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To take an incremental backup in PostgreSQL 18, first enable WAL summarization and retain summaries for the interval between backups. Then run pg_basebackup --incremental with the manifest from an earlier backup of the same server. The result is not a standalone data directory: retain its parent backups and manifests, combine the chain with pg_combinebackup, and verify the output before relying on it for recovery.
How incremental backups work
pg_basebackup backs up an entire PostgreSQL cluster, not selected databases or individual objects. In incremental mode, it compares the new backup with a previous backup identified by its manifest. PostgreSQL uses WAL summaries to determine which blocks changed. Some relation files can be stored as incremental files containing changed blocks and reconstruction metadata; non-relation files are included in full. See the PostgreSQL 18 pg_basebackup documentation.
The manifest identifies the reference backup and records backup file information, including checksums when enabled. It is both an input to a later incremental backup and part of the information needed to reconstruct and validate a backup chain.
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Enable and retain WAL summaries
Incremental backups depend on WAL summaries covering the full WAL range from the reference backup to the new backup. Summaries are stored in pg_wal/summaries. If any required summaries are missing, the incremental backup fails.
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WAL summarization is controlled by summarize_wal and is off by default. Configure it on the server before you need the summaries. Set wal_summary_keep_time long enough to cover the age of any backup that may later be used as a parent. Its documented default is 10 days; that is a configurable default, not a universal retention recommendation. Check the WAL configuration documentation for the applicable settings.
Confirm replication access and version support
pg_basebackup connects through the replication protocol. The connecting role needs the REPLICATION privilege or superuser privileges; pg_hba.conf must allow the replication connection; and max_wal_senders must accommodate the backup and any WAL streaming. The PostgreSQL 18 client documentation states that incremental backup is supported with server version 17 and later. Consult the version-specific pg_basebackup documentation alongside your server configuration.
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How to take an incremental backup
The essential input is the manifest from a completed earlier backup of the same server. The exact destination paths and connection options depend on your environment; the command pattern is:
pg_basebackup --incremental=/path/to/previous/backup_manifest --pgdata=/path/to/new-incremental-backup- Choose a valid parent. Use a manifest produced by an earlier backup from the same server, and ensure that the backup and its associated files are retained.
- Confirm summary coverage. Check that WAL summarization was enabled and that summaries span the entire interval from that parent backup to the new one.
- Run the backup with your connection settings. Supply the appropriate host, port, user, and other environment-specific options in addition to the incremental and destination paths. Ensure the role, host-based authentication rules, and WAL sender capacity allow the connection.
- Record the dependency. Keep the new backup’s manifest and document which earlier backup it references. This relationship determines what must be retained and supplied during reconstruction.
This command is a pattern, not a complete connection recipe: it intentionally leaves host, port, authentication, and destination choices to the installation. Option names and further behavior are documented in pg_basebackup for PostgreSQL 18.
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How to restore from an incremental backup chain
An incremental backup cannot be used directly as a complete data directory. Before recovery, combine it with the earlier backups it depends on using pg_combinebackup. PostgreSQL describes this as a required reconstruction step in its pg_basebackup documentation.
- Identify the full dependency chain. Gather the incremental backup, every parent backup it depends on, and the corresponding manifests.
- Reconstruct a complete backup. Use
pg_combinebackupwith the required backups in the chain, following the utility’s PostgreSQL 18 documentation and the ordering it specifies. Direct its output to a location suitable for recovery. - Validate the reconstructed backup. Run
pg_verifybackupagainst the reconstructed backup and its manifest before using it as a recovery input. - Apply the recovery plan. For continuous-archive recovery, retain and provide the WAL segments required from the base backup onward. The recovery point and amount of WAL to replay affect the recovery process; see Continuous Archiving and Point-in-Time Recovery.
What to retain—and why
PostgreSQL does not automatically determine which earlier backups remain necessary for later incremental backups or recovery. Do not delete a parent merely because a newer incremental exists. Retention needs to cover both the backup chain and the WAL required by the recovery plan.
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- Keep each backup and manifest that a retained incremental depends on.
- Keep WAL summaries long enough to cover the intervals for backups that may be used as parents.
- Keep archived WAL segments required to recover from the chosen base backup to the intended recovery point.
- Test that your retained files can be combined and verified; a directory of recent incrementals alone is not proof that a usable recovery chain remains.
For context on the relationship between base backups and archived WAL, see PostgreSQL’s continuous archiving guidance.
Verify backup integrity and protect manifests
pg_verifybackup checks a backup against its manifest. A manifest records file information and may include file checksums. PostgreSQL’s default checksum type is CRC32C, and SHA-family checksums are also supported. CRC32C is faster and useful for detecting accidental changes, but it is not designed to resist malicious modification. A SHA digest is cryptographically secure as a digest, but it does not protect a manifest that an attacker can alter alongside the backup. Restrict access to manifests or establish their integrity separately if tampering is in scope.
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See the PostgreSQL 18 documentation for the backup manifest format and its top-level object.
When incremental backups fit—and what they do not guarantee
Incremental backup is one of several PostgreSQL backup approaches, not a universally faster or cheaper substitute for every other method. SQL dumps, file-system-level backups, and continuous archiving support different recovery outcomes and operational workflows. Consider whether you need point-in-time recovery, how you will retain and manage backup inputs, and whether you can reliably reconstruct and test the required files. PostgreSQL outlines these approaches in its Backup and Restore chapter. The documentation does not establish a universal performance or cost advantage for incremental backups; those outcomes depend on the workload and implementation.
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