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When the CLI archive is unavailable, Ghost’s Admin export plus a deliberate copy of media, themes, routes, redirects, and member data can produce a usable manual backup. A restore is only proven when the files can be read and the site can be rebuilt on another instance, so test the process on a disposable or staging server as an operational best practice.
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What a Ghost backup must protect
A Ghost publication is more than its posts. A recoverable copy has to preserve the structured content, members, presentation files, uploaded media, URL rules, and the information needed to reconnect the installation to its database and external services. Losing any one of those layers can leave a restored site with broken images, missing subscribers, changed URLs, or an unusable theme.
- Structured content: posts, pages, settings, and other Ghost content exported in JSON.
- Members: the complete member CSV, including the data Ghost makes available for export.
- Presentation: every installed theme, not just the theme currently activated.
- Media: images, downloadable files, video, audio, and other files stored under the site’s content area.
- Routing:
routes.yamlwhen custom routes are in use, plus the redirects file. Depending on Ghost version, redirects may beredirects.yamlorredirects.json. - Host recovery data: the self-hosted configuration JSON, database connection details, and secrets kept separately and securely.
Ghost’s official documentation does not publish a universal backup-success rate, recovery-time target, retention number, encryption standard, or managed off-site service for self-hosted installations. Those are policies you must select for your publication’s risk and budget.
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The official one-command backup
Run ghost backup in the install directory
- Log in to the server that runs Ghost and change to the Ghost installation directory. The command is intended to run from that directory, not from an arbitrary home folder.
- Run
ghost backup. - Wait for Ghost-CLI to finish creating the ZIP archive and note its exact filename and location.
- Copy the ZIP to storage that is not the production server. An external backup drive, offline SSD, or separately managed storage account can serve this purpose; the important property is that a server failure or compromise cannot destroy both copies.
- Record which Ghost installation, date, and configuration the archive belongs to. Protect the archive from public web access and limit who can download it.
The command creates a ZIP containing Ghost’s site data. Keep the original archive intact until you have confirmed that an off-server copy opens and contains the expected files. If you use a scheduled job to run the command, the job still needs an off-server copy step; a second ZIP left on the same disk is not an independent backup.
What the Ghost-CLI ZIP contains
| Data | Included in the CLI archive | Why it matters during recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Content | JSON export | Recreates posts, pages, and Ghost content through the import process. |
| Members | Full member CSV export | Provides the member records for a later import. |
| Themes | All installed themes, including the active theme | Preserves the current design and inactive themes you may need to reactivate. |
| Images and files | Images, files, video, audio, and other media | Prevents posts from referring to missing uploads after migration. |
| Routes | routes.yaml |
Preserves custom routing rules when the site uses them. |
| Redirects | redirects.yaml or redirects.json, depending on Ghost version |
Maintains old-to-new URL mappings and reduces avoidable 404 responses. |
The archive should be treated as sensitive publication data. Ghost’s backup documentation lists site content, members, themes, media, routes, and redirects, but you should also preserve the self-hosted configuration JSON and database connection information separately. Keep credentials and secrets out of publicly served directories and use access controls appropriate to the storage location.
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A manual backup is a set of coordinated exports and file copies. It takes longer and is easier to make incomplete, but it can preserve a site when Ghost-CLI cannot run or when you need individual files for a migration.
1. Export content from Ghost Admin
- Sign in to Ghost Admin.
- Open Labs.
- Choose Export and download the content JSON.
- Store the downloaded file with the date and site name in a folder reserved for this backup.
The JSON export is the structured portion of the site. It does not replace the media copy, theme files, routes, redirects, or member export described below.
2. Save routes and redirects
Download the current redirects file from the server. Ghost installations may use redirects.yaml or redirects.json, depending on version. If the publication uses custom routes, also download routes.yaml. If no custom routes are configured, there may be no routes file to preserve; do not create an empty replacement merely for the sake of having one.
