Create backup

Use this action to create a quick local backup of your Home Assistant instance. It always includes your Home Assistant configuration and the database, and saves the backup to local storage.

This action is meant for simple, no-setup backups. If you want control over what goes into the backup, where it is stored, or whether it is protected with a password, configure automatic backups and use the Create automatic backup action instead.

This action is only available on core and container installations. On Home Assistant Operating System and supervised installations, use Create automatic backup.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To create a backup from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. Search for and select Create backup.
6. Select Save.

Options in the UI

This action has no options.

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as backup.create. It takes no options:

action: backup.create

Options in YAML

This action has no options.

Good to know

• The backup always includes your Home Assistant configuration and the database. It does not include add-ons or extra folders, and it is not protected with a password.
• The backup is saved to local storage only. It is not uploaded anywhere.
• Only administrators can run this action.
• The backup runs in the background. The action returns right away, before the backup finishes.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: a local backup on demand

Add a button to your dashboard that creates a local backup whenever you select it, for example just before you try out a configuration change.

• Trigger: An input button is pressed
• Action: Create backup

alias: "Back up now"
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id: input_button.create_backup
actions:
  - action: backup.create

Automation: a local backup every night

Keep a recent local copy by creating a backup at the same time every night.

• Trigger: Time: 03:00
• Action: Create backup

alias: "Nightly local backup"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "03:00:00"
actions:
  - action: backup.create

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Create automatic backup: Creates a backup using your configured automatic backup settings.