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A Coolify instance backup is a dump of Coolify’s control-plane database. It preserves projects, resources, settings, saved credentials, and deployment history, but it does not include application files, workload database contents, Docker volumes, or external storage. A reliable recovery plan therefore has two parts: create and protect the Coolify database dump, and back up every workload separately.
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Save the complete APP_KEY=... line from /data/coolify/source/.env outside the server. The dump does not contain this encryption key; without the matching key, restored secrets cannot be read. To move an instance to another server, you also need the dump, the matching key, SSH access, and—when possible—the Coolify version that created the backup.
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Coolify’s instance backup protects the database used by the control plane. That database is what lets the dashboard reconstruct your management environment after a failure.
| Data | Included in the instance dump? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Projects and resources | Yes | Restored with the Coolify database. |
| Instance settings | Yes | Restored with the Coolify database. |
| Saved credentials and other encrypted values | Database records are included, but they require the original APP_KEY to decrypt |
Store the complete key separately. |
| Deployment history | Yes | Restored with the Coolify database. |
| Application source files and build artifacts | No | Protect them through your source-control, artifact, or server backup process. |
| Workload PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, ClickHouse, or SQLite data | No | Use an engine-aware database backup. |
| Docker volumes and directory mounts | No | Use a storage backup and test restoring it. |
| External storage attached to applications | No | Back up the external system independently. |
| SSH key files used by the installation | Not guaranteed by the database dump | Preserve /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, or maintain a separate copy. |
“Application volume and database data are not part of an instance backup.” — Coolify documentation, Restore Coolify
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Prepare a backup plan before pressing “Back up now”
Keep the encryption key outside the host
Open an administrative shell on the Coolify server and copy the entire line beginning with APP_KEY= from /data/coolify/source/.env. Store it in a password manager or another encrypted location that is not dependent on the Coolify server. Do not save only the value after the equals sign if your recovery procedure expects the complete line.
The database dump and the key are a pair. A valid dump with the wrong key can appear to restore successfully while leaving encrypted credentials unusable. Coolify’s documentation states: “Without this key, restored secrets cannot be read.”
Choose more than one storage location
Keep at least one copy away from the Coolify host. A practical arrangement is a local copy for fast recovery, an S3-compatible object-storage copy for remote durability, and an independently retained offline copy such as a portable external SSD. The SSD is only a destination for the file Coolify creates; it does not replace application-data backups.
Remote and local retention are separate controls. A retention value of 0 means no limit. Set limits that match the space available at each destination, and decide what should remain when an upload fails. Never treat a successful dashboard job as proof that a remote copy exists until you confirm the storage location.
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Create a Coolify instance backup
- Sign in to the Coolify dashboard.
- Open Settings > Backup.
- If backups are not configured, select the available storage destination and configure it first.
- Select Back up now.
- Wait for the execution result to show Success.
- Confirm that at least one storage location contains a backup. Download a local-storage copy, or retrieve a remote-only copy from the configured S3-compatible provider.
- Record the backup date, Coolify version, destination, and the location of the separately stored
APP_KEY.
A non-empty file is necessary but not sufficient. A backup job can complete while a later upload or retention action fails, so inspect the destination itself. Keep the resulting .dmp file unchanged; renaming it is fine, but do not edit or recompress it in a way that prevents pg_restore from reading it.
Configure recurring backups
In Settings > Backup, configure the schedule, timeout, local retention, and optional S3 retention. The documented timeout range is 60 to 36,000 seconds. Local and S3 retention limits operate independently, so setting one does not limit the other. A longer retention window helps recover from an undetected configuration mistake, while a shorter window reduces storage consumption.
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Restore a Coolify database on the existing server
Restoration replaces the current Coolify database. Confirm that the dump and APP_KEY belong to the intended instance before proceeding, and take a fresh copy of the current database if it is still available. Do not use a restoration to experiment on a production database.
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Gather the recovery materials
- The intended Coolify
.dmpfile. - The matching complete
APP_KEY=...line. - SSH access with permission to manage the Coolify containers.
- The Coolify release used when the dump was created, if known.
- A copy of any required SSH key files.
Restore the dump
- Confirm that the
coolify-dbcontainer is running and healthy. - Place the dump on the target, for example at
/data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmp. - Check that the file exists and is non-empty before touching the database.
- Run
pg_restoreagainst the Coolify database with--clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owner. A command form ispg_restore --clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owner --dbname=$DATABASE_URL /data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmp; use the connection value for the target Coolify database rather than copying an environment variable that does not exist on your host. - Allow the command to finish and stop on the first reported error. The
--cleanoption removes existing database objects before loading the dump, so a mistake here can destroy the current control-plane data.
Do not substitute a different key after the restore. The key must be the one that encrypted the records in the dump, not merely a newly generated key from the target installation.
Move Coolify to a replacement server
A replacement-server migration combines a fresh installation with the database restoration above. The target’s environment must remain internally consistent: retain values such as the new installation’s DB_PASSWORD, and replace only APP_KEY with the saved value from the original instance.
