How to Backup And Restore Docker Apps in xCloud
Updated November 8, 2026 · 5 min read
Backup and restore docker apps in xCloud protects the app’s persistent data and deployment recipe. xCloud captures named volumes, eligible bind mounts, docker-compose.yml and the app’s .env file in an encrypted, deduplicated restic snapshot.
This guide is for site owners and team members who manage Docker app sites and need on-demand backups, scheduled backups, remote copies, retention controls or an in-place restore.
Need a server for your containers? See container hosting on xCloud for server sizes and prices.
Where your Docker app’s data lives
A Docker app keeps its files in four places, and the backup treats each one differently. Knowing which is which explains why SFTP shows less than you expect and what a backup brings back.
| What | Where it lives | Can the site’s SFTP user see it? | In an xCloud Docker backup? |
|---|---|---|---|
| App data: databases, uploads, settings the app saves | Docker named volumes, in Docker’s own storage on the server (/var/lib/docker/volumes/) |
No | Yes |
The app’s recipe: docker-compose.yml and .env |
The site folder, /var/www/<site>/ |
Yes | Yes (for apps deployed from Git, files the repository tracks are left to Git) |
| Folders you mount yourself (bind mounts) | Wherever the compose file points | Only if they are inside the site folder | Yes, except server system folders such as /etc or /var/lib/docker |
| The app’s code, built-in themes and default files | Inside the container image | No | No. The image is pulled again from its registry |
Why SFTP can’t see the data
Each site’s SFTP and SSH user can only read that site’s folder. Docker volumes sit in Docker’s storage, which only the server’s administrator account can read. That is why you can connect with the site’s SFTP details and find the compose file but no database or uploads. Nothing is missing: the data is in the volumes.
To look at the volumes, connect to the server over SSH as a sudo user and run:
sudo docker volume ls
sudo docker volume inspect VOLUME_NAMEinspect shows the volume’s Mountpoint, the folder on the server that holds its files. Don’t move or edit files there while the app is running. To keep a copy you can restore, use the backups in this guide.
Changing files that come with the image
Files baked into the image, such as an app’s built-in themes or code, are not on the server as normal files. If you change them inside a running container, the change is lost the next time xCloud recreates the container, for example after Update or Save & Redeploy. Backups don’t keep those changes either.
To customise them in a way that lasts, use one of these:
- Build your own image with your changes, push it to a container registry, and point the service’s
image:line at it on the app’s Compose page (Docker Compose for apps you deployed with your own compose file). See update a One Click app and edit its Docker Compose file. - Mount a folder from the site folder into the container (a bind mount) for files the app reads while it runs. Files in a bind mount inside the site folder are included in Docker backups. Apps that compile their themes when the image is built need the first option instead.
How to Backup and Restore Docker Apps in xCloud?
With a dedicated backup and restore experience, xCloud makes protecting Docker applications simpler and more reliable. Whether applications are created with OneClick, Docker Compose, Git or Dockerfiles, users can schedule backups, control retention, choose flexible storage options and preview backups before restoring them.
Open the Docker Backups Page
In the xCloud dashboard, open Sites and select your Docker site. Then from the site menu select Backup, then Previous Backups. Review the backup summary and existing backup rows.
The summary shows whether automatic backups are active, the configured frequency, the retention period and the latest backup. Each backup row shows its time, type, snapshot identifier and status.
Create an On-demand Backup
On Backup > Previous Backups, select Backup Now. Wait while xCloud creates the backup asynchronously. Refresh or revisit the list to confirm the row changes from Running to Completed.
During capture, xCloud stops the app, records its eligible named volumes and bind mounts, saves the Compose recipe and environment file and restarts the app. A remote destination receives a replicated copy after the local capture finishes.
Configure Scheduled Local Backups
Open Backup > Backup Settings. Select the Local Backup tab. Turn on Automatic Backup. Under Select Backup Frequency, choose how often to back up. To remove older snapshots automatically, turn on Backup Retention and pick a period (see Choose a retention period). Select Save Settings.
Choose a retention period
Docker backups can run Every 12 Hours, Daily, Weekly or Monthly, on the local destination and on each remote destination separately.
Under Backup Retention, pick how long to keep snapshots in Delete backups older than: 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 30 days, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. Select Custom to enter any number of days up to 3650.
Retention always keeps the newest snapshot, even when it is older than the selected period, so the last good backup survives if scheduled backups stop.
Configure Remote Backups
Remote backups keep a copy outside the site’s server. Docker app backups go to S3-compatible storage (such as Amazon S3 or Cloudflare R2) or an SFTP server. Google Drive and pCloud are not available for Docker apps, so they don’t appear in the storage provider list on this page, even when your team has connected them for other sites.
Configure an S3-compatible or SFTP provider for your team if one is not already available. Open the Docker site and go to Backup > Backup Settings. Select the Remote Backup tab. Under Bucket, choose Select Storage Provider and select the destination. Configure Automatic Backup, Backup Frequency and Backup Retention as needed. Select Save Settings.
Add a second remote destination
A Docker site can replicate to up to two remote destinations, each with its own frequency and retention. Each saved destination appears as a pill on the Remote Backup tab, with a counter of how many of the two you use. To add the second one, select Add another destination, choose a different storage provider and select Save Settings.
The storage provider of a saved destination cannot be changed. To move backups to another provider, add it as a new destination. Two destinations cannot use the same bucket.
On Backup > Previous Backups, the Remote Backup tab shows one pill per destination. The status overview, the backup list and Backup Now all follow the selected destination, so a manual backup is replicated to that destination only.
Restore a Docker App Backup
A restore replaces the current app data in place, in the same Docker site the backup came from, so that site must still exist. Before you delete a Docker site or its server, read backups and the site lifecycle. Confirm that you selected the correct site and snapshot before applying a restore.
Open Backup > Previous Backups. Find a backup with Completed status. Open the row’s three-dot Action menu and select Restore.
Review the prepared restore details. xCloud checks that the snapshot is reachable and previews its size and paths without changing the app. Enter the site name when prompted to confirm the destructive operation. Apply the restore and wait for the operation to finish.
Delete A Backup
Open the three-dot Action menu for a backup that is not running. Select Delete and confirm the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many remote backup destinations can a Docker app have?
Up to two, each with its own frequency and retention. Local backups on the server are set up separately on the Local Backup tab.
Can I change the storage provider of a saved remote destination?
No. To move backups to another provider, add it as a new destination. Two destinations cannot use the same bucket.
Why can’t I see my Docker app’s data over SFTP?
The app’s data is kept in Docker volumes in Docker’s own storage on the server, outside the site folder. The site’s SFTP or SSH user can’t read that storage. Connect to the server as a sudo user to inspect it, and use Docker app backups to keep a copy.
Can I back up a Docker app to Google Drive or pCloud?
No. Docker app backups go to S3-compatible storage or SFTP only. Google Drive and pCloud destinations are not available for Docker apps.
Does Backup Retention delete my only Docker backup?
No. Retention always keeps the newest snapshot, even when it is older than the selected period, so the last good backup survives if scheduled backups stop.
If you run into any issues with Docker app backups, feel free to reach out to our support team.