Backups
Backups keep downloadable copies of your app’s code. Draftbit backs up your app’s saved version once a day when it has changed, and you can create a backup yourself at any time. Each backup is a zip file of your app’s source code that you can download and keep, or import into a new app.
Saved and unsaved backups
Section titled “Saved and unsaved backups”Your app has a saved version, which is what you last saved with Save, and your unsaved changes on top of it. Automatic backups always capture the saved version. A manual backup can capture either one, so you can keep a copy of work you haven’t saved yet.
Plans and retention
Section titled “Plans and retention”Backups are included in the Pro and Enterprise plans. How long each backup is kept depends on your plan when the backup is made:
| Plan | Automatic backups | Kept for |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | Daily | 14 days |
| Enterprise | Daily | 60 days |
Organizations still on the former Team plan keep daily backups for 30 days.
When a backup reaches the end of its retention period, it’s deleted automatically.
Your app’s most recent backup is the exception. It’s kept for as long as your plan includes backups, even after its retention period ends, so an app you haven’t changed in a while still has a copy. The Backups page labels it Kept as your latest backup.
If your organization moves to the Standard plan, new backups stop. Backups you already have stay available to download until they expire.
The Free plan doesn’t include access to your app’s code, so backups can’t be downloaded on it. They stay on the Backups page until they expire, and you can download them again if you upgrade before then.
Finding your backups
Section titled “Finding your backups”Open your app and select Backups in the main menu. The page lists every backup for the app, newest first, with:
- when the backup was made
- whether it was Scheduled (automatic) or Manual
- whether it holds your Saved version or Unsaved changes
- its status: Queued, In progress, Ready, or Failed
- the date it expires
Only members with the Editor role or higher can see, download, create, or delete backups.
When automatic backups run
Section titled “When automatic backups run”Draftbit checks each app about once a day. A new backup is made only if your saved code changed since the last saved backup, so an app you haven’t edited doesn’t collect duplicate copies.
Automatic backups wait until your app’s sandbox has stopped, so they don’t capture work in the middle of an edit. Sandboxes stop on their own after a period of inactivity, and the backup runs soon after. If you want a copy right away, create a manual backup.
Creating a manual backup
Section titled “Creating a manual backup”Select Back up now at the top of the Backups page, then choose Saved version or Unsaved changes. The backup appears in the list as Queued, then In progress, and becomes Ready when it finishes, usually within a minute. Manual backups work while you’re editing, and they’re kept for the same period as automatic ones.
There’s a daily limit on manual backups for each app.
Downloading a backup
Section titled “Downloading a backup”Each ready backup lists its zip file with your app’s version number (when it has one), the short commit ID, and the file size. A mobile app’s version comes from its app configuration, the same version it’s published with. Web apps, websites, and APIs use the version in package.json. A placeholder version like 0.0.0 is left out. If your app has more than one branch, the backup has a zip file for each branch, labelled with the branch name. Select Download to save a zip file.
The file is named after your app, its version if it has one, the backup date, and the commit, for example habit-tracker-v1.2.0-2026-10-02-0bda78c.zip.
New backups contain a folder with the same name as the zip file, without .zip. That name stays the same if you rename your app later. Older backups may use a different folder name.
New backups use the same code preparation as code exports. They include your source code and assets, with Draftbit preview files and configuration removed. Environment files containing values and package registry credentials are excluded; environment templates are kept. Your own analytics integrations stay in the code.
Backups don’t include Git history or data stored in your app’s backend. Store your environment variable values separately so you can configure them again after restoring your code. Older backups keep their original contents.
Restoring from a backup
Section titled “Restoring from a backup”To bring a backup back into Draftbit, import the zip file as a new app. Follow the steps in Importing from GitHub and choose Upload a zip file. Your original app isn’t changed.
To roll an existing app back to an earlier state without a backup, use Git History.
Deleting a backup
Section titled “Deleting a backup”Select the trash icon on a backup, then confirm. The backup is removed from the list and can’t be downloaded again. Deleting a backup doesn’t reset the daily limit on manual backups.
Apps connected to your own repository
Section titled “Apps connected to your own repository”If your app’s code lives in your own GitHub repository, Draftbit doesn’t back it up. Your repository already keeps the full history of your code.