# Create an On-Demand Backup

An on-demand backup captures the current state of your phone system as a single downloadable file. Run one any time you want a point-in-time snapshot, for example right before a firmware update, a large configuration change, or moving phone numbers between systems. If a change goes wrong, you can restore the system from this file. The steps below walk you through creating a backup on demand and choosing exactly what it contains.

## Create the backup

1. Sign in to the management portal and go to **Maintenance > Backup and Restore**, then click **Backup**.

   :::note
   The **Backup and Restore** page lives under the **Maintenance** menu. It lists every backup already on the system and is also where you restore from a backup later.
   :::

2. Fill in the backup settings:

   | Setting | What it does |
   |---------|--------------|
   | **File Name** | Leave the default name in place, or type a name that makes the backup easy to recognize later. |
   | **Comments** | Attach an optional note describing the backup (for example, why you took it). |
   | **The backup file will include** | Choose which data sets to capture (see the list below). |

   :::tip
   Give the file a name you will still understand in six months. Including the date and the reason (for example, `2026-07-15-before-firmware-update`) makes the right backup easy to find when you need to restore.
   :::

   You can include any combination of the following:

   - **System Configuration**: every setting configured on the system.
   - **Custom Prompts**: the audio greetings and messages that have been uploaded.
   - **CDR**: Call Detail Records, the log of calls made and received.
   - **Company Contacts and Phonebooks Settings**
   - **Chat Data for External Chat**
   - **Fax Logs**

   :::caution
   Selecting **Fax Logs** saves the log entries only. The fax documents themselves are **not** included in the backup, so do not rely on this backup to preserve received or sent faxes.
   :::

3. Click **Save**.

## Result

The new backup appears in the **Backup and Restore** list and is saved to the configured storage location.

:::tip
To conserve space on the system and reduce the risk of data loss, you can archive backup files to an external destination such as FTP or SFTP (file transfer servers), S3-compatible object storage, Google Cloud Storage, or Microsoft SharePoint. Archiving copies the file off the phone system and makes it easier to manage from the external server. For details, see [Cloud Voice Remote Archiving Overview](/pbx/administrator-guide/cloud-voice-remote-archiving-overview/).
:::