pgbackrest(1)

hey bestie! you're reading pgbackrest(1), the pgBackRest command reference 💖 I'm gonna spill all the tea on how to back up and restore PostgreSQL like a total boss 👑 no cap.

✨ NAME ✨

pgBackRest — Reliable PostgreSQL Backup & Restore

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🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

pgbackrest [options] [command]

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💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

pgBackRest is a reliable backup and restore solution for PostgreSQL that seamlessly scales up to the largest databases and workloads. it's giving main character energy for your backups, periodt 💅

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🔥 COMMANDS 🔥

• annotate — add or modify a backup annotation, bestie 💅
• archive-get — grab a WAL segment from the archive ✨
• archive-push — push a WAL segment to the archive 🚀
• backup — back up a database cluster, no cap 💖
• check — check your configuration, periodt ✅
• expire — expire backups that exceed retention, bye 👋
• help — get help, we love that 🫶
• info — retrieve information about backups, iykyk 📊
• repo-get — get a file from a repository 📁
• repo-ls — list files in a repository 📂
• restore — restore a database cluster, slay 💅
• server — pgBackRest server, the main character 👑
• server-ping — ping pgBackRest server 🏓
• stanza-create — create the required stanza data ✨
• stanza-delete — delete a stanza, bye felicia 👋
• stanza-upgrade — upgrade a stanza, glow up 💫
• start — allow pgBackRest processes to run, go off 💥
• stop — stop pgBackRest processes from running, not today 🛑
• verify — verify contents of a repository, fact check 🔍
• version — get version, what's the vibe 📅

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

🎀 Annotate Options 🎀

• --set — the backup set to annotate, bestie 💅

🎀 Archive Options 🎀

• --archive-async — push or get WAL segments asynchronously, no cap ✨
• --archive-get-queue-max — max size of the pgBackRest archive-get queue, fr fr 📦
• --archive-missing-retry — retry missing WAL segment, we try again 💪
• --archive-push-batch-size — max amount of WAL to push per asynchronous run, batch it 🚀
• --archive-push-queue-max — max size of the PostgreSQL archive queue, queue it up 🧵
• --archive-timeout — archive timeout, tick tock ⏰

🎀 Backup Options 🎀

• --annotation — annotate backup with user-defined key/value pairs, add your own tags 🏷️
• --archive-check — check that WAL segments are in the archive before backup completes, verify it ✅
• --archive-copy — copy WAL segments needed for consistency to the backup, keep it consistent 💾
• --archive-mode-check — check the PostgreSQL archive_mode setting, check the vibe 🔍
• --backup-standby — backup from the standby cluster, standby slay 💅
• --checksum-page — validate data page checksums, check those sums 🧮
• --exclude — exclude paths/files from the backup, no thanks 🙅
• --expire-auto — automatically run the expire command after a successful backup, auto-expire ✨
• --force — force an offline backup, do it anyway 💪
• --manifest-save-threshold — manifest save threshold during backup, save that manifest 📝
• --online — perform an online backup, online era 🌐
• --resume — allow resume of failed backup, pick up where you left off 🔄
• --start-fast — force a checkpoint to start backup quickly, fast start 🏁
• --type — backup type, what type of backup? 🤔

🎀 Expire Options 🎀

• --archive-expire-before — remove WAL archive earlier than the specified WAL segment, expire before 🗑️
• --oldest — expire the oldest eligible backup set, oldest out 👵
• --set — the backup set to expire, bye set 💅

