Automatic Environment Backups

This plugin creates automatic, rotating backups of your DatoCMS primary environment by cloning them into sandbox environments within the same project.

Because DatoCMS does not have a built-in job scheduler, the plugin has to create an external scheduled lambda (serverless function) to invoke the backup functionality on a recurring basis. It currently supports deployments to Vercel, Cloudflare, and Netlify.

The lambda function is only used as a job scheduler, similar to a cronjob. The lambda calls the DatoCMS Content Management API (CMA) to actually manage the environments and perform the backups.

How it works

• The plugin's configuration screen is a guided, four-step wizard with a progress bar showing the state of each step.
• Backup cadence is configured in the plugin (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
• The deployed scheduler runs once a day (02:05 UTC) and calls the backup endpoints.
• The plugin validates connectivity to the serverless function with a health check against /api/datocms/plugin-health, authenticated with a shared secret.
• The Status overview lists each enabled cadence with its last run, next scheduled run, and the linked sandbox environment, plus a per-cadence Backup now button for on-demand execution.
• The created backups are just forked sandboxes inside your DatoCMS project (named with a backup-plugin-<cadence> prefix), NOT separate files on an external provider. The external providers are only used to run the scheduled function that calls the CMA to create a backup.
• Source code for the deployed lambda function is at https://github.com/marcelofinamorvieira/datocms-backups-scheduled-function (this lambda was written by Marcelo Finamor, a DatoCMS employee).

Before you begin

• You will need an account with Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare that is capable of creating projects and adding serverless functions (lambdas). Usually the free plan will suffice.
• In your DatoCMS project, you will have to create a new API token with access to the CMA and an admin role. In older DatoCMS projects, this may have been automatically created as a "Full Access API Token", but newer projects will require manual creation of a similar token.

Setup

The configuration screen walks you through four steps. Completed steps collapse to a summary you can re-open with Edit; the progress bar at the top shows overall state and reads All ok! once everything is configured.

1. Read the "Before you begin" section above, then install the plugin and open your DatoCMS project Configuration → Plugins → Automatic Environment Backups.
2. Step 1 — Auth secret & deploy. A strong shared secret is generated for you (use the regenerate icon to roll a new one). Click Save and copy to store it and copy it to your clipboard. Then click Deploy to… and pick a provider. On the provider, set the DATOCMS_BACKUPS_SHARED_SECRET environment variable to the secret you just copied, and DATOCMS_FULLACCESS_API_TOKEN to your CMA/admin token. Deploy, then copy the deployment's public URL (e.g. https://my-backups.netlify.app).
3. Step 2 — Connect & test. Paste the deployed URL into Deployed function URL and click Save & test connection. The status box confirms the function responds and authenticates, or shows the exact error (for example, an auth mismatch means the plugin's secret and the provider's DATOCMS_BACKUPS_SHARED_SECRET differ — make them match and redeploy).
4. Step 3 — Backup cadence. Toggle the cadences you want and click Save & continue. The plugin creates any missing backup environments for the enabled cadences.
5. Status overview. Once all three steps are green, the overview shows "Configured and ready", plus the last/next backup and linked environment for each cadence and a per-cadence Backup now button. You can leave the screen — backups run on their own.

Managing the connection

• Re-open any completed step with its Edit button to change the secret, URL, or cadence. Each step re-validates and re-gates the later steps when needed — for example, changing the shared secret clears the connection so you re-test it (remember to update DATOCMS_BACKUPS_SHARED_SECRET on your deployment and redeploy).
• Use Disconnect in step 2 to clear the saved deployment URL. The cron schedule on the external provider keeps running until you remove the deployment there, but the plugin will no longer surface its status.
• Re-opening the configuration screen automatically re-runs a health check against the saved URL, so a broken or expired deployment is caught immediately and surfaced on the affected step (and in the Status overview).

Advanced settings

• Enable debug logs — When enabled, plugin events and outbound requests are logged to the browser console for troubleshooting.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md.