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3. Copy every uploaded asset
Copy all images, files, and media from the server’s Ghost content storage. Include audio and video as well as ordinary image uploads. A content JSON that imports successfully can still produce a visibly broken publication if the referenced files were omitted or only partially copied. Preserve the directory structure when practical so that checking the copy against the original is straightforward.
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- Export the members CSV from Ghost Admin and place it beside the content export.
- If the publication has paid members, plan to reconnect the same Stripe account in Live mode on the replacement installation before importing the members.
- Do not assume that a CSV alone recreates the payment relationship. The original payment account connection is required for paid-member restoration.
5. Preserve the theme
In Ghost Admin, open Design and download the active theme. The CLI archive preserves all installed themes, whereas a manual download from Design is normally focused on the theme you choose. If the publication has customized or inactive themes that matter to your operation, preserve those files separately as well.
6. Preserve self-hosted configuration
Keep a protected copy of the self-hosted configuration JSON and record the database connection details used by the installation. On a new host, configuration paths and connection values may need to be adjusted to match the replacement environment. Treat this material as confidential: it can contain credentials or other secrets and should not be placed in a publicly reachable backup folder.
Where to store Ghost backups
The first storage decision is physical and logical separation from production. A ZIP on the same server protects against accidental deletion only; it does not protect against disk failure, a compromised account, or a server loss. Download the archive and manual exports to a separate system, then keep at least one copy that is disconnected when it is not being updated if your publication can tolerate that workflow.
Choose a retention policy deliberately
Ghost does not prescribe a universal retention schedule for self-hosted sites. Set one based on how often you publish and how far back you may need to recover. For example, you might retain frequent recent copies and fewer older milestones, but the exact intervals and count are a business decision rather than a Ghost requirement. Document who owns the policy, where the copies reside, and when an old copy may be deleted.
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Protect confidentiality and integrity
- Restrict backup access to the people and systems that need it.
- Keep configuration files and secrets separate from ordinary downloadable media.
- Use the encryption and key-management approach required by your organization; Ghost’s documentation does not mandate one standard.
- Keep a written inventory of archive dates, source host, Ghost version, and any special integrations such as paid memberships.
- Open a copied ZIP periodically and check that it is not truncated or corrupt before relying on it.
Off-site storage is an operational choice, not an automatic feature of ghost backup. The command creates the archive; your process must move, protect, and retain it.
Restoring Ghost after a server failure or migration
Prepare the replacement server with a compatible Ghost installation and the host configuration required for it. Then restore in the order documented by Ghost. Ordering matters because media must exist before imported content can reference it, and ownership must be corrected before Ghost is restarted.
Manual restore sequence
- Copy media first. Put images, files, video, audio, and other media into the new installation’s content storage.
- Correct ownership. Where the documented Ghost user is
ghost, runsudo chown -R ghost:ghost contentfrom the installation directory so the service can read and write the copied files. - Restart Ghost. Run
ghost restartand wait for the service to come back. - Import content. In Ghost Admin, open Labs and import the exported content JSON. For a CLI ZIP restore, use Ghost-CLI’s documented ZIP-restore procedure for the version installed on the replacement host rather than guessing a command from another release.
- Import routes and redirects. Restore
routes.yamlwhen custom routes are used, then restore the applicable redirects file, eitherredirects.yamlorredirects.json. - Upload the theme. In Design, upload the preserved theme and activate it when you are ready.
- Reconnect paid memberships. Reconnect the original Stripe account in Live mode before attempting to import paid-member data.
- Import members. Import the members CSV and wait for Ghost’s completion notification before judging the operation finished.
After the import, check representative posts with images, downloadable files, audio, and video; open custom routes; follow a known redirect; verify the active theme; and confirm that member records appear as expected. These checks are practical validation steps, not a substitute for preserving the original files.
Restoring from the official ZIP
The CLI archive is the more portable starting point because it bundles content, members, themes, media, routes, and redirects. Copy the ZIP to the replacement environment and follow the Ghost-CLI ZIP restore procedure documented for that Ghost-CLI release. The exact import path can vary with the installed version, so use the command and prerequisites shown by the matching official documentation. Preserve and review the host configuration separately even when the site-data ZIP restores cleanly.
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| Comparison point | Ghost-CLI ZIP | Manual exports and copies |
|---|---|---|
| Completeness | Bundles content JSON, members CSV, all installed themes, media, routes, and redirects. | Can reach similar coverage only when every required export and content-storage copy is collected. |
| Operational effort | One command, followed by off-server copying and protection. | Several Admin exports, server file copies, configuration preservation, and a checklist. |
| Portability | Designed as a site-data archive for the documented CLI restore path. | Portable, but the operator must recreate the correct order and host settings. |
| Media and themes | Includes media and all installed themes. | Requires an explicit media copy and theme download; omissions are easy. |
| Members and Stripe | Includes the member CSV, but paid memberships still require the original Stripe account in Live mode during restoration. | Requires the same member export and Stripe reconnection steps. |
| Off-server storage | Not automatic; you must move the ZIP away from production. | Not automatic; each export and copied directory must be moved and protected. |
Use the CLI method as the default when it is available. Keep the manual checklist because it provides a fallback, helps inspect individual components, and can rescue a migration when the normal CLI workflow is blocked.
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Testing that a backup is actually usable
A successful command or completed download proves only that a file was produced. The stronger operational test is a restore on a disposable or staging Ghost instance that is isolated from the live publication. This is best practice rather than a universal Ghost requirement, but it reveals missing media, incorrect ownership, stale configuration paths, and forgotten integrations before an emergency.
- Choose a recent archive and copy it to the test environment without altering the original.
- Restore the media and site data using the documented sequence.
- Open posts from different publication periods and test several media types.
- Check the homepage, a custom route, a known redirect, and the active theme.
- Verify member records and, where relevant, the payment-account reconnection plan without changing the live account.
- Record the elapsed work, missing prerequisites, and any version-specific commands so the next recovery is repeatable.
Keep the test notes with the backup inventory. When Ghost, the server operating system, or an integration changes, repeat the test rather than assuming an older archive remains immediately restorable.
Troubleshooting common recovery problems
ghost backup does not run
Confirm that you are in the Ghost installation directory and that Ghost-CLI is installed for the installation. If the command still cannot be used, switch to the manual procedure instead of producing a partial copy and calling it complete.
The restored posts have broken images or downloads
The content JSON contains references, while the binary files live in content storage. Recheck that the complete images, files, video, and audio directories were copied, then correct ownership with sudo chown -R ghost:ghost content where that is the documented service user and restart with ghost restart.
Custom URLs return errors
Restore the site’s routes.yaml when custom routes were used and import the redirects file in the format your Ghost version expects. A missing or mismatched redirects.yaml versus redirects.json can leave old URLs unmapped.
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The theme is missing or looks different
Upload the preserved theme through Design. A manual backup may contain only the active theme unless you deliberately saved inactive themes; the CLI archive includes all installed themes.
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Paid members cannot be restored
Reconnect the original Stripe account in Live mode before importing the member CSV. A CSV import without that original payment connection does not recreate paid-subscription relationships.
Ghost starts but the site is not fully functional
Review the preserved configuration JSON and database connection details. Paths and connection values may need to be changed for the new host. Also check that the copied content is owned by the service user and wait for the member-import completion notification before declaring the migration finished.
A practical backup routine
For a small publication, a repeatable routine can remain simple: run ghost backup from the installation directory, move each ZIP off-server, protect configuration and secrets separately, and maintain an inventory of copies. Add the manual export checklist to your incident documentation so another administrator can recover the site if the CLI host is unavailable. Schedule a staging restore often enough to catch changes in Ghost, the server, themes, routes, media paths, and payment integrations before they become an outage.
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