Backup not found error when restoring expired Supabase database snapshot

Question

Restoring a database snapshot beyond the plan retention window

The goal is to recover a Supabase project database from a daily backup that falls outside the current plan's retention period. On the free tier, automated backups are retained for seven days; paid plans extend this to thirty days. Point-in-time recovery is only available on Pro and higher plans. When a restore is attempted for a backup older than the applicable retention window, the dashboard and CLI return a Backup not found error.

Constraints include the fact that upgrading a plan does not retroactively extend retention for existing backups, and the error can also appear if the backup was manually deleted or the project was paused for an extended period. Restores always create a new project rather than overwriting the original, so connection strings must be updated afterward. Auth users, Storage objects, and Edge Functions are not captured in database backups and must be migrated separately.

Open questions

Does the Backup not found response definitively mean the backup data has been purged from Supabase infrastructure, or could it indicate a transient API or metadata issue?
If the backup was created under a higher-tier plan and the project was later downgraded, does the original retention window still apply to that specific backup?
Are there any programmatic interfaces—such as the Management API or pg_basebackup-compatible endpoints—that can enumerate or retrieve backups not visible in the dashboard?

Tasadduq Burney · Answer

Supabase "Backup not found" When Restoring Expired Snapshots

When you attempt to restore a database snapshot that falls outside your project’s active retention window, Supabase returns a Backup not found error. This response is not a transient API glitch; it indicates that the snapshot metadata has been purged or never existed under the current plan’s retention policy.

Likely explanation: The backup was created under a tier with a longer retention period, but the project was later downgraded. Retention windows are fixed per plan tier (7 days on Free, 30 days on paid plans). Downgrading does not extend the window for existing backups; the snapshot remains subject to the tier it was created under.

Confirmed facts: Supabase’s management API and CLI expose a restore endpoint that creates a new project; there is no public endpoint to list or retrieve backups older than the retention window. Restores always generate a new project, so connection strings and credentials must be updated manually afterward. Auth users, Storage objects, and Edge Functions are not captured in database backups and must be migrated separately.

Verify backup age in the dashboard. Navigate to Settings → Backups in the Supabase dashboard. If the backup is absent, it has been purged according to the retention policy.
Confirm project status. Review activity logs for any pause or delete events that could explain the missing snapshot, especially if the project was paused for an extended period.
Attempt a CLI restore (confirmation only). Run supabase db restore --project-id <original-id> --backup-id <backup-id>. A 404 response confirms the backup is unavailable.
Use the latest available snapshot. If a newer backup exists within the retention window, restore that instead. The command will automatically create a new project.
Re‑import non‑database services. Manually migrate Auth users, Storage objects, and Edge Functions from your code repository or separate backups.
Update connection strings. After the new project is created, update all environment variables, connection strings, and secrets to point to the new database endpoint.

If you believe the snapshot should still exist—for example, you upgraded to a higher tier and the backup is only a few days old—contact Supabase support with the project ID, backup ID, and a brief description. They can confirm whether the snapshot was inadvertently deleted.

Missing diagnostic detail: Did your project experience a pause longer than the retention window before the restore attempt? This determines whether automatic cleanup during a paused state caused the purge.

Backup not found error when restoring expired Supabase database snapshot

Restoring a database snapshot beyond the plan retention window

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Supabase "Backup not found" When Restoring Expired Snapshots

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