Skip to main content
Version: 7.25

Cloud backup

CLI reference:/system/backup/cloud

Cloud backup stores an encrypted backup of the router's configuration on the MikroTik cloud server. You can download it later to the same router, or with its secret download key to another router, for example a replacement device. Each device has one backup slot.

Upload a backup​

To create a backup of the current configuration and upload it in one step:

[admin@MikroTik] > /system/backup/cloud/upload-file action=create-and-upload name=home-router password=Str0ng-Passw0rd
  status: finished
[admin@MikroTik] > /system/backup/cloud/print detail
0  name="home-router" size=31.5KiB ros-version="7.25" date=2026-09-24 10:11:16
   status="ok" secret-download-key="Xy3kP9qLm2Rt7vWz8Bn4Cd5"

The router encrypts the backup with password, which is required. Keep the password: you need it to restore the backup. name is only the name in the cloud list.

To upload a backup file you saved earlier, save it with a password, so it is encrypted. The router refuses an unencrypted file with src file must be AES encrypted.

/system/backup/save name=home-router password=Str0ng-Passw0rd
/system/backup/cloud/upload-file action=upload src-file=home-router.backup name=home-router

Replace or delete the backup​

The slot holds one backup, so a second upload fails with Server error: All slots used. Delete file to free up space. To overwrite the stored backup, give its name in replace:

/system/backup/cloud/upload-file action=create-and-upload name=home-router password=Str0ng-Passw0rd replace=home-router

The new backup gets a new secret download key.

To delete the backup and free the slot:

/system/backup/cloud/remove-file number=0

Download or restore the backup​

To download this router's backup to its storage:

/system/backup/cloud/download-file action=download number=0

The router saves the file as <name>.backup, or under the name you give in dst-file. To restore the configuration from it, use /system/backup/load.

To download and restore in one step, give the backup password. The router restores the configuration and reboots:

/system/backup/cloud/download-file action=download-and-apply number=0 password=Str0ng-Passw0rd

On another router, for example a replacement device, download the backup with the secret download key of the original router:

/system/backup/cloud/download-file action=download secret-download-key=Xy3kP9qLm2Rt7vWz8Bn4Cd5

Anyone who has the key can download the backup file, but cannot read it without the password. Keep the key private and use a strong password. A backup also contains the MAC addresses of the device it was made on (see Backup).

Technical details​

  • The router connects to cloud2.mikrotik.com on TCP port 15252 for cloud backup.
  • Every command in /system/backup/cloud connects to the server, print too, so a command can take a while to finish. While a command runs, it shows status: working....
  • upload-file checks the file on the router before it connects: without a password, create-and-upload fails with missing password, and upload refuses an unencrypted file with src file must be AES encrypted.
  • download-file saves the file also with download-and-apply, so the downloaded backup stays in /file after the restore.

For all commands and properties, see /system/backup/cloud in the CLI reference.