# Backups

TREK stores all data in a single SQLite database (`travel.db`) plus an `uploads/` directory of attachments, cover photos, and avatars. The Backup panel lets you create, download, restore, and schedule backups of both.

## Where to find it

**Admin Panel → Backup** tab.

<!-- TODO: screenshot: backup tab with backup list and auto-backup settings -->

![Backup tab](assets/Backup.png)

## What a backup contains

A backup is a ZIP archive with two entries:

| Entry | Contents |
|---|---|
| `travel.db` | The full SQLite database |
| `uploads/` | All uploaded attachments, covers, and avatars |

**Not included:** the encryption key. Store your `ENCRYPTION_KEY` separately from the backup ZIP — for example, in a password manager. See [Encryption-Key-Rotation](Encryption-Key-Rotation).

## Manual backup

Click **Create Backup** in the Backup tab. The server creates the ZIP and makes it available for download. Up to 3 manual backups can be created per hour per IP address (rate-limit window: 1 hour).

You can also download or delete any existing backup from the list.

## Restoring a backup

You can restore from:

- **A stored backup** — click **Restore** next to any backup in the list.
- **An uploaded ZIP** — click **Upload & Restore** and select a backup file from your computer (maximum upload size: 500 MB by default, configurable with the `BACKUP_UPLOAD_LIMIT_MB` environment variable — see [Environment-Variables](Environment-Variables)).

Before restoring, TREK runs integrity checks on the uploaded database:

1. **SQLite `PRAGMA integrity_check`** — verifies the database file is not corrupt.
2. **Required tables present** — confirms the file contains `users`, `trips`, `trip_members`, `places`, and `days`. Files missing any of these are rejected as not being a valid TREK backup.

> **Warning:** Restoring replaces all current data. Back up your current state first if you want to keep it.

## Auto-backup

Enable scheduled backups in the **Auto-Backup** section of the Backup tab.

**Interval** options:

- Hourly
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly

**Retention** (`Keep last … days`) — enter a number of days. Backups older than that many days are pruned after each auto-backup run. Set to **0** to keep all backups indefinitely (no pruning).

**Schedule** options (depend on interval):

- **Hour** — time of day for daily, weekly, and monthly backups (0–23).
- **Day of week** — Sunday through Saturday (for weekly backups).
- **Day of month** — 1–28 (for monthly backups). Day 29–31 is excluded to avoid months with fewer days.

Auto-backup files are named `auto-backup-<timestamp>.zip` (manual backups use `backup-<timestamp>.zip`).

After each auto-backup run, **all** backup files (manual and auto) older than `keep_days` are pruned. Set `keep_days` to `0` to disable pruning entirely.

## Before updating TREK

Always create a manual backup before updating. See [Updating](Updating).

## Audit log

The following actions are recorded in the [Audit-Log](Audit-Log):

| Action key | When |
|---|---|
| `backup.create` | Manual backup created |
| `backup.restore` | Restore from stored backup |
| `backup.upload_restore` | Restore from uploaded ZIP |
| `backup.delete` | Backup deleted |
| `backup.auto_settings` | Auto-backup settings saved |

## See also

- [Encryption-Key-Rotation](Encryption-Key-Rotation)
- [Admin-Panel-Overview](Admin-Panel-Overview)
- [Security-Hardening](Security-Hardening)
- [Updating](Updating)
