Kuma before copying or restoring so SQLite cannot be changed during the operation. In version 2, the old JSON Backup/Restore feature has been removed; backing up the data directory is the supported method.
What an Uptime Kuma backup must contain
Think of the entire persistent data directory as one restore unit, not as a single database file. A complete copy preserves the database, configuration, status-page assets and any database sidecar files that exist while Uptime Kuma is running.
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kuma.db. - MariaDB deployments: the data directory contains the local configuration needed by the deployment, while the actual monitor data resides in MariaDB.
- Configuration: files such as
db-config.jsondescribe database settings. - Status-page assets: uploaded logos and related files are stored with the application data.
- SQLite sidecars: copy any journal, write-ahead-log or other companion files present in the directory. Selecting only
kuma.dbcan omit transactions that have not yet been merged into the main file.
Because the directory is the supported restore boundary, do not build a routine around exporting individual monitors, copying only kuma.db, or relying on the removed JSON feature.
Find the directory Uptime Kuma is actually using
Docker: locate the /app/data mapping
The official container layout mounts persistent storage at /app/data. The left side of that mount is either a host directory or a Docker named volume; that is the item you back up.
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- Open the Docker Compose file or the original
docker runcommand and find the volume mapping whose destination is/app/data. - If the deployment is unfamiliar, inspect the running container and list its mounts. A typical inspection command is:
docker inspect uptime-kuma --format '{{ range .Mounts }}{{ println .Source .Destination }}{{ end }}'Use the source shown next to /app/data. A bind mount may look like a path such as /srv/uptime-kuma-data; a named volume will show a volume name. Do not back up a newly created empty directory by mistake.
Non-Docker: determine the effective DATA_DIR
Read the service definition, startup arguments or environment used to launch Uptime Kuma. The DATA_DIR variable means “the directory where the data should be stored”; its documented default is ./data/, relative to the process working directory. Resolve that path before stopping the service, because a relative path can differ when the application is launched by a process manager.
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Back up a Docker installation
1. Record the deployment details
Write down the Uptime Kuma version, the container image tag, whether storage is a bind mount or named volume, and whether the database backend is SQLite or MariaDB. This information makes a later restore or upgrade rollback safer.
2. Stop Uptime Kuma cleanly
For a standalone container, stop the container:
docker stop uptime-kumaFor a Compose stack, stop the whole stack from the directory containing the Compose file:
docker compose downDo not copy a live SQLite directory while Uptime Kuma is writing to it. The installation documentation warns that POSIX file-lock support is required to avoid SQLite corruption; a filesystem or share that does not provide reliable locks is unsuitable for the live database.
3. Archive the mapped data
For a bind mount, create an archive from the host path you identified. For example, if the source is /srv/uptime-kuma-data:
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tar -czf uptime-kuma-data-2026-10-15.tar.gz -C /srv uptime-kuma-dataThe date in this example is only a naming convention. Use a name that records the actual backup date, Uptime Kuma version and backend. If you prefer a file-for-file copy, copy the entire directory, including hidden files and SQLite sidecars, rather than selecting visible files manually.
4. Back up a named volume
A named volume must be copied through Docker or from its Docker-managed source location. One portable pattern is to mount the stopped volume into a temporary container and write an archive to a host directory:
docker run --rm
-v uptime-kuma-data:/source:ro
-v /srv/uptime-kuma-backups:/backup
alpine tar -czf /backup/uptime-kuma-data-2026-10-15.tar.gz -C /source .Replace uptime-kuma-data with the volume actually mapped to /app/data. Keep the resulting archive outside the live volume. If your Compose file uses a different volume name, use that exact name.
5. Move the archive off the host
A backup stored only beside the live container is not protection against a failed disk, accidental deletion or host loss. Copy the archive to separate storage and retain at least one offline or off-host copy. Encrypt it when the directory contains credentials, notification secrets or other sensitive configuration.
6. Start and check the installation
Start the container or Compose stack again:
docker start uptime-kumaThen sign in and check that monitors, notification settings, status pages, logos and historical data are present. If you used Compose, run docker compose up -d instead of docker start. A backup is more trustworthy when the original installation continues to operate normally after the copy.
