Back Up OpenClaw and Check You Can Restore It

OpenClaw can pack its own state into a single backup file and later unpack that file into a fresh, empty folder. The OpenClaw backup documentation says the restore step always writes to a new folder and leaves your running install exactly where it is. Opening that unpacked copy and finding a file you already know is how you prove the backup works.

This guide follows the one-off backup path from the official documentation: preview, create, check, then restore into a spare folder for inspection. The same documentation covers scheduled, offsite and database-only backups as separate routines for later.

What an OpenClaw backup is, in plain words

A full OpenClaw backup is one compressed file, stamped with the date and time it was made. The OpenClaw backup command reference lists what a default run includes: the state folder, where settings, sign-in profiles, channel credentials and conversation history live; the active settings file; the credentials folder; every configured agent folder; and the workspace folders where agents keep their working files, unless you choose to leave workspaces out.

OpenClaw stores its memory in small database files called SQLite databases. The official backups guide says the backup command copies them with SQLite's own safe copy method while OpenClaw keeps running. The same guide warns against copying those live database files by hand, because a plain copy of a database in use can come out damaged.

The backups guide also says the file holds sign-in profiles, channel and provider credentials and conversation history. It asks you to store backups encrypted, to limit who can open the backup folder, and to change your credentials if you ever suspect a backup leaked.

What it costs

The backup command reference presents backups as a built-in part of OpenClaw, so the real cost is disk space. The official backups guide says a restore needs room for the full unpacked contents while your live install stays in place, so plan for roughly a second copy of everything.

Before you start

You need three things.

First, an OpenClaw install you want to protect, with access to its command line on the server.

Second, a private folder with enough free space for the backup file and, later, an unpacked copy. The backup command reference says OpenClaw never overwrites an existing backup file and refuses to save a backup inside the folders it is backing up, so pick a folder outside them.

Third, a clear idea of who may open that folder afterwards, since the backup holds your credentials.

Step by step: create, check and restore into a spare folder

Step 1. Preview the backup. The backup command reference documents a preview mode, called a dry run, that lists what would be saved without writing anything. Read the list and confirm your agent folders and workspaces appear. The same reference says dry runs stay out of the backup history log.

Step 2. Create the backup with the check option switched on. The official backups guide shows the create command with an output folder of your choice and a verify option. OpenClaw then writes the dated backup file and immediately checks its contents list, called the manifest, against what is inside. Write down the exact file name and location the command prints, along with any warnings.

Step 3. Check the same file again on its own. The backup command reference documents a separate verify command that takes the backup file's location. It confirms the manifest is complete, every listed item is present and the saved databases are healthy. Point it at the exact file name you wrote down in step 2. The backups guide adds that this check confirms structure and layout, so start only from a backup you made yourself or otherwise trust.

Step 4. Restore into a brand new folder. The backup command reference documents a restore command that takes the backup file and a target folder. The target folder must be new or empty, and it must sit outside your live OpenClaw folders. The same reference says restore checks the backup again before writing, refuses a folder that already holds files, cleans up after itself if anything fails, and has no mode that writes over your live install.

Step 5. Look inside the restored copy while your live OpenClaw keeps running. The backup command reference calls the manifest the source of truth for where state, settings, credentials, workspaces and agent folders came from. Use it as your map, then open a conversation or file you recognise. When you find it, your backup is proven.

Step 6. Keep the backup file somewhere private and encrypted. Leave the restored copy as a test copy, or delete it once you are satisfied.

Moving a restored copy into service

Making the restored files become your live OpenClaw is called activation. The backup command reference describes it as a separate step done while OpenClaw is stopped. You stop the Gateway, which is the OpenClaw background service, move the restored state into place or point OpenClaw at it, then run the built-in health check called doctor before starting again. The official backups guide adds one more step first: take a fresh backup of your current state, or move it aside.

The backups guide describes a restore as going back in time. Approvals roll back with everything else, so review any pending ones before you start the Gateway again. WhatsApp and similar channels keep security keys that move forward as you chat, so the guide says a restored copy may need to be linked to the phone again. Plugin code stays in the backup, and the backup command reference says each plugin's downloaded helper packages are left out, so after activation you run the plugin update or reinstall command.

Where to see backup status

The official backups guide says the Control UI, OpenClaw's browser dashboard, has a Backups section on its Systems and Gateway host screens. It shows each backup target's last success, size, destination and next scheduled run, plus a Check button that tests a storage location without writing a backup.

Quick answers

Does restore replace my running OpenClaw? The backup command reference says restore always writes into a fresh empty folder, and your live install stays as it is until you choose to activate.

Can I restore straight into the folder OpenClaw already uses? The same reference says the command refuses that folder and offers no overwrite mode.

How often should I make a full backup? The official backups guide calls full archives the right tool before an update, reset or machine move, and a reasonable daily routine for small installs.

Related guides

• OpenClaw update failed: what to check and how to roll back
• How to lock down an OpenClaw install
• Run OpenClaw 24/7: keep your agent online all the time
• OpenClaw setup without the command line

Sources

• Official OpenClaw backup command reference
• Official OpenClaw backups guide