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A Coolify instance backup is a dump of Coolify’s control-plane database. It preserves projects, resources, settings, encrypted credentials, and deployment history, but it does not preserve your applications’ files, workload databases, Docker volumes, or external storage. A reliable recovery plan therefore has three separate parts: create the Coolify dump, protect the matching APP_KEY, and run independent backups for every workload that stores data.
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Use Settings > Backup > Back up now to create the dump, keep at least one copy away from the Coolify host, and test a restore on a disposable target. On a replacement server, restore the database with the original key and, when possible, the Coolify version that created the backup.
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What a Coolify instance backup actually contains
The instance dump is the database for Coolify itself. It describes how Coolify is configured and what it knows about your deployments; it is not a snapshot of every server, container, mount, or database connected to Coolify.
| Data | In the instance dump? | How to protect or recover it |
|---|---|---|
| Projects and resources | Yes | Restored with the Coolify database. |
| Instance settings and deployment history | Yes | Restored with the Coolify database. |
| Saved credentials | Yes, encrypted | Restore the exact matching APP_KEY or the encrypted values cannot be read. |
| Application source files and build artifacts | No | Use the source repository and an appropriate artifact or file backup. |
| PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse, or SQLite data used by an application | No | Configure an engine-aware database backup for each workload. |
| Docker volumes and directory mounts | No | Back up the underlying storage separately and keep a copy outside the deployment server. |
| External storage connected to an application | No | Use that storage system’s own backup and retention controls. |
| SSH key files used by a replacement installation | Not supplied by the database dump | Preserve /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, or maintain a separate backup of those files. |
Coolify’s documentation states the boundary plainly: “Application volume and database data are not part of an instance backup.” Treat the dump as the control-plane recovery layer, not as a complete application disaster-recovery archive.
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Protect the APP_KEY before you need a restore
Coolify encrypts stored secrets. The encryption key is the complete APP_KEY= line in /data/coolify/source/.env; the database dump does not contain that key. Copy the line exactly, including its prefix and every character after it, into a password manager or another secure location that is independent of the Coolify server.
Do not put the only copy in the same filesystem as the dump. A disk failure, accidental deletion, ransomware event, or loss of the host would otherwise remove both the database and the key. Limit access to the key because possession of it is what makes the encrypted credentials in the restored database usable. Coolify’s documentation warns: “Without this key, restored secrets cannot be read.”
Before creating a backup
- Confirm that you can sign in to the Coolify dashboard with administrative access.
- Choose a destination outside the Coolify host before you start. An S3-compatible object-storage destination is suitable for an automated copy; a downloaded file on a portable external SSD gives you an independently retained offline option.
- Identify the workload databases, volumes, directory mounts, and external storage attached to your applications. They need separate schedules.
- Record the Coolify version. The version used when a dump was created is important when you rebuild a server and rerun the installer.
- For a possible server replacement, locate
/data/coolify/ssh/keys/and~/.ssh/authorized_keysand decide where those files will be stored securely.
Create an instance backup from the dashboard
- Open the Coolify dashboard and go to Settings > Backup.
- If backups are not enabled, configure a storage location and the schedule on this page.
- Select Back up now.
- Wait for the execution result to show Success. A request that was merely started is not proof that a usable dump exists.
- Confirm that at least one storage location contains the resulting file. Download a local-storage copy, or retrieve a remote-only copy from the S3-compatible storage service.
- Copy the complete
APP_KEY=line from/data/coolify/source/.envinto your independent secure store.
Keep the downloaded dump in a protected location and verify that the file is present and non-empty before considering the job complete. If the dashboard reports a failed remote upload, retain the local copy and investigate the destination rather than deleting the only successful copy.