Back up a non-Docker installation
1. Resolve DATA_DIR
Check the service unit, shell script, environment file or process-manager configuration for DATA_DIR. If it is not set, locate the installation’s documented ./data/ directory relative to the application working directory. Confirm that the directory contains the expected database and configuration before proceeding.
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2. Stop the service
Stop the process manager entry or service that runs Uptime Kuma. For example, if it is managed by PM2, stop that PM2 application using the name configured on your host. Verify that no Uptime Kuma process still has the database open.
3. Archive the complete directory
tar -czf uptime-kuma-data-2026-10-15.tar.gz -C /path/to parent-directory-nameSubstitute the real parent directory and directory name. The archive should include every file below DATA_DIR, not only kuma.db. Store a copy on separate media and record the Uptime Kuma version and database backend alongside it.
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Restart the service using the same process manager and confirm that the web interface loads, monitors run, notification settings remain available, status pages display correctly and history is intact.
Choose storage that matches the risk
| Destination | Good use | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| External HDD or SSD | Convenient destination for an archived data directory and longer retention. | Disconnect or move it off-site after copying when practical; a permanently attached drive can be lost with the server. |
| NAS or shared storage | Centralized retention for several hosts and scheduled copies. | Do not place the live SQLite database on a share with unreliable POSIX file-lock behavior. The lock warning applies to the active database, not merely to a destination holding a finished archive. |
| S3-compatible object storage | Off-host retention and geographic separation when an organization already operates object-storage workflows. | Use an encryption, access-control and lifecycle policy appropriate to your environment. No universal provider, retention period or schedule is prescribed for Uptime Kuma. |
| USB flash media | Small, manual archives when nothing else is available. | Capacity, write endurance and long-term retention vary; keep another copy so the USB device is not the only backup. |
Separate the live system from the backup destination. A NAS or object store can hold an archive safely even though the active SQLite database requires a filesystem with dependable locking.
Restore Uptime Kuma from an archive
Restore principles
Restore only while Uptime Kuma is stopped. Replace the complete data directory or volume, not a single database file. Restore into the same deployment type and database backend first; a filesystem archive preserves the backend from which it was made.
Restore a Docker bind mount
- Stop the container or bring the Compose stack down.
- Move the current data directory out of the way rather than deleting it immediately. Keeping it temporarily gives you a fallback if the archive is the wrong one.
- Extract the archive so that the restored files occupy the directory mapped to
/app/data. Check the directory level after extraction; an extra nesting level such as/srv/uptime-kuma-data/uptime-kuma-data/will make the container appear empty. - Start the same image or application version used to create the archive.
- Inspect container logs and sign in. Check monitors, notification settings, status pages, logos and history before removing the old directory.
Restore a Docker named volume
- Stop the stack and identify the exact volume mapped to
/app/data. - Use a temporary container to extract the archive into that volume, or create a replacement volume and update the Compose configuration deliberately.
- Start Uptime Kuma and inspect logs for database or migration errors.
- Verify the application in the browser before treating the restore as complete.
Restore a non-Docker installation
- Stop the service or PM2 process.
- Preserve the existing
DATA_DIRas a temporary fallback. - Extract the archive into the path used by the service, maintaining the original directory structure.
- Start the service with the same backend configuration and review its logs.
- Confirm the monitors and status pages before deleting the preserved directory.
Protect upgrades and major-version migrations
Create a pre-upgrade archive and do not discard it until the upgraded installation has been exercised. A major-version migration may transform data; the migration documentation instructs operators not to interrupt that process. If it is interrupted, restore the pre-migration backup and retry rather than repeatedly starting with a partially migrated directory.
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Migration time depends on installation size and storage performance. The documentation gives an example of 20 monitors and 90 days of data taking about seven minutes. Larger installations can take hours, so plan a maintenance window and watch the process rather than assuming the example duration applies to your system.
After the upgrade, check both current monitoring and historical views. Keep the pre-upgrade archive until you have confirmed that authentication, notification channels, status pages, logos and history all behave as expected.
