--- title: "Minecraft server backup: automatic, offsite, and tested | StreetHosting" description: "Set up automatic backups from the control panel or a plugin, define retention, send copies off the server, and test the restore before you need it." url: "https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup" type: "page" language: "en-US" --- Minecraft · 10 min · Intermediate Published on May 19, 2026 · Updated on Sep 28, 2026 # Minecraft server backup and restore, from the control panel to a VPS A real backup has a schedule, retention, a copy off the server, and a tested restore. Here is how to build that routine in the hosting control panel, with plugins, or on a VPS, so you never lose the world when something goes wrong. By [Equipe StreetHosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/autores#equipe-streethosting) · StreetHosting infrastructure and support team [Backup and recovery](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/backup) [Minecraft plugins](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/plugins) [Automation and webhooks](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/automation) Summarize with: [](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fminecraft%2Fminecraft-server-backup.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. 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On managed hosting, schedule the backup in the control panel and lock what cannot be lost; on a VPS, pause saving, copy, and turn saving back on with a cron script. Until the restore has been tested, the backup cannot be considered reliable. ## What a complete backup includes[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#o-que-entra) A backup that fails almost never fails while copying. It fails at restore time, when someone finds out a folder was missing, the file was corrupted, or the jar version did not match. That is why it pays to think in layers. ### World and player data On Paper up to 1.21, the Nether and the End live in separate folders: world, world\_nether, and world\_the\_end go in together. Starting with 26.1, every dimension and the player data live inside world. In a long survival run, the Nether and the End are worth as much as the main world. ### Configs, permissions, and databases Include server.properties, bukkit.yml, spigot.yml, Paper's config folder, and the entire plugins folder, which holds homes, the economy, protections, and LuckPerms. If a plugin writes to a MySQL database, export the database separately and check whether it is included in the control panel backup, because a file backup does not carry the contents of an external database on its own. ### Jars and versions Keep the server jar and write down the version of every plugin. Restoring a world on a version other than the original is an invitation to silent errors: strange chunks, items disappearing, and staff blaming the map when the problem is the version mix. The basics for beginners are in [Minecraft backup for beginners](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup-for-beginners). ## Automatic backups from the control panel[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#painel) On StreetHosting's Minecraft plans, the Backups tab in the control panel creates a complete copy of the server files. You can create a copy on the spot, lock the important ones so they are neither deleted nor overwritten, restore with the option to wipe the current files first, and delete the ones you no longer need. Each plan has a limit on how many backups are kept at the same time: | Plan memory | Minecraft Pro | Minecraft Budget | Control panel backups | | ------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | --------------------- | | 4 GB | R$ 44.00 | R$ 34.00 | 1 | | 6 GB | R$ 66.00 | R$ 51.00 | 2 | | 8 GB | R$ 88.00 | R$ 68.00 | 2 | | 10 GB | R$ 110.00 | R$ 85.00 | 2 | | 12 GB | R$ 132.00 | R$ 102.00 | 3 | | 16 GB or more | From R$ 176.00 | From R$ 136.00 | 1 | To automate it, create a schedule in the control panel with two tasks: a `save-all flush` command and, a few seconds later, a backup task. The time is set in cron format, and the early hours of the morning, with few people online, are the best moment. With only a few slots, use one for the scheduled backup and reserve another, locked, for the copy made before every update. To restore, stop the server, open the Backups tab, pick the copy, and click Restore. Check the option to delete the current files when you want the server exactly as it was on the backup date; without it, files created after the copy, such as a new plugin, stay in the folder. Before restoring over the top, create a copy of the current state if there is a free slot: if the restore does not fix things, you still have somewhere to go back to. Under the terms of service, automatic backups are a courtesy, with no guarantee of frequency, retention, or restore, and the customer must keep their own copies outside the hosting. Treat the control panel backup as the fast layer, never as the only one. ## Backup plugins[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#plugins) Backup plugins run inside the server itself and solve what the control panel does not: sending copies off the server automatically and keeping more versions than the plan limit. * **Backuper:** for Paper, Folia, and Purpur, with uploads over FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and Google Drive. It is among the most up to date and already lists 26.x versions. * **DriveBackupV2:** uploads to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, FTP, SFTP, and S3-compatible storage. Check first whether it already supports your version, because the latest updates cover up to 1.21. * **Fabric and Forge:** use a backup mod compatible with your version and check the date of the last update before trusting it. Two precautions apply to any