Skip to main content
Version: 7.26

Backup

CLI reference:/system/backup/save/system/backup/load/system/backup/cloud/ip/cloud

The system backup saves the whole router configuration to a single binary file. Save a backup before a risky change, for example before an upgrade or a batch of firewall edits, and restore it when the configuration breaks. For a change that can cut your connection, or one you plan to undo, safe mode and undo/redo are lighter alternatives.

A backup restores reliably only on the device it was made on. The backup contains the device's MAC addresses, so restoring it on another device can leave the interfaces misconfigured. To copy a configuration between devices, export and import it instead.

warning

A backup contains sensitive parameters, such as passwords and keys; see the list of menus with sensitive parameters. A backup saved without a password stores the configuration in readable form. Encrypt the backup and keep it in a safe place.

Save a backup​

Save the configuration to a backup file:

[admin@MikroTik] > /system/backup/save name=config-before-update password=StrongPass
Configuration backup saved

The command creates the file config-before-update.backup in the /file menu:

[admin@MikroTik] > /file/print where name~"config-before-update"
Columns: NAME, TYPE, SIZE, LAST-MODIFIED
# NAME                         TYPE    SIZE     LAST-MODIFIED      
0 config-before-update.backup  backup  35.8KiB  2026-10-16 07:15:38

Store a copy off the router, for example by downloading the file with WinBox or FTP. To create backups regularly, add a scheduler entry that runs the save command; see the scheduler example.

Provide a password to encrypt the backup file. Without a password, the backup is stored unencrypted. encryption selects the algorithm: aes-sha256 by default, or rc4 for compatibility with older RouterOS versions. dont-encrypt=yes stores the backup unencrypted even when a password is given.

Restore a backup​

Give the backup name as you used with save, without the .backup extension. Load the backup file and confirm the reboot:

[admin@MikroTik] > /system/backup/load name=config-before-update password=StrongPass
Restore and reboot? [y/N]: y
Restoring system configuration
System configuration restored, rebooting now

The router reboots with the restored configuration. Answer n to cancel the restore. When password is omitted, RouterOS asks for it; for an unencrypted backup, any password works.

note

Restore the backup on the same RouterOS version the backup was made on. To load a backup made on RouterOS v6, add force-v6-to-v7-configuration-upgrade=yes.

What the backup does not contain​

The system backup does not include the databases of The Dude or User Manager. Both store their data separately on the device, so use their own backup mechanisms to save these databases.

Cloud backup​

Store an encrypted copy of the backup on the MikroTik cloud server and download it later to the same or a replacement device. See Cloud backup.

Troubleshoot​

  • The restore fails with failure: bad password. The password does not match the one used with save; a wrong password is reported during the restore, after the confirmation.
  • A script that runs load without the password argument fails with missing value(s) of argument(s) password. Pass the password as an argument; the interactive prompt is not available in scripts.