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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dbhost.app/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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How backups work

DBHost uses pg_dump piped through gzip to create compressed SQL backups. Backups run asynchronously. You can trigger them manually, and DBHost also runs a daily automated backup job at 02:00 UTC with 30-day retention in production. In production, durable backups are stored off-host in S3 and exposed in the dashboard as timestamped .sql.gz files.

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Triggering a backup

  1. Go to your database detail page
  2. Click Export Data to start a new backup and jump to the backups page
  3. Or click Backups and use Trigger Backup from there
The backup starts immediately and runs in the background. Refresh the page to see it appear in the list once complete.

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Viewing backup history

The backups page shows all available backups with:
  • Filename (timestamp-based: YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.sql.gz)
  • Size (compressed)
  • Created at (UTC)
  • Actions — Restore, download, or delete via the three-dot menu on each row

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Restoring from a backup

Click the three-dot menu on any backup row and choose Restore. Confirm in the dialog that appears. The backup contents will overwrite all data in the current database.
Restoring from a backup is a destructive operation. All current data in the database will be replaced. This cannot be undone.

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Importing a database dump

Use Import to upload a pg_dump file from another host (e.g. AWS Lightsail, Heroku, Railway).
  1. Click Import in the backups page header
  2. Select a file (.sql.gz, .sql, .dump, or .backup — max 512 MB)
  3. Click Import and restore and confirm
The uploaded file is restored into the current database, overwriting all existing data. After a successful restore, DBHost automatically reassigns ownership of the restored tables to your database’s owner role so your application can read them. If you ever see permission denied for table ... from your app after a restore, run Repair ownership (see API reference or dbhost databases repair-ownership <id>).

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Retention

Backups are retained for 30 days in production. Automated cleanup runs as part of the scheduled backup job.

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Downloading and deleting backups

  • Use Download to fetch the exact .sql.gz file for local storage or operator restore work.
  • Use Delete to remove a backup file permanently from backup storage.
Deleting a backup cannot be undone.