Plesk Backup Manager: Back Up Sites, Mail and Databases on Schedule
Plesk Backup Manager, under Websites & Domains, backs up a subscription's configuration plus website files, databases and mail. Run a full backup manually, then schedule daily incrementals with a weekly or monthly full copy and a retention period, and send at least one copy to remote storage off the server.
For site owners and admins on Plesk hosting who need dependable scheduled backups and a tested way to restore them.
knowledge
- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 8
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
What does a Plesk Backup Manager backup include?
Plesk Backup Manager always backs up the domain configuration, and by default also includes mail messages and databases; you can clear either checkbox to leave it out. A site backup without its database restores an empty shop, so keep databases ticked unless you back them up another way.[1]
| Content | Included? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Domain and hosting configuration | Always | Cannot be deselected |
| Website files | Yes, with user files | Specific paths can be excluded |
| Databases | Yes by default | Clear "Databases" to skip |
| Mail messages | Yes by default | Often the largest and slowest part |
| Log files | Optional | Tick "Exclude log files" to save space |
Find it under Websites & Domains → Backup Manager in your subscription. Administrators also have a server-wide Backup Manager under Tools & Settings. How many copies are enough is explained in the 3-2-1 backup rule.
Full or incremental: which Plesk backup type should you use?
A full backup contains everything you selected; an incremental backup stores only files changed since the previous backup and needs the matching full backup plus every incremental since it to restore. The first backup is always full.
- Full
- Larger and slower, but self-contained. Use it weekly or monthly, and always before a major update.
- Incremental
- Quick and small. Use it daily between full backups. Deleting the full backup breaks the chain.
How do you create a manual backup in Plesk?
Open Websites & Domains → Backup Manager → Back up, choose the content, storage and type, then click OK. The finished copy appears at the top of the Backup Manager list with its date and size.
- Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager → Back up.
- Under "Back up", keep Mail messages and Databases ticked unless you want them excluded.
- Under "Store in", keep the Plesk server or pick remote storage if it is configured.
- Under "Type", choose Full or Incremental.
- For remote storage with a file-size cap, tick "Create a multivolume backup" and set the volume size in MB.
- Optionally add a comment, exclude log files or specific paths (relative to your home directory), and tick the completion email.
- Click OK and wait for the entry to appear in the list.
The rest of the panel around Backup Manager is covered in the Plesk tutorial for beginners.
How do you schedule automatic backups in Plesk?
In Backup Manager → Schedule, tick "Activate this backup task", set frequency and start time, optionally enable incremental backups with a full-backup interval, set "Keep backup files for", and click OK. Plesk then runs the job without further action.[1]
| Setting | Suggested value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Run this backup task | Daily, early morning | Off-peak; orders and edits are rare |
| Use incremental backup | On | Keeps daily copies small |
| Perform full backup | Weekly or monthly | Starts a fresh chain regularly |
| Keep backup files for | A number that covers a month or more | Mistakes are often noticed late |
| Error notification email | On | A silent failure is the worst kind |
If "Keep backup files for" is left empty, Plesk never removes old full backups and the disk slowly fills.
How do you send Plesk backups to remote storage?
Add a destination under Backup Manager → Remote Storage Settings — FTP is built in, and extensions add destinations such as Amazon S3 and Google Drive — then select it under "Store in". A copy on the same disk as the site is lost with that disk.
- Credentials: test the connection when you save the storage settings.
- File limits: use multivolume backups when the destination caps file size.
- Encryption: set a backup password when downloading a copy; Plesk asks for it again on upload and restore.
- Subscription removal: backups kept only in the subscription's server storage go with it, so keep at least one off-server copy.
How do you restore a site, database or file from a Plesk backup?
In Backup Manager, click the backup, choose Restore, and pick exactly which objects to bring back — the whole subscription, one site, selected files or a single database. Restoring overwrites the current version of whatever you select.
- Restore one object first, such as the database, and check the site.
- Restore files only if the problem is in code, themes or uploads.
- For an incremental copy, keep its full backup and the chain on disk.
- After a restore, clear caches and test login, forms and checkout.
Test the process every quarter by restoring the newest backup to a scratch location. An untested backup is only an assumption.
Why does a Plesk backup fail?
Most failures come from three causes: no free disk space, wrong or unreachable remote-storage credentials, or a broken incremental chain. Read the error shown on the failed task line first; it usually names the cause.
- Disk full: lower the retention period, exclude logs, or move copies off the server.
- Remote storage: re-enter and test the credentials in Remote Storage Settings.
- Chain broken: run a new full backup to start a fresh chain.
- Timeouts on large mailboxes: back up mail on a separate schedule.
On WebJi® Plesk hosting, Linux Plesk plans start at ₹360 a month before 18% GST, with checkout confirming the current price. Email support@webji.services (24/7, Hindi and English, average first reply under 60 minutes) to have the task log checked. For fully managed off-site copies, see server backup solutions.
Sources
- Plesk Obsidian documentation, Creating Backups (manual and scheduled backups). Read 14 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can I download a Plesk backup to my computer?
Yes. Click the download icon next to a backup in Backup Manager and set a password if you want it encrypted. Keep that password safe; Plesk needs it to restore an uploaded encrypted backup.
Does a Plesk backup include SSL certificates?
Certificates installed in the subscription are part of its configuration, which is always included. Let's Encrypt certificates can also simply be reissued after a restore through the SSL It extension.
How much disk space do Plesk backups use?
A full backup is roughly the compressed size of your files, databases and mail. Incrementals are much smaller. Backups stored on the server count against the subscription's disk, so long retention on a small plan can fill it.
Can I back up only the database before an update?
Yes. Use Websites & Domains → Databases and export a dump of the single database, or run a Backup Manager job with mail messages cleared. A database dump is the quickest safety net before a plugin or core update.
Steps checked against Plesk Obsidian documentation on 14 November 2026 · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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