🎀 General Options 🎀

• --allow-root — allow the command to run as the root user, root access iykyk 👑
• --buffer-size — buffer size for I/O operations, buffer it 📦
• --cmd — pgBackRest command, the command 🎮
• --cmd-ssh — SSH client command, ssh it 🔑
• --compress — use file compression, zip it 🗜️
• --compress-level — file compression level, level up 🆙
• --compress-level-network — network compression level, network compress 🌐
• --compress-type — file compression type, type of compress 📁
• --config — pgBackRest configuration file, config file 📄
• --config-include-path — path to additional pgBackRest configuration files, extra configs 📂
• --config-path — base path of pgBackRest configuration files, config home 🏠
• --db-timeout — database query timeout, timeout for db ⏳
• --delta — restore or backup using checksums, delta it 🔄
• --dry-run — execute a dry-run for the command, test run 🧪
• --io-timeout — I/O timeout, timeout for io ⏰
• --lock-path — path where lock files are stored, lock it up 🔒
• --neutral-umask — use a neutral umask, neutral mask 🎭
• --priority — set process priority, priority level 📈
• --process-max — max processes to use for compress/transfer, max processes 🚀
• --protocol-timeout — protocol timeout, timeout for protocol ⏱️
• --raw — do not transform data, raw data 🍣
• --sck-keep-alive — keep-alive enable, keep it alive 💓
• --spool-path — path where transient data is stored, spool path 🗂️
• --stanza — defines the stanza, stanza vibes 🎵
• --tcp-keep-alive-count — keep-alive count, count it 🔢
• --tcp-keep-alive-idle — keep-alive idle time, idle time 💤
• --tcp-keep-alive-interval — keep-alive interval time, interval time ⏲️
• --tls-cipher-12 — allowed TLSv1.2 cipher suites, tls 1.2 ciphers 🔐
• --tls-cipher-13 — allowed TLSv1.3 cipher suites, tls 1.3 ciphers 🔐

🎀 Help Options 🎀

• --help — display help, help me 🆘
• --version — display version, version check 📅

🎀 Info Options 🎀

• --detail-level — output detail level, detail level 🔍
• --output — output format, output format 📄
• --set — backup set to detail, detail that set 💅
• --type — filter on backup type, filter by type 🎯

🎀 Log Options 🎀

• --log-level-console — level for console logging, console log level 🖥️
• --log-level-file — level for file logging, file log level 📁
• --log-level-stderr — level for stderr logging, stderr log level 🚨
• --log-path — path where log files are stored, log path 📂
• --log-subprocess — enable logging in subprocesses, log subprocesses 👶
• --log-timestamp — enable timestamp in logging, timestamp it ⏰

🎀 Maintainer Options 🎀

• --archive-header-check — check PostgreSQL version/id in WAL headers, check WAL headers 🔍
• --page-header-check — check PostgreSQL page headers, check page headers 📄
• --pg-version-force — force PostgreSQL version, force version 💪

🎀 Repo-get Options 🎀

• --ignore-missing — ignore missing source file, ignore missing 🚫

🎀 Repo-ls Options 🎀

• --filter — filter output with a regular expression, filter it 🔍
• --output — output format, output format 📄
• --recurse — include all subpaths in output, recurse it 🔄
• --sort — sort output ascending, descending, or none, sort it 🔢

