<p>If you're in the Craft 2 control panel, and you click on <em>Backup Database</em>, it should always store a .sql file in <code>craft/storage/backups</code>. </p>

<p>If you have the <em>Download Backup</em> box checked, then also your browser should download a .zip file containing that .sql file.</p>

<p>Other notes:<br>
It appears to work the same in Craft 3<br>
If you do <em>Clear Caches</em> first, you may get a significantly smaller file.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-09T21:51:48.173Z
2018-05-09T21:51:48.173Z
kr37
<p>I've inherited a Craft 2 site to do maintenance. I don't yet have access to production server. I need to grab the production server DB to run locally on my machine. When I click "Backup Database" from the sites cms back-end, it doesn't appear to download a local <code>.sql</code> file. I assume it's backing up as a file on the actual server. How can I download that backup locally?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-06T01:50:06.203Z
If you're in the Craft 2 control panel, and you click on *Backup Database*, it should always store an sql file in `craft/storage/backups`. If you have the *Download Backup* box checked, then also your browser should download a .zip file containing that .sql file.
kr37
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-08T00:05:47.320Z
@kr37 sounds like that makes a solid answer instead of a comment to me. :) care to add it as one?
Brad Bell
<database>
Save out Backup Database to local file
# Save out Backup Database to local file

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-05)

I've inherited a Craft 2 site to do maintenance. I don't yet have access to production server. I need to grab the production server DB to run locally on my machine. When I click "Backup Database" from the sites cms back-end, it doesn't appear to download a local `.sql` file. I assume it's backing up as a file on the actual server. How can I download that backup locally?

**Tags:** database
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you're in the Craft 2 control panel, and you click on *Backup Database*, it should always store an sql file in `craft/storage/backups`. If you have the *Download Backup* box checked, then also your browser should download a .zip file containing that .sql file.  
> **username_2**: @kr37 sounds like that makes a solid answer instead of a comment to me. :) care to add it as one?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-09. Score: 1

If you're in the Craft 2 control panel, and you click on *Backup Database*, it should always store a .sql file in `craft/storage/backups`.

If you have the *Download Backup* box checked, then also your browser should download a .zip file containing that .sql file.

Other notes:  
It appears to work the same in Craft 3  
If you do *Clear Caches* first, you may get a significantly smaller file.


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