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What Happens When I Restore A Backup For Vultr Instances?

Updated on 20 November, 2025

Explains the process and implications of restoring an Automatic Backup for a Vultr Compute instance, highlighting that it replaces the current state of the instances primary disk.

When you restore an Automatic Backup for a Vultr Compute instance, the backup replaces the current state of the instance’s primary disk. This means that all data, configurations, and installed applications on the instance will be overwritten with the contents of the backup at the point in time it was created.

Consider the following points when restoring a backup:

  • Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost. Ensure that any important files or configurations are saved elsewhere before restoring.
  • The operating system, software, and settings are restored exactly as they existed when the backup was taken.
  • Restoring a backup requires the instance to be temporarily unavailable, so plan for potential service interruptions.
  • Backups do not include attached Vultr Block Storage volumes. Data on those volumes will remain unchanged and must be backed up separately if needed.

For safe restoration, consider creating a Vultr Snapshot of the current instance before restoring a backup. This ensures you have a recoverable copy of the instance’s latest state in case you need to revert.