Configure Backup Schedules

Published · Last updated: May 2026 · 3 min read

Who this is for

Users who want to automatically back up their servers or sites on a schedule without manually triggering each backup.

Prerequisites

Server is running with SSH connectivity.
Owner or Admin role in the organization.

How to Create a Backup Schedule

Open the server detail → Backups tab → Schedules sub-tab.
Click + Add Schedule.
Fill in the form:

Field	Description
Backup type	`snapshot`, `files`, `database`, or `full`
Schedule (cron)	Cron expression (e.g., `0 2 * * *` = daily at 2 AM)
Retention days	How long to keep each backup (default 30)
Incremental	For file backups: only back up files changed since last backup (faster, less disk)
Encrypted	Encrypt backup files at rest
Offsite enabled	Upload each backup to cloud storage automatically
Offsite provider	`s3`, `gcs`, `azure_blob`, or `do_spaces`
Offsite bucket	The cloud storage bucket name
Offsite cloud account	The connected cloud account to use for storage
Offsite region	Cloud region for the storage bucket

Click Save.

Common Cron Expressions

Expression	Schedule
`0 2 * * *`	Daily at 2:00 AM
`0 2 * * 0`	Weekly on Sundays at 2:00 AM
`0 2 1 * *`	Monthly on the 1st at 2:00 AM
`0 /6 * *`	Every 6 hours
`0 2,14 * * *`	Twice daily (2 AM and 2 PM)

Tip: Schedule backups during low-traffic hours — typically late at night or early morning.

Recommended Backup Strategy

For production servers:

Backup type	Schedule	Retention	Offsite
`database`	Daily at 2 AM	30 days	Yes
`full`	Weekly, Sunday 3 AM	90 days	Yes
`snapshot`	Weekly, Saturday 1 AM	14 days	N/A (cloud provider)

Incremental Backups

When Incremental is enabled for file backups:

The first backup is always a full backup.
Subsequent backups only include files changed since the last backup.
Incremental backups are faster and use less disk space.
Restore requires the full backup plus all incremental backups up to the desired point.

How to Edit or Delete a Schedule

In the Schedules tab, find the schedule.
Click Edit (pencil icon) to change the cron expression, retention, or offsite settings.
Click Delete (trash icon) to remove the schedule.

Editing the cron expression recalculates the nextRunAt automatically.

What Success Looks Like

The schedule appears in the list with the correct cron expression and a next run timestamp. After the scheduled time passes, a new backup appears in the Backups list with trigger: scheduled.

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue	Likely cause	Fix
"INVALID_CRON" error	Cron expression syntax error	Use exactly 5 space-separated fields: `minute hour day month weekday`
Schedule created but backups not running	Server is offline at scheduled time	Ensure server is running. CloudAIPilot skips missed schedules.
Offsite upload fails	Cloud account credentials invalid or bucket not accessible	Verify the cloud account — see KB-05-07: Cloud Storage Vault Setup