Can a backup move Uptime Kuma from SQLite to MariaDB?
No. A filesystem backup preserves the database backend it came from; copying kuma.db or the whole SQLite data directory does not convert the installation to MariaDB.
The official FAQ states that direct SQLite-to-MariaDB conversion is not supported by the maintainers. A move between those backends requires a separate export/import process using third-party tooling, followed by validation in your environment. Treat that as a migration project, not as an ordinary restore. Keep the original SQLite archive untouched until the new MariaDB deployment has been tested.
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| Decision axis | Stopped directory archive | Live snapshot or file copy | Export of one database file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consistency | High, because Uptime Kuma is stopped before copying. | Depends on storage snapshot semantics and whether all writes are quiesced. | Unreliable if SQLite sidecars contain active transactions. |
| Restore completeness | Includes the supported data directory, configuration and status-page assets. | Complete only when the snapshot covers the entire persistent volume. | May omit configuration, logos and sidecar files. |
| Storage location | Can be placed on local removable, NAS or off-site storage after creation. | Usually tied to the snapshot system and its retention policy. | Easy to copy, but incomplete as a routine Uptime Kuma backup. |
| Filesystem-lock concern | The live database is stopped; the archive destination need not host the active database. | Requires confidence that the live filesystem and snapshot method handle locks correctly. | Copying during writes can produce an inconsistent set of files. |
| Backend preservation | Preserves SQLite or MariaDB deployment state; it does not convert between them. | Preserves whichever backend was captured. | Preserves only the selected file, not a backend conversion. |
Retention, verification and operational checks
Uptime Kuma’s official documentation does not prescribe a universal backup frequency, retention period, recovery-point objective or recovery-time objective. Set those values according to how much monitor history and configuration your service can afford to lose.
- Version every archive: include the date, Uptime Kuma version and database backend in the filename or accompanying record.
- Keep independent copies: maintain at least one off-host copy, and keep one offline or otherwise protected from routine deletion when possible.
- Protect secrets: encrypt archives and restrict access because notification credentials and database settings may be present.
- Test restoration: periodically restore a copy into an isolated instance, then verify login, monitors, notifications, status pages, logos and history.
- Record the exact source: document the Docker volume or host path, the non-Docker
DATA_DIR, and the commands or process used to stop and start the service.
A successful archive command proves only that bytes were copied. A successful test restore proves that the archive contains the complete directory, can be opened by the intended deployment and produces the data your operators need.
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Troubleshoot common backup and restore failures
The restored instance shows no monitors
The container or service is probably pointed at an empty or different directory. Recheck the Docker source mounted at /app/data or the effective DATA_DIR, and verify the restored files are at the mount root rather than one directory deeper.
Recent data is missing after a file copy
If the source was copied while Uptime Kuma was running, SQLite sidecar files may have been changing. Repeat the backup with the service stopped and archive the complete directory.
The database reports corruption or lock errors
Restore the last known-good stopped archive. Check that the live database is not located on a filesystem or share without reliable POSIX file-lock support, then start Uptime Kuma only after the restore is complete.
Status-page logos or configuration are absent
The backup likely contained only kuma.db instead of the full data directory. Restore a complete directory archive that includes configuration files, uploaded assets and any SQLite sidecars.
A major-version migration was interrupted
Stop the service, restore the pre-migration directory or volume, and retry the migration without interrupting it. Allow extra time for larger monitor and history sets; the seven-minute example for 20 monitors and 90 days of data is not a guaranteed limit.
Quick Recap
Practical checklist
- Identify the source mapped to Docker
/app/data, or resolve non-DockerDATA_DIR. - Record the Uptime Kuma version and database backend.
- Stop Uptime Kuma completely.
- Archive or copy the entire persistent directory, including sidecars and status-page assets.
- Store the archive outside the live volume and keep an off-host or offline copy.
- Restart the service and verify monitors, notifications, status pages and history.
- Before an upgrade, retain the pre-upgrade archive until migration and post-upgrade checks succeed.
- For SQLite-to-MariaDB moves, plan a separate export/import migration; do not treat a file copy as conversion.
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