openclaw/docs/install/backups.md

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summary	read_when	title
Back up OpenClaw state: archives, per-database snapshots, scheduling, offsite copies, and continuous replication	You want a backup routine for an OpenClaw install instead of a one-off archive You want scheduled, offsite, or continuous backups without copying the whole database every time You need to restore OpenClaw state from a backup	Backups

Backups

OpenClaw keeps its authoritative state in SQLite: one global control-plane database plus one database per agent, all under the state directory (usually ~/.openclaw). See Database schemas for the exact layout. This guide covers protecting that state: one-off archives, per-database snapshots, scheduling, offsite copies, and continuous replication for installs that should not re-upload whole databases on every backup.

Never copy live .sqlite, -wal, -shm, or -journal files as a backup. The databases are written while the Gateway runs, and raw file copies of a live database can be torn or corrupt. Every supported path below captures committed state safely.

Backups contain auth profiles, channel and provider credentials, session history, and other sensitive records. Store them encrypted, restrict the destination like you restrict the live state directory, and rotate credentials if you suspect a backup leaked. See [Migrating between machines](/install/migrating) for the same rules applied to machine moves.

Choose a path

• One-off, everything, portable: openclaw backup create archive.
• One database, compact and verified: openclaw backup sqlite create.
• Regular protection: schedule either command and sync the output offsite.
• Continuous, incremental, seconds of data loss: replicate the databases with Litestream.

Full archives

openclaw backup create --output ~/Backups/openclaw --verify

This writes a timestamped .tar.gz covering state, config, credentials, sessions, and (by default) workspaces, then validates the archive manifest and payload. SQLite databases inside the archive are captured with SQLite's online backup API and compacted, so the archive is safe to create while the Gateway runs. Backup CLI documents every flag, the volatile files that are intentionally skipped, and verification details.

Archives are full copies: each run re-uploads everything. They are the right tool before an update, reset, uninstall, or machine move, and a reasonable daily routine for small installs. For large workspaces or frequent backups, prefer snapshots or continuous replication below.

Per-database snapshots

openclaw backup sqlite create --global --repository ~/Backups/openclaw-sqlite
openclaw backup sqlite create --agent main --repository ~/Backups/openclaw-sqlite

Each run publishes one verified snapshot directory (manifest.json plus database.sqlite) into the repository directory. Snapshots are vacuumed, so deleted-page remnants do not inflate them, and every snapshot records a SHA-256 that openclaw backup sqlite verify rechecks later.

Snapshot repositories are local directories. Scheduling, upload, retention, and restore-on-boot are intentionally left to the operator; the sections below cover them.

Schedule backups

Use your platform scheduler. A nightly cron example that snapshots the control-plane database and the main agent database:

0 3 * * * openclaw backup sqlite create --global --repository "$HOME/Backups/openclaw-sqlite" --json >> "$HOME/Backups/openclaw-backup.log" 2>&1
5 3 * * * openclaw backup sqlite create --agent main --repository "$HOME/Backups/openclaw-sqlite" --json >> "$HOME/Backups/openclaw-backup.log" 2>&1

On macOS, a launchd job works the same way; on servers provisioned from the hosting guides, a systemd timer is the natural fit. --json emits one machine-readable result per run, so the log doubles as a backup audit trail. Prune old snapshot directories on your own retention schedule.

Copy backups offsite

Archives and snapshot repositories are plain files, so any sync tool works. An rclone example targeting an S3-compatible bucket:

rclone sync ~/Backups/openclaw-sqlite remote:openclaw-backups/sqlite

Because every archive and snapshot is a full copy, offsite syncs re-upload each new backup in full. Deduplicating backup tools such as restic reduce storage at the destination but still read full snapshots as input. When upload size per backup matters, use continuous replication instead.

Continuous replication with Litestream

Litestream is an open-source replication daemon for SQLite. It runs alongside the Gateway with no OpenClaw changes: it watches each database's write-ahead log and streams incremental changes to object storage, with periodic snapshots so restores stay fast. Only changed pages leave the machine, which makes it the right tool when backups must not re-upload whole databases.

OpenClaw's databases run in WAL mode, which is Litestream's one hard requirement. A minimal litestream.yml replicating the control-plane database and one agent database to an S3-compatible bucket:

dbs:
  - path: /home/user/.openclaw/state/openclaw.sqlite
    replicas:
      - url: s3://openclaw-backups/state
  - path: /home/user/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/openclaw-agent.sqlite
    replicas:
      - url: s3://openclaw-backups/agents/main

Run litestream replicate under your process supervisor, one entry per database you care about. To recover, restore to a fresh path and activate it offline:

litestream restore -o ./restored-openclaw.sqlite s3://openclaw-backups/state

Litestream replicates database bytes only. Config, credentials files, and workspaces still need one of the file-based paths above, and the replicated data is as sensitive as the archives, so apply the same bucket access and encryption rules.

Restore

Restore is deliberately explicit; nothing overwrites live state in place.

Restore a full archive

Start only from an archive you created or otherwise trust. openclaw backup verify checks archive structure and payload layout, but it does not authenticate the archive or make untrusted content safe.

Before a full restore, review What gets backed up. Archives intentionally omit volatile files, plugin dependency trees, and installer-managed runtime roots such as state-local tmp/. Recreate those artifacts after restore.

Verify before extracting, then stage the archive in a private temporary directory:

set -euo pipefail

ARCHIVE=./2026-03-09T08-00-00.000+08-00-openclaw-backup.tar.gz

openclaw backup verify "$ARCHIVE"

restore_dir="$(mktemp -d -t openclaw-restore.XXXXXX)"
trap 'rm -rf "$restore_dir"' EXIT

tar -xzf "$ARCHIVE" -C "$restore_dir"
manifest_path="$(find "$restore_dir" -mindepth 2 -maxdepth 2 -name manifest.json -print -quit)"
test -n "$manifest_path"
cat "$manifest_path"

Treat the staging directory as sensitive. It can contain credentials, auth profiles, sessions, and workspace data. The trap removes it when the shell exits.

The manifest records archiveRoot, the original paths under paths, and an assets[] list. Each asset includes its kind, original sourcePath, and archivePath inside the tarball. Use those fields as the source of truth; do not derive the archive root from the archive filename.

The archive layout is:

<archive-root>/manifest.json
<archive-root>/payload/posix/<absolute-source-path-without-leading-slash>/...
<archive-root>/payload/windows/<DRIVE>/<rest>/...
<archive-root>/payload/relative/<relative-source-path>/...

Before copying files back, stop the Gateway and any node hosts that use them. Make a fresh backup of the current state or move the current directories aside. Restore the smallest set of assets needed.

For example, this restores the state asset to the current user's default state directory. The target stays absent until cp -a creates it, preserving the staged directory's mode and metadata:

set -euo pipefail

state_archive_path="$(
  node -e 'const fs = require("node:fs"); const manifest = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.argv[1], "utf8")); process.stdout.write(manifest.assets.find((asset) => asset.kind === "state")?.archivePath ?? "");' "$manifest_path"
)"
test -n "$state_archive_path"

state_source="$restore_dir/$state_archive_path"
state_target="$HOME/.openclaw"
state_backup="$HOME/.openclaw.pre-restore.$(date +%s)"

test -d "$state_source"
openclaw gateway stop

if [ -e "$state_target" ] || [ -L "$state_target" ]; then
  mv "$state_target" "$state_backup"
fi
test ! -e "$state_target"
test ! -L "$state_target"
cp -a "$state_source" "$state_target"

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway start
openclaw health
openclaw status

For a same-machine restore, the manifest sourcePath values are usually the intended targets. On a new machine or under a different home directory, choose the new targets first, then copy only the matching asset payloads. Typical full-restore targets are the state directory, active config file, credentials directory, and workspace directories. See Updating for the rollback workflow.

Restore a database

For a snapshot, openclaw backup sqlite restore <snapshot-directory> --target <new-database-path> writes a re-verified database to a fresh target. For Litestream, litestream restore writes a fresh database file. Move either result into place while the Gateway is stopped, then start the Gateway and check openclaw health and openclaw doctor.

After restoring onto a different OpenClaw version, preflight the database first with openclaw database preflight; see Database schemas.

Related

• Agent workspace for keeping workspace files in a private git repository
• Backup CLI reference
• Database schemas
• Migrating between machines
• Updating