Set frequency, timeout, and retention deliberately
Coolify exposes separate controls for recurring frequency, execution timeout, local retention, and optional S3 retention. The documented timeout range is 60 to 36,000 seconds. Retention limits operate independently: a local limit controls local copies, while an S3 limit controls remote copies. A retention value of 0 means no limit, so storage can grow without automatic pruning.
| Setting | What it controls | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | How often Coolify creates a new instance dump | Choose an interval that meets your acceptable control-plane data loss. |
| Timeout | How long a backup operation may run | Use a value from 60–36,000 seconds that allows your database and destination to finish without masking a stalled transfer. |
| Local retention | How many or how much local history is retained, according to the dashboard control | Keep enough history to recover from a bad configuration that was backed up repeatedly. |
| S3 retention | Remote history retained in the S3-compatible destination | Set independently from local retention so a host failure does not remove every generation. |
| Value 0 | No automatic retention limit | Use only when you will monitor and prune storage yourself. |
Never design the system so the only successful copy remains on the Coolify server. A practical arrangement is an automated S3-compatible copy plus a periodically downloaded .dmp file on portable offline media, with the APP_KEY and recovery notes stored separately.
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Back up workload databases and persistent files separately
Restoring the Coolify database recreates the control-plane records, not the data that your containers write. Build a second backup plan for every stateful workload and test that plan independently.
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Use Coolify’s engine-aware database backup features for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse, and SQLite. Each engine has different consistency, locking, export, and restore requirements; select the engine that matches the actual service and retain enough history for your recovery objective.
Redis-compatible services
Redis, Dragonfly, and KeyDB require their own persistence or backup tooling. An instance dump that lists a resource does not contain the keys held by that service.
Volumes, directory mounts, and external storage
Configure storage backups for application volumes and directory mounts. Keep at least one copy outside the deployment server and perform a restoration test. For external storage, use the storage system’s native backup and retention mechanism; Coolify cannot reconstruct those objects from its own database.
Document the relationship between each workload backup and its Coolify resource name. During a full recovery, you need to know which database dump, volume archive, or external-storage snapshot belongs to which application before you reconnect or redeploy it.
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Understand the destructive part of a restore
A restore replaces the current Coolify database. The pg_restore options used for the documented procedure clean existing objects before loading the dump, so a mistake can overwrite the control-plane state currently on the target.
- Confirm the dump filename, creation time, and instance identity before running the command.
- Confirm that the APP_KEY came from the same instance as the dump.
- If the target contains valuable current configuration, create a fresh backup of that target first.
- Schedule a maintenance window and avoid changing projects or starting deployments while the database is being replaced.
Restore Coolify on the existing server
Use this path when the host and its filesystem are still available but the Coolify database must be rolled back.
Gather the recovery set
- The intended
.dmpfile. - The matching complete
APP_KEY=line. - SSH access to the server.
- The Coolify version that created the dump, if known.
Confirm the database container
On the target, confirm that the coolify-db container is running and healthy. Do not proceed against a stopped or unhealthy database; resolve that condition first so a restore failure is not confused with a container failure.
Place and check the dump
Copy the file to a path readable from the target, for example /data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmp. Verify that it exists and is non-empty. Use the exact file you identified during the pre-restore check, not an automatically generated filename whose instance is uncertain.
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Run pg_restore against the target Coolify database with the database connection values used by that installation. The command pattern is:
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pg_restore --clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owner --dbname=$COOLIFY_DATABASE /data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmpSet $COOLIFY_DATABASE to the target database name and provide the target host, port, user, and password through the installation’s normal connection method when they are required. Do not guess credentials or point the command at an application database. The flags have these purposes:
| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
--clean |
Removes database objects before recreating them. |
--if-exists |
Suppresses cleanup errors for objects that are not present. |
--exit-on-error |
Stops at the first restore error instead of silently continuing. |
--no-acl |
Does not restore dump-time access-control entries. |
--no-owner |
Does not try to reassign ownership to roles from the source system. |
Restart or rerun the installer when required
After the database load, rerun the Coolify installer. If the dump came from a known release, specify that original version when necessary so migrations run against the release expected by the restored data. Keep the target installation’s environment values, including its database password, and replace only APP_KEY with the saved value.
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- The dashboard opens without an encryption error.
- Projects and resources appear with the expected names and settings.
- Localhost validation succeeds.
- Managed servers connect.
- Deployment history and instance settings are present.
Only after these checks pass should you proceed to restore workload databases, volumes, and external storage through their separate procedures.
