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Source-grounded rewrite of 529 published docs pages with per-unit information-loss verification: 1,713 factual corrections cited to src/**, generated surfaces regenerated, frontmatter titles preserved for i18n, release notes pages untouched. All docs gates green. Closes #100141
72 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
72 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "CLI reference for `openclaw backup` (create local backup archives)"
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read_when:
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- You want a first-class backup archive for local OpenClaw state
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- You want to preview which paths would be included before reset or uninstall
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title: "Backup"
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---
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# `openclaw backup`
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Create a local backup archive for OpenClaw state, config, auth profiles, channel/provider credentials, sessions, and optionally workspaces.
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```bash
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openclaw backup create
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openclaw backup create --output ~/Backups
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openclaw backup create --dry-run --json
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openclaw backup create --verify
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openclaw backup create --no-include-workspace
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openclaw backup create --only-config
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openclaw backup verify ./2026-03-09T08-00-00.000+08-00-openclaw-backup.tar.gz
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```
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## Notes
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- The archive embeds a `manifest.json` with the resolved source paths and archive layout.
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- Default output is a timestamped `.tar.gz` archive in the current working directory. Timestamped filenames use your machine's local timezone and include the UTC offset. If the current working directory is inside a backed-up source tree, OpenClaw falls back to your home directory for the default archive location.
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- Existing archive files are never overwritten. Output paths inside the source state/workspace trees are rejected to avoid self-inclusion.
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- `openclaw backup verify <archive>` checks that the archive contains exactly one root manifest, rejects traversal-style archive paths, and confirms every manifest-declared payload exists in the tarball. `openclaw backup create --verify` runs that validation immediately after writing the archive.
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- `openclaw backup create --only-config` backs up just the active JSON config file.
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## What gets backed up
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`openclaw backup create` plans sources from your local OpenClaw install:
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- The state directory (usually `~/.openclaw`)
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- The active config file path
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- The resolved `credentials/` directory when it exists outside the state directory
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- Workspace directories discovered from the current config, unless you pass `--no-include-workspace`
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Auth profiles and other per-agent runtime state live in SQLite under the state directory (`agents/<agentId>/agent/openclaw-agent.sqlite`), so they are covered by the state backup entry automatically.
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`--only-config` skips state, credentials-directory, and workspace discovery and archives only the active config file path.
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OpenClaw canonicalizes paths before building the archive: if config, the credentials directory, or a workspace already live inside the state directory, they are not duplicated as separate top-level backup sources. Missing paths are skipped.
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During archive creation, OpenClaw skips known live-mutation files with no restoration value: active agent session transcripts, cron run logs, rolling logs, delivery queues, socket/pid/temp files under the state directory, and related durable-queue temp files. The JSON result's `skippedVolatileCount` reports how many files were intentionally omitted. SQLite databases under the state directory are snapshotted safely (`VACUUM INTO`) rather than copied live, so open WAL/SHM files do not corrupt the backup.
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Installed plugin source and manifest files under the state directory's `extensions/` tree are included, but their nested `node_modules/` dependency trees are skipped as rebuildable install artifacts. After restoring an archive, use `openclaw plugins update <id>` or reinstall with `openclaw plugins install <spec> --force` if a restored plugin reports missing dependencies.
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## Invalid config behavior
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`openclaw backup` bypasses the normal config preflight so it can still help during recovery. Workspace discovery depends on a valid config, so `openclaw backup create` fails fast when the config file exists but is invalid and workspace backup is still enabled.
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For a partial backup in that situation, rerun with `--no-include-workspace`: it keeps state, config, and the external credentials directory in scope while skipping workspace discovery entirely.
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`--only-config` also works when the config is malformed, since it does not parse the config for workspace discovery.
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## Size and performance
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OpenClaw does not enforce a built-in maximum backup size or per-file size limit. Practical limits come from:
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- Available space for the temporary archive write plus the final archive
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- Time to walk large workspace trees and compress them into a `.tar.gz`
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- Time to rescan the archive with `--verify` or `openclaw backup verify`
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- Destination filesystem behavior: OpenClaw prefers a no-overwrite hard-link publish step and falls back to exclusive copy when hard links are unsupported
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Large workspaces are usually the main driver of archive size. Use `--no-include-workspace` for a smaller/faster backup, or `--only-config` for the smallest archive.
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## Related
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- [CLI reference](/cli)
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