plugin. First, the folder where it keeps local copies takes up the plan's NVMe, so limit how many stay there and keep the long history on the external destination. Second, exclude the backups folder itself and web maps, such as BlueMap's and Dynmap's, from the backup: they can be regenerated and only make each copy bigger. ## How long to keep each copy[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#retencao) Retention is the rule that says how many copies stay and for how long. Without it, either the disk fills up or you find out the only copy that exists already contains the problem. A starting point that works for most servers: | Copy | When | How many to keep | What it is for | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Before changes | Before updating the version, a plugin, or the modpack | The latest one for each change | Roll back if the update breaks something | | Daily | Every day, in the early morning | 7 | Undo a mistake or griefing noticed within a few days | | Weekly | Once a week | 4 | A problem found late, such as duplicated items | | Monthly | Once a month | 3 to 6 | History and end of season | Imagine a duplication bug found ten days after it started. Whoever keeps a single copy, overwritten every night, only has backups that already contain the duplicated items. Whoever has the weeklies can go back to before the problem and decide with the staff what matters more: losing a few days of progress or cleaning up the economy by hand. The copy before changes is the one that saves the most servers. Updating Minecraft converts the world, and the conversion cannot be undone, as explained in the guide on [updating your Minecraft server version](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/update-paper-minecraft-server). Make the backup, lock it in the control panel, and only then update. ## A copy off the server[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#copia-externa) The 3 2 1 rule calls for three copies, on two different media, with one away from the main location. For a Minecraft server, that turns into something simple: the running server, the control panel backup, and a copy somewhere else. The full theory is in [the 3 2 1 backup strategy](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/3-2-1-backup-strategy). * **Cloud through the plugin:** Google Drive or another destination configured in the backup plugin, with automatic uploads. * **Manual download:** once a week, download the control panel backup to your computer or an external drive. Simple, and better than nothing. * **Object storage:** on a VPS, restic or rclone send the copies to an S3-compatible service, encrypted. Keep the external destination's passwords off the server. If someone breaks into the control panel and finds your cloud password in the plugin's config.yml, they can wipe the server and the backups in one go. ## Consistent backups on a VPS[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#vps) On a VPS there is no automatic backup from the provider: the routine is entirely yours. Copying the world folder while the server is writing can produce half-written files. The safe path is to pause auto-save with `save-off`, force a save with `save-all flush`, copy, and turn it back on with `save-on`. Those commands reach the server over RCON, through the mcrcon client. In server.properties, enable RCON with a strong password and do not open port 25575 in the firewall. mcrcon is not in the Ubuntu repositories, so compile it from the project's source: `# server.properties enable-rcon=true rcon.port=25575 rcon.password=SENHA_FORTE_DO_RCON # install mcrcon sudo apt install -y build-essential git git clone https://github.com/Tiiffi/mcrcon.git cd mcrcon && make && sudo make install` The script below copies the server to a staging folder with saving paused, turns saving back on as soon as possible, and only then compresses, so the game spends as little time as possible without saving. The `trap` guarantees the `save-on` even if the copy fails: `#!/usr/bin/env bash # /opt/minecraft/backup.sh set -euo pipefail SERVIDOR=/opt/minecraft/servidor DESTINO=/opt/minecraft/backups PREPARO="$DESTINO/preparo" DATA=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H%M) export MCRCON_HOST=127.0.0.1 MCRCON_PORT=25575 MCRCON_PASS='SENHA_FORTE_DO_RCON' mkdir -p "$PREPARO" mcrcon "save-off" "save-all flush" trap 'mcrcon "save-on"' EXIT sleep 5 rsync -a --delete --exclude 'logs/' --exclude 'bluemap/' \ "$SERVIDOR/" "$PREPARO/" mcrcon "save-on" trap - EXIT tar -czf "$DESTINO/servidor-$DATA.tar.gz" -C "$PREPARO" . find "$DESTINO" -maxdepth 1 -name 'servidor-*.tar.gz' -mtime +7 -delete` `sudo chmod 700 /opt/minecraft/backup.sh sudo chown minecraft:minecraft /opt/minecraft/backup.sh sudo crontab -u minecraft -e # every day at 4:30 AM 30 4 * * * /opt/minecraft/backup.sh >> /opt/minecraft/backup.log 2>&1` The find line deletes files older than 7 days, which is the local retention. Weekly and monthly copies and the offsite upload work better with restic, which deduplicates and encrypts, as shown in the guide on [automatic VPS backups with restic and cron](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/vps-backup-restic-cron). ## Restore and test the restore[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#restaurar) Restoring straight onto the production server, in a hurry, usually makes the damage worse. Test first in a separate environment: a test server on your computer or, on the VPS, a second instance on another port with the whitelist turned on. 1. Lock the server down with the whitelist and tell the community about the maintenance. 2. Download the chosen backup and load it in the test environment, never straight into production on the first try. 3. Use the same jar and the same plugin versions as at the time of the backup. 4. Check the spawn, one player's inventory, the economy balance, and the LuckPerms groups. 