Backup Add-on

What the Backup Add-on Does

The backup add-on creates regular snapshots of your OpenClaw instance's data. If something goes wrong — accidental configuration changes, data corruption, or failed updates — you can restore your instance to a previous state.

Without this add-on, there is no automated backup. If you delete data or misconfigure your instance, the only recovery option is a full rebuild, which wipes everything.

What Gets Backed Up

Backups capture the full state of your instance's container:

Included	Details
Configuration	LLM settings, messenger tokens, API keys, custom settings
Chat history	All conversation data stored on the instance
Knowledge base	Uploaded documents and indexed embeddings (if embedding add-on is active)
Custom modifications	Packages installed via SSH, custom scripts, modified configs
Skills and plugins	Any installed or configured skills

What Is Not Backed Up

Some elements exist outside the container and are not part of the backup:

Not Included	Reason
Billing data	Managed by ClawHosters, not stored on the instance
Add-on subscriptions	Subscription state lives in ClawHosters, not the container
Server-level config	Firewall rules, SSH host keys — these belong to the VPS, not the container

Pricing

Pack	Monthly Price	Backup Frequency	Retention
Starter	€5	Daily	7 days
Standard	€12	Daily	14 days
Pro	€25	Daily + on-demand	30 days

All packs include automated daily backups. The Pro pack also allows manual on-demand backups at any time.

Setting Up the Backup Add-on

1. Open your instance in the ClawHosters dashboard
2. Go to Add-ons > Backup
3. Choose a pack size (Starter, Standard, or Pro)
4. Confirm your subscription

Backups begin automatically within 24 hours of subscribing. The first backup captures the current state of your instance.

Backup Schedule

Automated backups run once per day during a maintenance window (typically between 02:00 and 05:00 UTC). The exact time varies to distribute load across the infrastructure.

Each backup is a full snapshot. There are no incremental backups — every backup contains the complete container state.

On-Demand Backups (Pro Pack Only)

With the Pro pack, you can trigger a manual backup at any time from the add-ons page. This is useful before making significant changes to your instance configuration.

On-demand backups do not count against the daily schedule. Your automated daily backup still runs as normal.

Retention Policy

Backups are retained based on your pack:

Pack	Retention Period
Starter	7 days
Standard	14 days
Pro	30 days

When a backup exceeds the retention period, it is automatically deleted. You cannot extend retention beyond your pack's limit.

Restoring from a Backup

1. Go to Add-ons > Backup in your instance dashboard
2. Browse the list of available backups (newest first)
3. Select the backup you want to restore
4. Read the warning — restoring overwrites the current state
5. Type your instance name to confirm
6. Click Restore

The restore process takes a few minutes depending on the backup size. Your instance is briefly unavailable during the restore.

What Happens During a Restore

1. Your instance is stopped
2. The current container state is replaced with the backup
3. The instance restarts with the restored data
4. Health checks run to verify the instance is operational

After the restore, your instance is back to the exact state it was in when the backup was created. Any changes made after that backup are lost.

Important Warnings

• Restoring overwrites everything. All data and configuration created after the backup point is permanently lost.
• Restoring does not roll back billing. Charges for the time between the backup and the restore still apply.
• Messenger connections may need re-authentication. Some messenger platforms invalidate tokens when the instance state changes. You may need to reconnect Telegram, WhatsApp, or other channels after a restore.
• The restore itself is not reversible. Once you confirm, there is no undo. Consider creating an on-demand backup (Pro pack) before restoring, so you have the current state saved.

Managing Your Subscription

Upgrading

Pack upgrades take effect immediately. You gain access to the longer retention period and (for Pro) on-demand backups right away. Existing backups are retained according to the new pack's policy.

Downgrading

Downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing period. Backups that exceed the new pack's retention period are deleted when the downgrade activates.

Cancelling

Cancel the backup add-on from the add-ons page. Existing backups are retained for 7 days after cancellation. After that, all backup data is permanently deleted.

Troubleshooting

No backups are showing

• Verify the backup add-on is active on the add-ons page
• The first backup runs within 24 hours of subscribing — check back later
• If the instance was in an error or stopped state during the backup window, the backup may have been skipped

Restore failed

• Check that your instance has enough disk space for the restore
• Verify the instance is in a state that allows restoring (running, stopped, or error)
• If the backup data is corrupted, try restoring from a different backup point
• Contact support if restores repeatedly fail

"Backup add-on not available" error

• The backup add-on requires an active instance
• Instances that are provisioning, deploying, or deleted cannot use the backup add-on

Related Documentation

• Rebuilding an Instance — Factory reset without backup (wipes everything)
• Deleting an Instance — Permanent deletion with no recovery
• Instance Overview — Instance statuses and lifecycle
• Billing Overview — How add-on billing works