How to Schedule Remote Backups in Plesk Obsidian

A backup stored only on the same Plesk server can disappear with the server. A failed disk, compromised administrator account, bad update, or provider problem may take both the live website and local backup files.

This guide shows how to schedule remote backups in Plesk Obsidian using Google Drive or another currently supported destination. It also explains retention, encryption, notifications, and the restore test that proves the backup is useful.

The old version of this page included Dropbox. Current Plesk Obsidian documentation lists FTP/FTPS, Amazon S3, S3-compatible storage, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and DigitalOcean Spaces—not Dropbox. Do not install an abandoned extension or trust old screenshots. Use a destination shown in your current Plesk Remote Storage Settings.

What a Plesk Backup Can Include

• Server, customer, subscription, and domain configuration
• Website files
• Databases
• Mail configuration and messages
• DNS and hosting settings

The exact contents depend on whether you run a server-level, account-level, or subscription-level backup and which data boxes you select. External systems, third-party SaaS data, DNS hosted elsewhere, and application secrets outside Plesk may require separate backups.

Choose a Remote Storage Destination

Destination	Good fit	Main check
Google Drive	Simple personal or Workspace storage	Use the correct account/drive and protect access
Amazon S3	Scalable object storage	Restrict IAM permissions and set lifecycle/retention
S3-compatible	DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, and compatible services	Verify endpoint, region, TLS, and compatibility
Microsoft OneDrive	Microsoft-connected organizations	Use a dedicated controlled account
FTPS	Your own remote backup server	Prefer encrypted FTPS, isolation, and passive-mode support

Scheduled subscription/customer backups to cloud storage and multiple schedules may require Plesk’s Backup to Cloud Pro feature or a hosting-provider upgrade. The interface shows only options allowed by your license and permissions.

Plan the Backup Policy First

• Recovery point: how much recent data can you afford to lose?
• Recovery time: how quickly must the site return?
• Retention: keep enough daily, weekly, and monthly history for delayed problems.
• Capacity: include current data, growth, full backups, incremental chains, and temporary space.
• Security: separate backup credentials from production and use password protection.
• Testing: schedule regular sample restores.

One remote copy is better than only local storage, but important systems should follow a wider 3-2-1-style plan with independent copies and failure domains.

Open Plesk Backup Manager

For the whole server, sign in as administrator and go to Tools & Settings → Backup Manager. For one subscription, open Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. Server-level backups include broader configuration and all selected customer data; subscription backups cover only that hosting scope.

Connect Google Drive to Plesk

1. Open Backup Manager → Remote Storage Settings → Google Drive Backup.
2. Choose a personal My Drive or an organization Shared Drive.
3. Click the authorization option and sign in to the dedicated Google account.
4. Review the requested permissions and allow the official Plesk Backup application.
5. Send the authorization data back to Plesk using the provided link.
6. Keep Use the storage enabled.
7. Keep Validate backups via checksum enabled.
8. For My Drive, choose the backup folder; for Shared Drive, choose the intended drive.
9. Save the settings.

Plesk normally creates a folder such as My Plesk in a personal drive. Plesk Backup Manager recognizes backups it created; manually uploaded files may not appear as restorable Plesk backups.

For a Workspace shared drive, the administrator may need to mark the Plesk Backup Corporate app as trusted. Use an organization-controlled account, enforce strong authentication, and make sure access survives an employee leaving.

Configure Another Supported Remote Storage

Return to Remote Storage Settings and select Amazon S3, S3-compatible storage, OneDrive, or FTP(S). Enter only credentials created for backups. For object storage, grant access to the specific bucket and required operations rather than full cloud-administrator rights. For FTP storage, enable FTPS and passive mode when supported.

Plesk can have several remote storage connections, but one backup task writes to one remote destination. Create separate scheduled tasks when the licensed multiple-schedule feature is available and you need more than one destination.

