> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.presenton.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Backups and recovery

> Protect presentations, uploads, settings, and databases.

## What to back up

* The complete `/app_data` volume, including presentations, uploads, generated assets, templates, exports, and local state
* The external database when `DATABASE_URL` is configured, captured consistently with the stored application files
* Deployment configuration and required environment-variable names without exposing credentials in an unsafe location
* The exact Presenton image tag or digest, database engine, and storage layout used by the backup

`/app_data` may contain presentations, uploads, generated assets, exports, templates, settings, authentication state, the default SQLite database, and local presentation memory. Protect backups according to the sensitivity of that content, keep more than one restore point, and store at least one recoverable copy away from the host running Presenton.

## Recovery procedure

1. Stop writes to the affected deployment so files and database records do not change during recovery.
2. Create a safety copy of the current data before restoring or overwriting anything.
3. Restore `/app_data` and any external database from backups captured at the same point in time.
4. Start the exact Presenton version or container digest recorded with the backup.
5. Verify sign-in, existing presentations, uploads, configured providers, editing, export, API, and MCP as applicable.
6. Record the restore result and upgrade only after the recovered deployment is healthy.

<Warning>
  A backup is not complete until it has been restored successfully in a separate test environment.
</Warning>