🎀 Repository Options 🎀

• --repo — set repository, set repo 📚
• --repo-azure-account — Azure repository account, azure account ☁️
• --repo-azure-container — Azure repository container, azure container 📦
• --repo-azure-endpoint — Azure repository endpoint, azure endpoint 🌐
• --repo-azure-key — Azure repository key, azure key 🔑
• --repo-azure-key-type — Azure repository key type, azure key type 🗝️
• --repo-azure-uri-style — Azure URI Style, azure uri style 🎨
• --repo-block — enable block incremental backup, block incremental 🧱
• --repo-bundle — bundle files in repository, bundle it 🎁
• --repo-bundle-limit — limit for file bundles, bundle limit 🚧
• --repo-bundle-size — target size for file bundles, bundle size 📏
• --repo-cipher-pass — repository cipher passphrase, cipher pass 🔐
• --repo-cipher-type — cipher used to encrypt the repository, cipher type 🔒
• --repo-gcs-bucket — GCS repository bucket, gcs bucket 🪣
• --repo-gcs-endpoint — GCS repository endpoint, gcs endpoint 🌐
• --repo-gcs-key — GCS repository key, gcs key 🔑
• --repo-gcs-key-type — GCS repository key type, gcs key type 🗝️
• --repo-gcs-user-project — GCS project ID, gcs project id 🆔
• --repo-hardlink — hardlink files between backups in the repository, hardlink it 🔗
• --repo-host — repository host when operating remotely, repo host remotely 🌐
• --repo-host-ca-file — repository host certificate authority file, ca file 📜
• --repo-host-ca-path — repository host certificate authority path, ca path 📂
• --repo-host-cert-file — repository host certificate file, cert file 📄
• --repo-host-cmd — repository host pgBackRest command, host command 🎮
• --repo-host-config — pgBackRest repository host configuration file, host config 📄
• --repo-host-config-include-path — pgBackRest repository host configuration include path, host config include path 📂
• --repo-host-config-path — pgBackRest repository host configuration path, host config path 📁
• --repo-host-key-file — repository host key file, host key file 🔑
• --repo-host-port — repository host port when repo-host is set, host port 🚪
• --repo-host-type — repository host protocol type, host type 🖥️
• --repo-host-user — repository host user when repo-host is set, host user 👤
• --repo-path — path where backups and archive are stored, repo path 📂
• --repo-retention-archive — number of backups worth of continuous WAL to retain, retention archive 🗄️
• --repo-retention-archive-type — backup type for WAL retention, retention archive type 🗂️
• --repo-retention-diff — number of differential backups to retain, retention diff 🔄
• --repo-retention-full — full backup retention count/time, retention full 💯
• --repo-retention-full-type — retention type for full backups, retention full type 🗓️
• --repo-retention-history — days of backup history manifests to retain, retention history 📜
• --repo-s3-bucket — S3 repository bucket, s3 bucket 🪣
• --repo-s3-endpoint — S3 repository endpoint, s3 endpoint 🌐
• --repo-s3-key — S3 repository access key, s3 access key 🔑
• --repo-s3-key-secret — S3 repository secret access key, s3 secret key 🔐
• --repo-s3-key-type — S3 repository key type, s3 key type 🗝️
• --repo-s3-kms-key-id — S3 repository KMS key, s3 kms key 🔑
• --repo-s3-process-cmd — S3 authentication process command, s3 process cmd 🎮
• --repo-s3-region — S3 repository region, s3 region 🌍
• --repo-s3-requester-pays — S3 repository requester pays, requester pays 💸
• --repo-s3-role — S3 repository role, s3 role 👑
• --repo-s3-service — S3 signing service, s3 service 🛠️
• --repo-s3-sse-customer-key — S3 repository SSE customer key, sse customer key 🔐
• --repo-s3-sts-host — S3 repository STS endpoint, sts host 🌐

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• --repo-s3-token — the security token for your S3 repo 🔐 keep it secret, keep it safe
• --repo-s3-uri-style — the URI style for S3, so the repo knows how to talk to it ✨
• --repo-sftp-host — which host your SFTP repo lives on 🖥️
• --repo-sftp-host-fingerprint — the host fingerprint for that SFTP repo host 🔎
• --repo-sftp-host-key-check-type — what kind of host key check you want for SFTP 🧐
• --repo-sftp-host-key-hash-type — the hash type for the SFTP repo host key 🔑
• --repo-sftp-host-port — the port on the SFTP repo host 🚪
• --repo-sftp-host-user — the user logging into the SFTP repo host 👤
• --repo-sftp-known-host — your SFTP known hosts file 📖
• --repo-sftp-private-key-file — the SFTP private key file 🗝️
• --repo-sftp-private-key-passphrase — the passphrase for that private key 🤫
• --repo-sftp-public-key-file — the SFTP public key file that goes with it 🔓
• --repo-storage-ca-file — the CA file for repo storage 📜
• --repo-storage-ca-path — the CA path for repo storage 🛤️
• --repo-storage-host — the repo storage host 🏠
• --repo-storage-port — the repo storage port 🚪
• --repo-storage-tag — repo storage tag(s) 🏷️
• --repo-storage-upload-chunk-size — how big the upload chunks are when you push to repo storage 🧱
• --repo-storage-verify-tls — whether to verify the repo storage certificate 📜✅
• --repo-symlink — create symlinks inside the repository 🔗
• --repo-target-time — the target time for the repository ⏰
• --repo-type — the type of storage your repository uses 🗄️

