Server corruption, accidental deletions, griefing, a bad plugin update that wipes inventories. Any of these can destroy weeks or months of player progress. Backups are your insurance policy.
Backup Methods
Hosting Panel Backups
Most managed hosts include automatic backups in their plans. Space-Node includes 2-3 backup slots depending on your plan, with automatic scheduling and one-click restore.
This is the simplest option. No setup, no maintenance. Backups happen automatically and you can restore with a single click from the control panel.
Plugin-Based Backups
For more control, use a backup plugin:
DriveBackupV2: Backs up to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or FTP. Automatic scheduling, incremental backups, and compression.
# DriveBackupV2 config
schedule:
cron: "0 */6 * * *" # Every 6 hours
backup:
format: ZIP
create:
- worlds
- plugins
keep:
count: 7 # Keep 7 backups
ServerBackup: Simpler alternative that saves compressed backups to the server's local storage.
Manual Backups
If nothing else, at least create manual backups before:
- Plugin updates
- Minecraft version updates
- Major events or resets
- Any configuration changes
Use the server console:
save-all
save-off
Then compress the world folder via FTP or the file manager. Re-enable saving with save-on.
Backup Schedule
| Server Activity | Backup Frequency | Retention | |----------------|------------------|-----------| | Low (< 10 daily players) | Every 12 hours | 5 backups | | Medium (10-50 daily) | Every 6 hours | 7 backups | | High (50+ daily) | Every 2-4 hours | 10 backups | | Before risky changes | Manual | Keep until verified |
More frequent backups mean less lost progress when something goes wrong. A server that backs up every 6 hours loses at most 6 hours of work.
What to Back Up
At minimum, back up:
- World folders (world, world_nether, world_the_end)
- Plugin data (plugins/ folder, especially databases)
- Server config (server.properties, paper.yml, spigot.yml)
Optionally:
- Player data (included in world folders)
- Logs (useful for investigating issues)
The world folders are the most important. Everything else can be reinstalled or reconfigured, but a lost world is gone forever.
Restoring from Backup
- Stop the server completely
- Download or extract the backup
- Delete the corrupted files
- Upload the backup files to the same locations
- Start the server
- Verify the restore worked
On managed hosting, this is usually a one-click process. On a VPS, you'll need FTP access.
Partial Restores
Sometimes you don't need to restore the entire world. If only one player's inventory was corrupted, you can:
- Use CoreProtect to roll back that player's recent actions
- Or: Replace just the
playerdata/folder from a backup while keeping the world intact
Partial restores minimize disruption for other players who haven't lost anything.
Testing Your Backups
A backup you've never tested is a backup you can't trust. At least once a month:
- Download a backup
- Run it on a local test server
- Verify the world loads correctly
- Check that plugin data is intact
If your backup restore process takes more than 10 minutes, practice it until it doesn't. When your server is down and 50 players are waiting, you don't want to be fumbling with file transfers.
