RECOVERY BEFORE RELIANCE
How to back up Immich properly
A complete Immich backup needs both your photo and video files and the database that describes them. A database dump on its own is not a backup of your photographs.
Immich recommends a 3-2-1 approach
The current Immich documentation recommends keeping multiple copies across different storage, including an off-site copy. The exact tools are up to you, but the principle is more important than the brand of backup software.
You need the media and the database
Immich stores file paths and metadata in PostgreSQL and does not reconstruct everything merely by scanning the library folder. That makes database backups essential. At the same time, database backups do not contain the actual photos and videos.
Automatic database backups help, but they are only one part
Immich can create automatic database backups and keep them under the upload location. Those dumps are useful for disaster recovery, but if that same disk fails and there is no separate copy, the backup disappears with the live system.
What files matter most?
Immich recommends backing up the whole upload location where practical. The critical original content includes uploaded/library media and profile data. Generated thumbnails and transcoded video can be recreated, although rebuilding them takes time and compute.
Keep backups consistent
The safest snapshot is one where the database and files represent the same point in time. Immich recommends stopping the server while taking a backup where possible. If that is not practical, its documentation recommends backing up the database first and the filesystem second.
Test a restore
A backup process is not proven until you can restore from it. Use a test environment or spare storage to verify that you know where the database dump, media and configuration need to go.
How much backup storage should you plan?
That depends on whether you use full copies, snapshots, incremental backups or deduplication. Our photo storage calculator uses full-copy equivalents so you can create a conservative starting estimate.