- Install Coolify on the replacement server and confirm that its
coolify-dbcontainer is healthy. - Copy the dump to a protected path such as
/data/backups/coolify-db-backup.dmpand verify that it is non-empty. - Set the target environment values, retaining the target installation’s database settings. Replace the generated
APP_KEYwith the original complete line. - Run
pg_restorewith--clean --if-exists --exit-on-error --no-acl --no-owneragainst the target Coolify database. - Restore
/data/coolify/ssh/keys/and~/.ssh/authorized_keyswhen those files are needed and were not recreated by the installation. - Rerun the Coolify installer. If the original release is known, specify that version so migrations run against the expected release; do not assume that an unrelated version will interpret every database schema identically.
- Open the dashboard and complete the verification checks before directing normal operations to the replacement host.
Keep the old host isolated until the new instance is validated. Running both control planes against the same managed resources can create confusion about which dashboard is authoritative.
Verify the restore before declaring success
A successful pg_restore process only proves that PostgreSQL accepted the dump. It does not prove that encrypted values, server access, or deployments work. Coolify documentation puts this plainly: “A backup is not a restore test.”
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- Open the dashboard without an encryption error.
- Confirm that expected projects and resources are present.
- Check that instance settings and deployment history appear.
- Validate localhost from the dashboard.
- Confirm that each managed server connects.
- Inspect a resource that uses stored credentials; a credential that cannot be decrypted indicates an
APP_KEYmismatch. - Run a controlled deployment or other low-risk health check after confirming that workload data is available separately.
Perform this exercise periodically on a disposable target rather than waiting for an outage. Record the elapsed time, commands, missing prerequisites, and any manual corrections, then update the recovery record.
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The Coolify instance dump restores orchestration metadata, not the data your applications produce. Build a second backup schedule for every stateful service and persistent mount.
| Workload type | Required protection | Recovery consideration |
|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | Coolify’s engine-aware PostgreSQL backup or an equivalent PostgreSQL-native process | Restore the database separately, then validate schema and application connectivity. |
| MySQL or MariaDB | Engine-aware MySQL or MariaDB backup | Preserve compatible server versions and credentials. |
| MongoDB | Engine-aware MongoDB backup | Test a restore into an isolated database before changing production endpoints. |
| ClickHouse | Engine-aware ClickHouse backup | Account for large datasets and the time needed to rebuild tables. |
| SQLite | Engine-aware SQLite backup | Capture the database file consistently while the application is quiescent when required. |
| Redis, Dragonfly, or KeyDB | Use that engine’s persistence and backup tools | Decide whether the data is authoritative or disposable cache data. |
| Docker volumes and directory mounts | Storage backup copied outside the deployment server | Restore ownership, permissions, paths, and application-specific files. |
| External storage | Back up the external storage system itself | Verify that restored applications can reach the restored endpoint. |
Keep workload copies independent of the Coolify server. If both the control-plane dump and the application data live on the same host, a disk failure, ransomware event, or accidental deletion can remove the entire recovery set.
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The dashboard says success, but no remote file exists
Inspect the configured S3-compatible destination and its retention policy directly. Download a confirmed copy, record its path, and keep a local or offline copy as well. A successful database export does not guarantee a successful upload.
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Restored secrets produce an encryption error
Stop and verify the complete APP_KEY=... line character by character. Restore again with the key that belonged to the source instance. Generating a new key cannot decrypt values encrypted with the old one.
The restore fails part way through
Check that coolify-db is healthy, the dump is non-empty and readable, and the target has sufficient disk space. Run the command with --exit-on-error so the first failure is visible. Do not repeatedly overwrite a production database without preserving the current state and identifying the failing object.
Projects are present, but servers do not connect
Check the restored SSH key files, including /data/coolify/ssh/keys/ and ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, then validate localhost and each managed server. The control-plane database can be correct even when host-level SSH material was not restored.
The target runs a different Coolify release
Use the original version when it is known and rerun the installer so migrations execute in the expected sequence. If the original version is unknown, preserve the dump and current target state, test the migration on a disposable server, and document the result before production cutover.
Choose a recovery design that matches your risk
| Design choice | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Local copy on the Coolify host | Fastest access for a routine restore | Lost with a host or disk failure. |
| Separate server | Protects against failure of the Coolify host | Still depends on another online system and its access controls. |
| Portable offline media | Independent of network and host compromise | Requires secure handling, update discipline, and a way to verify the media. |
| S3-compatible object storage | Remote copies and configurable retention | Requires credentials, upload monitoring, and independent confirmation that objects exist. |
| Untested backup file | Low effort | Shows export success, not recoverability. |
| Scheduled disposable restore test | Measures real recovery confidence | Consumes time and a temporary target, but exposes missing keys, SSH files, and workload backups before an outage. |
Protect the dump and APP_KEY with the same care as production credentials. Limit access, encrypt offline media, and keep recovery instructions where an administrator can reach them without relying on the failed Coolify host.
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