> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ownpay.org/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> OwnPay is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is completely free - no licensing fees.
> Production docs URL: https://ownpay.org/docs - append .md to any page URL for clean markdown.
> OwnPay requires PHP 8.3+, MySQL/MariaDB, and Redis.
> MCP server available at https://ownpay.org/docs/mcp for programmatic documentation queries.
> Use root-relative links (e.g. /quickstart) for internal navigation - do NOT include /docs prefix.
> Plugin development: consult /developer/plugins/ pages for correct interfaces and manifests.
> Canonical locations: API auth = /api/authentication, webhook verification = /api/webhooks, rate limits = /resources/rate-limiting, transaction statuses = /fundamentals/payment-flow.
> The documentation uses the Diataxis framework: Tutorials (learning), How-to (tasks), Reference (lookup), Explanation (understanding).

# Backup and Export

> Learn how to back up and restore your OwnPay installation including database dumps, file backups, automated backup scripts, and data export procedures.

A reliable backup strategy is essential for any payment platform. This guide covers what to back up, how to automate backups, how to restore from a backup, and how to export data for external use.

***

## What to back up

You need to protect four categories of data:

| Category           | Location              | Contents                                                                   |
| :----------------- | :-------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Database           | MySQL                 | All `op_` tables - transactions, customers, ledger, settings, sessions     |
| Storage files      | `storage/`            | Cache, compiled views, logs, uploaded files (logos, dispute evidence)      |
| Environment config | `.env`                | APP\_KEY, ENCRYPTION\_KEY, JWT\_SECRET, database credentials, Redis config |
| Custom code        | `modules/`, `config/` | Custom plugins, themes, and config overrides                               |

<Warning>
  The `.env` file contains your `ENCRYPTION_KEY`. Without it, you cannot decrypt customer PII or gateway credentials stored in the database. Always include `.env` in your backups.
</Warning>

***

## Database backup

Use `mysqldump` with the `--single-transaction` flag to produce a consistent snapshot without locking tables during the dump.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
mysqldump \
  --single-transaction \
  --routines \
  --triggers \
  --set-gtid-purged=OFF \
  -u ownpay_user -p \
  ownpay_db > /backups/ownpay-db-$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S).sql
```

<Note>
  The `--single-transaction` flag uses InnoDB's MVCC to create a consistent snapshot. This is safe for production databases because it does not block reads or writes.
</Note>

***

## File backup

Archive the application files, excluding dependencies that can be reinstalled and temporary files that are regenerated automatically.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
tar -czf /backups/ownpay-files-$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  --exclude='vendor' \
  --exclude='node_modules' \
  --exclude='storage/cache/*' \
  --exclude='storage/sessions/*' \
  --exclude='storage/logs/*' \
  -C /var/www ownpay/
```

Then copy the `.env` file separately with restricted permissions:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
cp /var/www/ownpay/.env /backups/ownpay-env-$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S).txt
chmod 600 /backups/ownpay-env-*.txt
```

***

## Automated backup script

Create a shell script that produces timestamped database and file backups, and rotates old backups to prevent disk exhaustion.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
#!/bin/bash
# /opt/scripts/ownpay-backup.sh

BACKUP_DIR="/backups/ownpay"
RETENTION_DAYS=30
DB_NAME="ownpay_db"
DB_USER="ownpay_user"
APP_DIR="/var/www/ownpay"

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

# Database backup
mysqldump --single-transaction -u "$DB_USER" -p"$DB_PASS" "$DB_NAME" \
  | gzip > "$BACKUP_DIR/db-$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S).sql.gz"

# File backup (exclude vendor, cache, sessions)
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/files-$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz" \
  --exclude='vendor' --exclude='node_modules' \
  --exclude='storage/cache' --exclude='storage/sessions' \
  -C /var/www ownpay/

# Rotate old backups
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "*.sql.gz" -mtime +$RETENTION_DAYS -delete
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +$RETENTION_DAYS -delete

echo "Backup completed: $(date)"
```

Make it executable and schedule it with cron:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
chmod +x /opt/scripts/ownpay-backup.sh

# Run daily at 2:00 AM
crontab -e
0 2 * * * /opt/scripts/ownpay-backup.sh >> /var/log/ownpay-backup.log 2>&1
```

***

## Restore procedure

Follow these steps to restore an OwnPay installation from backup.

<Steps />

***

## Pre-update backups

OwnPay's built-in `UpdateService` automatically creates a database backup and file snapshot before applying any update. These backups are stored in `storage/backups/pre-update-{version}/`.

<Info>
  Automatic pre-update backups are a safety net, not a replacement for your own backup schedule. If the update process itself fails catastrophically (disk full, permissions error), the automatic backup may not have completed. Always maintain independent backups.
</Info>

***

## Data export

For compliance, accounting, or migration purposes, you can export data without a full database backup.

* **Transactions** - Filter by date range, status, or gateway on the Transactions page, then click **Export CSV**. This includes amount, fee, net amount, currency, status, and gateway reference.
* **Reports** - The Reports page generates summary data that can be exported as CSV for import into accounting software.
* **Customer data** - Export individual customer records or bulk-export all customers for a brand. This includes all PII in decrypted form for GDPR data portability requests.

***

## Related Pages

* [Security and Compliance](/docs/resources/security-compliance) - Encrypting backups and handling PII
* [Migration Guide](/docs/resources/migration-guide) - Upgrading between versions safely
* [Performance and Scaling](/docs/resources/performance-scaling) - Optimizing backup I/O on busy servers


## Related topics

- [System Update](/docs/system/system-update.md)
- [Performance and Scaling](/docs/resources/performance-scaling.md)
- [Migration Guide](/docs/resources/migration-guide.md)
- [Security and Compliance](/docs/resources/security-compliance.md)
- [Audit Log](/docs/reports/audit-log.md)