Backing up OpenClaw ensures you can recover from hardware failures, migration issues, or accidental deletions. This guide covers identifying critical data, automating backups, and testing restore procedures to keep your OpenClaw instance resilient.
Why This Is Hard to Do Yourself
These are the common pitfalls that trip people up.
No Built-in Backup Tool
OpenClaw doesn't include a native backup utility, requiring manual identification of data directories and configuration files.
Multiple Data Locations
Data spreads across SQLite databases, conversation histories, custom skills, and configuration files in different directories.
Restore Complexity
Restoring requires careful file placement and version matching to avoid corruption or compatibility issues.
Step-by-Step Guide
Identify Data Directories
Locate all directories containing OpenClaw data. The primary data directory varies by installation method. For Docker, it's typically mounted as a volume. For native installations, it's in the user's home directory.
# Docker volume location
docker volume inspect openclaw_data
# Native installation (example)
ls ~/.openclaw/Create Backup Script
Write a shell script to archive all data directories. Use tar with compression to reduce backup size. Include timestamps in filenames for versioning.
#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/backups/openclaw"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/openclaw_backup_$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" \
~/.openclaw/ \
/var/openclaw/config/ \
--exclude="*.log"Automate with Cron
Schedule daily backups using cron. Run backups during off-peak hours to minimize performance impact. Retain the last 7 daily backups and the last 4 weekly backups.
# Edit crontab
crontab -e
# Add daily backup at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/backup-openclaw.sh
# Cleanup old backups (keep 7 days)
find /backups/openclaw -mtime +7 -deleteTest Restore Process
Verify backups by performing a test restore to a separate directory or test server. Extract the archive and confirm file integrity before relying on backups for disaster recovery.
# Extract to test directory
mkdir -p /tmp/openclaw-test
tar -xzf /backups/openclaw/openclaw_backup_20250301_020000.tar.gz -C /tmp/openclaw-test
# Verify database integrity
sqlite3 /tmp/openclaw-test/.openclaw/openclaw.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"Set Up Offsite Backup
Copy backups to a remote location for disaster recovery. Use rsync, cloud storage, or network-attached storage. Encrypt sensitive data before uploading.
# Rsync to remote server
rsync -avz --delete /backups/openclaw/ user@backup-server:/openclaw-backups/
# Or upload to S3
aws s3 sync /backups/openclaw/ s3://my-openclaw-backups/ --exclude "*.log"Document Recovery Procedure
Write a recovery runbook with step-by-step restore instructions. Include prerequisites, file paths, and verification steps. Store the runbook outside the OpenClaw server.
Need Help with OpenClaw Backup & Recovery?
Our experts can set up automated backup solutions, test disaster recovery procedures, and ensure your OpenClaw data is protected. Get professional help with backup architecture and monitoring.
Get matched with a specialist who can help.
Sign Up for Expert Help →