🌈 Restore Options 🌈

• --archive-mode — keep archiving on for the restored cluster, or turn it off 📦
• --db-exclude — restore everything EXCEPT the databases you name 🙅‍♀️
• --db-include — restore ONLY the databases you name 💯
• --force — force the restore 💪
• --link-all — restore all the symlinks 🔗
• --link-map — change where a symlink points 🗺️
• --recovery-option — set an option over in postgresql.auto.conf or recovery.conf ⚙️
• --set — which backup set to restore 📦
• --tablespace-map — restore one tablespace into the directory you choose 📂
• --tablespace-map-all — restore every tablespace into the directory you choose 📂📂
• --target — the recovery target 🎯
• --target-action — what to do the second the recovery target is reached 🎬
• --target-exclusive — stop right before the recovery target is reached 🛑
• --target-timeline — recover along a timeline 🕰️
• --type — the recovery type 🔄

🖥️ Server Options 🖥️

• --tls-server-address — the TLS server address 📍
• --tls-server-auth — which clients the TLS server has authorized ✅
• --tls-server-ca-file — the TLS server's certificate authorities 📜
• --tls-server-cert-file — the TLS server certificate file 🪪
• --tls-server-key-file — the TLS server key file 🔑
• --tls-server-port — the TLS server port 🚪

🧚 Stanza Options 🧚

• --pg-database — the PostgreSQL database 🐘
• --pg-host — the PostgreSQL host, for when you're operating remotely 🛰️
• --pg-host-ca-file — the certificate authority file for the PostgreSQL host 📜
• --pg-host-ca-path — the certificate authority path for the PostgreSQL host 🛤️
• --pg-host-cert-file — the certificate file for the PostgreSQL host 🪪
• --pg-host-cmd — the pgBackRest command to run on the PostgreSQL host 🏃‍♀️
• --pg-host-config — the pgBackRest database host configuration file 📝
• --pg-host-config-include-path — the pgBackRest database host configuration include path 📁
• --pg-host-config-path — the pgBackRest database host configuration path 📁
• --pg-host-key-file — the key file for the PostgreSQL host 🔑
• --pg-host-port — the PostgreSQL host port, used when pg-host is set 🚪
• --pg-host-type — the PostgreSQL host protocol type 🔌
• --pg-host-user — the logon user for the PostgreSQL host, used when pg-host is set 👤
• --pg-path — the PostgreSQL data directory 📂
• --pg-port — the PostgreSQL port 🚪
• --pg-socket-path — the PostgreSQL unix socket path 🧦
• --pg-user — the PostgreSQL database user 👤

✨ Stanza-create Options ✨

• --online — create the stanza on a cluster that's currently online 🌐

🗑️ Stanza-delete Options 🗑️

• --force — force the stanza delete 💥

⬆️ Stanza-upgrade Options ⬆️

• --online — update a cluster that's online 🌐

🛑 Stop Options 🛑

• --force — force ALL the pgBackRest processes to stop 🛑

🔍 Verify Options 🔍

• --output — the output type 📤
• --set — the backup set you're verifying 📦
• --verbose — verbose output, bestie 🗣️

🏷️ Version Options 🏷️

• --output — the output type 📤

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📁 FILES 📁

These are the spots pgBackRest calls home 🏡 no cap:

• /etc/pgbackrest/pgbackrest.conf
• /var/lib/pgbackrest
• /var/log/pgbackrest
• /var/spool/pgbackrest
• /tmp/pgbackrest

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🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

• Create a backup of the PostgreSQL main cluster 💾:

$ pgbackrest --stanza=main backup

The main cluster should be configured in /etc/pgbackrest/pgbackrest.conf 📝

• Show all available backups 👀:

$ pgbackrest info

• Show all available backups for a specific cluster 🎯:

$ pgbackrest --stanza=main info

• Show backup specific options 🛠️:

$ pgbackrest help backup

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• /usr/share/doc/pgbackrest-doc/html/index.html
• https://pgbackrest.org

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 this is the pgbackrest(1) manual, dated 19 August 2026 — go forth and back up literally everything, you icon 👑✨