How to Back Up a Minecraft Server (and Restore It, 2026)

To back up a Minecraft server, stop it (or run save-off then save-all flush), copy the world folder plus server.properties, ops.json, whitelist.json and your plugins or mods and config folders, then run save-on again if you did not stop. Keep at least one copy somewhere other than the server itself. Restoring is the same in reverse: stop the server, swap the folders back, start it. Here is how to do each step properly, and how to automate it so you never rely on remembering.

What a Minecraft server backup needs to include

A world on its own is not a full backup. If the server dies, you also want your settings, your players' permissions and your plugin data.

Paper 26.1 and newer keeps every dimension inside world, so one folder covers the whole map. Older Paper splits them into three folders, as shown in how to download a Minecraft server world.

You can skip logs, cache, libraries and crash-reports. They are big, they rebuild themselves, and you do not need them to restore.

Step 1: Make sure the files are not changing

Minecraft writes region files constantly. Copying them while the server writes can give you a backup with a half written chunk, which shows up later as a corrupted area or a chunk that resets.

You have two safe options:

Option A, stop the server. Run stop, wait until it has shut down, and copy. The simplest and safest choice for a friends server.

Option B, pause saving while it runs. For servers that should stay online:

save-off
save-all flush

Wait for "Saved the game", copy the files, then always run:

save-on

If you forget save-on, the server stops writing to disk and a crash later loses everything since that moment. Players will not notice any of this, they keep playing normally.

Step 2: Copy and compress

Copy the folders from the table into one archive with the date in the name, such as smp-2026-10-08.zip. Zipping matters for two reasons: a world is thousands of small files that transfer slowly one by one, and a single file is easy to check and easy to store.

• On a hosted server, use the panel's backup button, or zip the folders in the file manager.
• On your own PC, right click the folders and compress them, or on Linux run tar -czf smp-2026-10-08.tar.gz world plugins server.properties ops.json whitelist.json.

Step 3: Keep a copy off the server

A backup stored on the same disk as the server does not protect you from the disk failing, the host closing your account, or a script that deletes the whole server folder. Follow the simple version of the 3 2 1 rule: keep the live server, one backup on the server for quick restores, and one backup somewhere else.

For the off server copy, download the zip over SFTP with an app like FileZilla or WinSCP. SFTP resumes interrupted downloads, which matters once a world reaches several gigabytes. Our SFTP guide explains the connection details. Store the zip on your PC, an external drive or cloud storage.

Step 4: Automate it

Manual backups only work until the week you forget. Pick one of these:

How often depends on how much you would hate to lose. Daily is fine for most friend servers. Busy public servers often back up every few hours and keep a rolling week. Old backups take space, so delete all but the last few daily ones and keep one per week for a month.

Note that CoreProtect and similar rollback plugins are not backups. They can undo griefing inside a working world, but if the world folder is lost or corrupted, their database is lost with it.

Step 5: Test a restore before you need it

A backup you have never opened is a guess. Once, while nothing is wrong, open your latest zip and check that level.dat sits directly inside the world folder, and the size looks right. Even better, put a copy in .minecraft/saves on your PC and load it in single player on the same or newer version.

How to restore a Minecraft server backup

1. Stop the server.
2. Rename the current world folder to something like world-broken, rather than deleting it.
3. Unzip the backup so the world folder sits in the server's main folder with the same name as level-name.
4. Put back plugins, mods and config files from the same backup if they changed.
5. Start the server and read the console for errors.
6. Once you have walked around and everything looks right, delete world-broken.

Restore a backup made on the same Minecraft version or older. Loading a world in an older version than it was last saved with is not supported and can corrupt it, and worlds upgraded to 26.1 cannot go back to 1.21.x at all. That is why you should always take a backup right before updating to a new version. Our general guide on restoring a backup on a game server has more on partial restores.

When to take an extra backup

• Before updating Minecraft, Paper, or a modpack.
• Before adding or removing a mod. Removing a mod deletes its blocks from the world.
• Before letting new players in on a public server.
• Before running WorldEdit on a big area, or a plugin that edits the world.
• Before resetting the End, the Nether or the whole map.

Backups on GamezServers

Every GamezServers Minecraft server has a Backup button on the dashboard that saves a full copy in one click, with 3 backups kept. Restore one from the same place. For the off server copy, stop the server, open Files, tick the world folders and download them as a zip, or use the SFTP login in Settings. Our page on what good game server backups look like explains what to expect from any host. If the monthly bill is the hard part, credits from sharing your link can pay for the server, see free Minecraft server hosting.

FAQ

Where are Minecraft server backups stored?

Wherever you or your host put them. A panel keeps them in its own backup storage. Manual backups are wherever you saved the zip. Always keep one copy that is not on the server.

Can I back up a Minecraft server while it is running?

Yes. Run save-off, then save-all flush, copy the files, then save-on. Players can keep playing during the copy.

How often should I back up my Minecraft server?

Once a day is enough for most friend servers, plus an extra backup before every update or mod change. Busy public servers back up every few hours.

Do I need to back up the plugins folder?

Yes. Plugins keep their data in their own folders inside plugins, including claims, homes, ranks and balances. Without it, your world comes back but your server's rules and progress do not.

Why is my restored world missing the Nether?

The backup came from Paper before 26.1 and only included world. The Nether and End were in world_nether and world_the_end. Restore those folders too.