Create a Manual Test Backup

Before relying on a schedule:

1. Open Backup Manager and click Back Up.
2. Select configuration and content, including files, databases, and mail where required.
3. Select the connected remote storage.
4. Choose a full backup for the first test.
5. Enable password protection and store the password in a secure password manager.
6. Enter a monitored notification email.
7. Start the job and wait for completion.

Open the completed job and read warnings, not just the final status. Confirm the file appears at the remote provider and that checksum validation succeeds.

Schedule Plesk Backups

1. Go to Tools & Settings → Backup Manager → Schedule.
2. Enable Activate this backup task.
3. Choose the frequency and a quiet start time.
4. Use incremental backups when suitable and choose how often to create a full backup.
5. Set the maximum number of full backups or retention period.
6. Select configuration, files, databases, and mail based on recovery needs.
7. Select the remote destination.
8. Add an email address for backup errors.
9. Save the schedule.

Incremental backups save time and storage, but restoration may depend on the full backup and its incremental chain. Retain and test the complete chain. Schedule resource-heavy full backups away from peak traffic and monitor disk space because Plesk may need temporary local space.

Protect the Backup Password

Plesk can password-protect sensitive information in backup archives. Store the password outside the Plesk server and outside the same cloud account. Without it, a protected backup may be unusable; if an attacker finds it beside the backup, protection is weakened.

Perform a Restore Test

1. Choose a low-risk test subscription or build an isolated Plesk test server.
2. Open Backup Manager and confirm the remote backup is visible.
3. Restore a small file or database to an isolated location first.
4. Then test a full subscription recovery when possible.
5. Verify website files, database, login, PHP settings, scheduled tasks, SSL, and mail.
6. Record the restore duration and any manual steps.

A green backup job proves that files were created and uploaded; it does not prove that the business can recover. Repeat restore tests after Plesk upgrades, storage changes, major site changes, and credential rotation.

Monitor and Maintain Remote Backups

• Send failures to an inbox that people actually monitor.
• Check the age of the newest successful backup independently.
• Watch remote quota, billing, retention, and lifecycle rules.
• Rotate cloud/FTP credentials and test afterward.
• Review who can delete backups.
• Keep at least one copy protected from the production administrator account.
• Document the storage account, folder, password custody, and restore steps.

Troubleshooting

Remote Storage Option Is Missing

Check the Plesk version, extension catalog, account permission, and Backup to Cloud Pro license. A hosting customer may need the provider to enable remote cloud backups.

Google Authorization Fails

Use the intended Google account, allow pop-ups/redirects, and ask the Workspace administrator whether the Plesk app must be trusted. Reconnect only after checking that existing backups and retention are understood.

Backup Runs Out of Space

Check server free space, temporary backup space, remote quota, archive size, retention, and logs. Do not simply delete the only known restorable full backup.

Backup Is Present but Restore Fails

Check checksum status, password, Plesk version compatibility, complete incremental chain, available disk space, and the detailed restore log. Preserve the failed backup while investigating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does current Plesk support Dropbox backups?

Dropbox is not in the current supported remote-storage list in Plesk Obsidian documentation. Use Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, S3-compatible storage, DigitalOcean Spaces, or FTP(S) shown in your panel.

Are Plesk backups stored offsite automatically?

No. Plesk uses local server storage by default. You must connect remote storage and select it for the backup task.

Should I use full or incremental backups?

A common plan combines regular full backups with frequent incrementals. Choose intervals from recovery needs, size, and restore testing—not only storage cost.

Conclusion

You have connected supported remote storage, created a manual test backup, scheduled full and incremental backups, added retention and alerts, and planned a restore test. The restore test and independent monitoring turn an uploaded archive into a real recovery plan.

When adding another hosted site, follow our updated guide to adding domains and subdomains in Plesk.

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Reviewed and updated: August 2026. Steps were checked against Plesk Obsidian’s official documentation for remote storage, scheduled backups, and restoring backups.