Backup and Restore

Backup and Restore

Use this page for Backup, restore, bootstrap, and no-config recovery.

What a Backup Covers

Symlinkarr backups can capture:

• tracked link state
• SQLite state
• the active config file
• config-local secretfile: secrets that Symlinkarr can see

Environment-only secrets still live outside the backup set.

Main Recovery Paths

• existing install, normal rollback: use Backup
• fresh install from backup: use symlinkarr restore <backup>
• no config present: use auto-restore or bootstrap

Important Safety Rule

Restore is destructive.

That means it can overwrite current tracked state with the chosen snapshot. It is a recovery tool, not a casual sync operation.

When to Use bootstrap

Use bootstrap when:

• this is a fresh install
• you do not already have a backup to restore
• you want starter directories and a guided config.yaml

When Auto-Restore Helps

If config.yaml is missing and a suitable backup exists in the configured/default backup location, Symlinkarr can restore automatically on startup.

That is meant to shorten recovery on containerized or rebuilt installs.

Related Pages

• validate after restore or bootstrap: Configuration and Doctor
• daily operational context: Dashboard and Daily Operations