How to back up and restore a Minecraft server

A backup is the difference between "too bad, everything is gone" and "no worries, quickly restored". Yet many server admins forget to set one up. This article explains step by step how to create, automate and restore Minecraft server backups.

Why backups are essential

There are plenty of situations where you will be glad to have a backup:

• A plugin update corrupts your world.
• A player with too many permissions destroys the terrain (griefing).
• You update the server to a new Minecraft version and something goes wrong.
• The server crashes due to a corrupt chunk.
• You want to revert to an earlier point after an experiment.

Method 1: manual backup via SFTP

The most direct way to create a backup:

1. Stop the server via the game panel. This prevents files from being written while you copy them.
2. Connect to your server via SFTP (for example with FileZilla or WinSCP).
3. Download the following folders and files:
   • world/ (the main world)
   • world_nether/ (the Nether)
   • world_the_end/ (the End)
   • plugins/ (your plugin configurations)
   • server.properties
4. Save everything to a folder on your computer with the date included, for example backup-2026-09-06.
5. Start the server again.

Method 2: backup via the Pterodactyl panel

If your host uses Pterodactyl (as HostValues does), you can create backups directly from the panel:

1. Go to your server in the panel.
2. Click the Backups tab.
3. Click Create Backup.
4. Give the backup a recognizable name, for example "before-update-26.3".
5. Optionally: check files or folders you want to exclude (for example logs/).
6. Click Start. The backup is created in the background.

The panel compresses the files automatically, so the backup takes up less space. You can download the backup later or restore it directly from the same screen.

Method 3: setting up automatic backups

You are guaranteed to forget a manual backup sooner or later. Set up automatic backups instead:

1. In Pterodactyl, go to Schedules (the clock icon).
2. Create a new schedule, for example "Daily backup".
3. Set the time (preferably a quiet moment, such as 04:00 at night).
4. Add a task of type Create Backup.
5. Save the schedule. The server now creates a backup automatically every day.

Tip: also set a limit on the number of stored backups so your storage does not fill up. Five to ten backups is enough for most servers.

Restoring a backup

Restoring is just as important as creating. Here is how it works:

1. Stop the server.
2. In Pterodactyl: go to Backups, click the three dots next to the desired backup and choose Restore. The panel asks whether you want to overwrite or delete the current files. Choose "Delete all files" if you want a clean restore.
3. Manually: remove the current world/ folders via SFTP and upload the folders from your backup.
4. Start the server and check that everything loaded correctly.

Tips for a solid backup strategy

• Store backups in multiple places: regularly download a backup to your own computer or cloud storage.
• Test your backups: a backup you never test could be corrupt without you knowing. Try restoring on a test server once in a while.
• Back up before every major change: before you install a plugin, update the Minecraft version or change the server configuration.
• Label your backups: "backup-before-worldedit-test" is more useful than "backup-3".

How large is a Minecraft backup?

That depends on the world size. A new world is a few megabytes, but a world that has been played on for months can be several gigabytes. The panel compresses backups, so the stored size is smaller than the actual world size.

Can I use a backup from a different server?

Yes, as long as the Minecraft version matches or is newer. Upload the world/ folders via SFTP and start the server. Note: downgrading from a newer to an older version does not work, because worlds are not backwards compatible.

How many backups should I keep?

At least three to five recent backups. For active servers with many players, ten is a safer choice. Also keep a monthly backup in an external location in case something goes wrong with the server itself.

With HostValues Minecraft hosting you create backups directly from the Pterodactyl panel, with automatic schedules and download options.