5. With everything right, restore on the real server, through the control panel or by copying the files on the VPS. Not every incident calls for rolling back the whole server. If a player destroyed an area, CoreProtect undoes only that player's actions, without wiping everyone's progress since the last backup. The setup is in [CoreProtect for grief rollback](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/coreprotect-rollback-grief-minecraft). Use the backup for the disaster and CoreProtect for the small stuff. * Restore procedure written down and accessible to at least two admins * Restore test done every month or after every major change * Date of the test and how long the restore took written down * Plan B defined for when the most recent copy is corrupted * Backup failure alert reaching a person, not disappearing into a log ## Which plan to choose[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#qual-plano) If you want backups scheduled from the control panel and a restore in a few clicks, the [Minecraft hosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft) plans already include backup slots, NVMe, and Anti-DDoS in São Paulo. [Minecraft Pro](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft-pro), with DDR5 memory, ranges from R$ 44.00 with 4 GB and 1 backup to R$ 132.00 with 12 GB and 3 backups, the tier with the most slots in the control panel. The Budget line, with DDR4, starts at R$ 34.00. If you would rather control the whole routine, with scripts, restic, and as many copies as the disk can hold, the [Minecraft VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps-minecraft) gives you root access on a Ryzen 9 9950X, with 80 GB of NVMe on the R$ 118.00 plan and 160 GB on the R$ 222.00 plan, room for the server and for local retention. Remember that on a VPS, the backup is your responsibility from start to finish. In this guide * [What a complete backup includes](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#o-que-entra) * [Automatic backups from the control panel](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#painel) * [Backup plugins](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#plugins) * [How long to keep each copy](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#retencao) * [A copy off the server](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#copia-externa) * [Consistent backups on a VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#vps) * [Restore and test the restore](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#restaurar) * [Which plan to choose](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup#qual-plano) ## Frequently asked questions Is the control panel's automatic backup enough? It is the first layer and the fastest one to restore, but it lives on the same infrastructure as the server and is offered as a courtesy, with no guarantee. Keep at least one copy outside the hosting and test the restore from time to time, because a corrupted file only shows up when someone tries to open it. Do I need to shut the server down to back up the world? No, but the world has to be written to disk at the moment of the copy. In the control panel, schedule a save command a few seconds before the backup task. On a VPS, pause auto-save, force a save, copy, and turn auto-save back on, as the script in this guide shows. How many days should I keep Minecraft server backups? A good baseline is 7 daily copies, 4 weekly, and a few monthly, plus a copy before every update. The dailies fix mistakes noticed right away, and the weeklies and monthlies cover problems found late, such as duplicated items that circulated for weeks. Does CoreProtect replace backups? No. CoreProtect logs who touched each block and chest and rolls back griefing by player and by time period, without reverting the whole server. It does not recover a corrupted world, a deleted folder, or lost plugin data. Use both: CoreProtect for the small stuff, backups for the disaster. How many backups does a StreetHosting Minecraft plan keep? It depends on the plan: 1 backup on the 4 GB plan, 2 on the 6, 8, and 10 GB plans, 3 on the 12 GB plan, and 1 on plans from 16 GB up, on both Minecraft Pro and Budget. Lock the backup that must not be overwritten in the control panel and keep your own copies outside the hosting. Next step Minecraft plans Compare Minecraft hosting options in Brazil. [Minecraft plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft) [See Minecraft Pro Managed hosting on Ryzen with modpacks, optimized Paper and technical support.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/minecraft-pro) [VPS for Minecraft Ryzen 9 VPS with root access, NVMe and Anti-DDoS to run Minecraft your way.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps-minecraft) ## Related guides [Minecraft Beginner Minecraft server backup: a beginner's guide A backup is the difference between losing an entire season and getting back to playing from yesterday's save. This guide covers the essentials if you have never copied a world before. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/minecraft-server-backup-for-beginners) [Minecraft Intermediate How to set up CoreProtect to roll back grief on Minecraft CoreProtect records who broke and placed every block. With it you find the griefer and undo the damage across a whole region with a single rollback command. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/coreprotect-rollback-grief-minecraft) [Infrastructure Beginner The 3-2-1 backup strategy for servers The 3-2-1 rule is one of the most reliable ways to reduce data loss after a technical failure or a human mistake. 2 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/infrastructure/3-2-1-backup-strategy) [← Back to the Guide Center](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides)