What you will learn:

  • About backup strategies

  • About built-in backups with instant restore

  • Creating and automating backups using pg_dump

Related resources

Neon supports different backup strategies, which you can use separately or in combination, depending on your requirements.

  1. Instant restore

    With Neon's instant restore capability, also known as point-in-time restore or PITR, you can automatically retain a "history" of changes—ranging from 1 day up to 30 days, depending on your Neon plan. This feature lets you restore your database to any specific moment without the need for traditional database backups or separate backup automation. It's ideal if your primary concern is fast recovery after an unexpected event.

    By default, Neon projects retain 1 day of history. You can increase your restore window on Neon as follows:

    PlanRestore window limit
    Free1 day
    Launch7 days
    Scale14 days
    Business30 days

    With this strategy, the only required action is setting your desired restore window. Please keep in mind that increasing your restore window also increases storage, as changes to your data are retained for a longer period.

    Restore window

    To get started, see Instant restore.

  2. Backups with pg_dump

    For business continuity, disaster recovery, or compliance, you can use standard Postgres tools to back up and restore your database. Neon supports traditional backup workflows using pg_dump and pg_restore.

    To learn how, see Backups with pg_dump.

  3. Automated backups with pg_dump

    If you need to automate pg_dump backups to remote storage, we provide a two-part guide that walks you through setting up an S3 bucket and a GitHub Action to automate pg_dump backups on a recurring schedule. You'll also learn how to configure retention settings to manage how long pg_dump backups are stored before being deleted.

    1. Create an S3 bucket to store Postgres backups
    2. Set up a GitHub Action to perform nightly Postgres backups

Backup & Restore Questions?

If you have questions about backups, please reach out to Neon Support.