Create a partial backup

Use this action to create a partial backup, where you choose exactly what to include: Home Assistant settings, specific apps, and specific folders. A common use is a small, frequent backup of just your Home Assistant settings, alongside a full backup that runs less often.

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 partial 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 a partial backup.
6. Choose what to include, and optionally fill in the other options described below.
7. Select Save.

Options in the UI

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 hassio.backup_partial. A basic example looks like this:

action: hassio.backup_partial
data:
  name: "Settings backup"
  homeassistant: true

For apps, use the slug of each app, which you can find on the app’s page under Settings > Add-ons.

Options in YAML

Response data

This action returns the slug of the backup it created, so you can use it in later steps.

action: hassio.backup_partial
data:
  name: "Settings backup"
  homeassistant: true
response_variable: backup

The backup variable then holds the slug:

backup: 1f2e3d4c

More examples

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

Automation: a daily backup of your settings

Create a small, frequent backup of just your Home Assistant settings, so a quick mistake is easy to undo.

• Trigger: Time, at 02:00
• Action: Create a partial backup, with Home Assistant settings included

alias: "Daily settings backup"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "02:00:00"
actions:
  - action: hassio.backup_partial
    data:
      name: "Daily settings backup"
      homeassistant: true

Automation: a backup of specific apps

Back up a couple of specific apps along with your settings, for example before you update them.

• Trigger: Manual or scheduled
• Action: Create a partial backup, with selected apps

alias: "Backup selected apps"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "02:30:00"
actions:
  - action: hassio.backup_partial
    data:
      name: "App backup"
      homeassistant: true
      apps:
        - core_mosquitto
        - a0d7b954_nodered

Good to know

• Only administrators can run this action.
• This action is only available when you run Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users. or the Supervised installation method. It is not available on Home Assistant ContainerHome Assistant Container is a standalone container-based installation of Home Assistant Core. Any OCI compatible runtime can be used, but the documentation focus is on Docker. [Learn more] or Home Assistant CoreHome Assistant Core is the Python program at the heart of Home Assistant. It is part of all installation types. It can be installed standalone (without Home Assistant Supervisor) as a container using Docker (this is typically referred to as the Home Assistant Container installation type). For development, Core can also be run using a Virtual Environment (previously referred as the Home Assistant Core installation type). For production setup, the Home Assistant Core installation type is deprecated..
• To include Home Assistant settings, set Home Assistant settings to on. Older configurations that listed "homeassistant" under folders still work, but the homeassistant option is the current way to do this.

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 a full backup: Creates a full backup.

• Restore from partial backup: Restores from a partial backup.