Backup / Restore
ChurchCRM has a built-in backup and restore tool that dumps your database (and optionally your uploaded images) to a single archive file that you can download, store off-site, or re-import later.
Creating a backup
- Log in as an administrator.
- Go to Admin → Backup.
- Choose what to include:
- Database only — smallest file, fastest, recovers all records
- Database + images — includes photos and attachments (recommended for a full restore)
- Encrypted — optional password-protected archive
- Click Create Backup. The file downloads to your browser.
Take a fresh backup before every upgrade. The Upgrade Wizard also has a built-in backup step as part of the workflow.
Restoring a backup
- Go to Admin → Restore.
- Drag your backup archive onto the upload area (or click to browse).
- If the archive is encrypted, enter the password.
- Click Restore. The system replaces the current database with the contents of the backup and validates any included image files before writing them to disk.
Restoring replaces your current data. If you have made changes since the backup was taken, those changes will be lost. Take a fresh backup of the current state first if you're not sure.
Automatic / external backups
ChurchCRM can automatically push backups to an external location. Open Admin → System Settings and configure:
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| sEnableExternalBackupTarget | Enable the external backup feature |
| sExternalBackupType | Local (server filesystem) or WebDAV |
| sExternalBackupEndpoint | Local path or WebDAV URL (HTTPS strongly recommended) |
| sExternalBackupUsername | WebDAV username (if applicable) |
| sExternalBackupPassword | WebDAV password (if applicable) |
| sExternalBackupAutoInterval | Interval in hours between automatic backups |
ChurchCRM evaluates the auto-backup schedule on each page request, so the actual gap between backups depends on site activity. ChurchCRM does not rotate external backup files — clean them up yourself (or via your backup destination's lifecycle rules) to keep storage under control.
Where backups live
Local backups are written under the churchcrm/tmp_attach/ directory. Make sure this directory is not publicly accessible through the web server — see File System Permissions.