Move Coolify to a new server
A replacement host requires the same database restore, plus a clean installation and preservation of the files that are not in the dump.
| Item | Action on the replacement host |
|---|---|
| Coolify software | Install Coolify and use the original version when it is known and required for compatible migrations. |
| Environment values | Keep values generated for the new installation, such as DB_PASSWORD; replace only APP_KEY with the saved key. |
| Instance database | Ensure coolify-db is healthy, place the dump on the host, and run the safeguarded pg_restore procedure. |
| SSH identity and access | Restore /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys if they are missing. |
| Application data | Restore each workload database and storage backup separately; the Coolify dump cannot supply them. |
- Install the replacement server and establish SSH access.
- Before restoring anything, confirm which dump and APP_KEY belong to the intended old instance.
- Preserve the new installation’s environment values and set the saved APP_KEY.
- Copy the dump to a path such as
/data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmpand check that it is non-empty. - Confirm the
coolify-dbcontainer is running and healthy, then runpg_restorewith--clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owner. - Restore the SSH key directory and authorized-keys file from the separate backup when needed.
- Rerun the installer using the original Coolify version when necessary.
- Perform the dashboard, encryption, localhost, managed-server, project, resource, history, and settings checks before reconnecting workloads.
The database restore brings back Coolify’s knowledge of resources; it does not copy those resources’ servers or data. Reconnect only after the corresponding workload and storage backups have been restored or verified on their own systems.
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Test recovery instead of trusting a success message
A successful backup execution proves that Coolify produced a file or completed an upload. It does not prove that the file, key, database connection, migrations, SSH material, or workload backups will work together. Coolify’s documentation summarizes this distinction: “A backup is not a restore test.”
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Use a disposable target for a full rehearsal. Install the appropriate Coolify version, load a copy of the dump, set the matching APP_KEY, and execute the same verification checks used for an incident. Record how long the database restore and installer steps take, where the files are located, and which workload backup must be restored next. Repeat after major version changes or changes to your storage and retention design.
Troubleshoot common recovery failures
The dashboard reports an encryption error
The target is using a different or incomplete APP_KEY. Stop and compare the saved complete line with /data/coolify/source/.env on the target. Set the matching value, then rerun the installer or restart sequence required by the installation.
pg_restore stops immediately
Check that coolify-db is healthy, the dump is non-empty, and the connection points to the Coolify database rather than a workload database. Because --exit-on-error stops at the first problem, capture that first error before changing anything. A version mismatch can also require installing the release that created the dump and rerunning the migration step.
The dashboard opens but projects are missing
The wrong dump may have been selected, or the restore may have targeted a different database. Recheck the dump’s origin and creation time, the target database name, and the installer version before attempting another destructive restore.
Managed servers no longer connect
The database records may be present while the SSH files are absent. Restore /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys from their separate backup, then validate the managed-server connections again.
Applications start without their data
This is expected when only the instance dump was restored. Recover the relevant engine-aware database backup, volume or directory archive, and external-storage snapshot, then verify the application against those restored data sets.
The remote copy is unavailable
Check whether the last run uploaded successfully and whether the configured S3 retention removed older generations. Retrieve any successful local copy, keep it off-host, and correct the remote destination before deleting local history.
Quick Recap
Choose a recovery design that matches the failure you fear
| Design question | Weak design | Stronger design |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Only the Coolify database | Coolify dump plus engine-aware database, volume, file, and external-storage backups. |
| Location | Only local storage on the Coolify host | S3-compatible remote storage plus an independently retained local or offline copy. |
| Recovery confidence | A dashboard result marked Success | A tested restore on a disposable target with recorded steps and timings. |
| Security | APP_KEY stored beside the dump on the host | APP_KEY stored separately in a secured password manager or equivalent protected location. |
| Retention and failure handling | One retention limit assumed to cover every location | Local and S3 retention configured independently, with a response plan for failed uploads. |
Final recovery checklist
- A recent Coolify dump exists and has been copied away from the host.
- The complete matching APP_KEY line is stored independently.
- Local and remote retention settings are understood, including the effect of a value of 0.
- Workload database, volume, directory-mount, and external-storage backups are scheduled separately.
- The Coolify version used to create the dump is recorded when possible.
- Replacement-server SSH key files and authorized-keys data are backed up.
- A restore rehearsal has confirmed the database, key, installer, SSH access, and workload recovery sequence.
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