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First Backup Tutorial

This hands-on tutorial walks you through creating your first backup with FireBackup. By the end, you'll have a verified, encrypted backup of your Firestore data.

What You'll Learn​

  • Connecting a Firebase project
  • Configuring backup options
  • Executing a backup
  • Verifying backup integrity
  • Previewing backup contents

Prerequisites​

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • A FireBackup account (see Quick Start)
  • A Firebase project with some Firestore data
  • Owner or Admin role in your FireBackup organization

Step 1: Connect Your Firebase Project​

If you haven't already connected a Firebase project:

  1. Navigate to Projects in the sidebar
  2. Click "Add Project"
  3. Click "Connect with Google"
  4. Select the Firebase project you want to backup
  5. Wait for the collection sync to complete
Sync Time

Initial collection sync may take 1-2 minutes depending on your database size.

Step 2: Navigate to Backups​

  1. Click "Backups" in the sidebar
  2. You'll see the backup dashboard with:
    • Recent backup history
    • Backup statistics
    • Quick actions

Step 3: Start a New Backup​

  1. Click the "New Backup" button
  2. Configure your backup:

Select Project​

Choose the Firebase project you connected in Step 1.

Choose Backup Type​

TypeWhen to Use
Full BackupFirst backup, or when you need a complete snapshot
IncrementalSubsequent backups to capture only changes

For your first backup, select Full Backup.

Select Collections​

You have three options:

  1. All Collections - Back up everything
  2. Selected Collections - Choose specific collections
  3. Exclude Collections - Back up all except certain collections

For this tutorial, select All Collections.

Enable Encryption​

Toggle "Encrypt Backup" to ON (recommended).

Security Best Practice

Always enable encryption. Your data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before leaving your browser.

Enable Compression​

Toggle "Compress Backup" to ON (recommended).

Compression typically reduces backup size by 70-90%, saving storage costs and speeding up transfers.

Step 4: Execute the Backup​

  1. Review your configuration
  2. Click "Start Backup"

You'll see real-time progress:

[====================] 100%

Status: Completed
Duration: 45 seconds
Documents: 12,450
Size: 15.2 MB → 2.1 MB (compressed)

Understanding the Progress Steps​

StepDescription
ConnectingEstablishing connection to Firebase
ExportingReading data from Firestore
CompressingApplying Brotli compression
EncryptingAES-256-GCM encryption
UploadingSending to storage destination
FinalizingGenerating metadata and checksums

Step 5: View Backup Details​

Once complete, click on your backup to see details:

Backup Information:
  ID: bkp_abc123def456
  Status: Completed
  Created: 2025-01-15T14:30:00Z
  Duration: 45s

Data Summary:
  Collections: 8
  Documents: 12,450
  Original Size: 15.2 MB
  Compressed Size: 2.1 MB
  Compression Ratio: 86%

Security:
  Encryption: AES-256-GCM
  Checksum: sha256:a1b2c3d4...

Step 6: Verify Backup Integrity​

Verification ensures your backup is complete and not corrupted:

  1. Click "Verify Integrity"
  2. FireBackup will:
    • Download and decrypt the backup
    • Recalculate the checksum
    • Compare with the stored checksum
Verification Result:
✓ Checksum matches
✓ Encryption valid
✓ All collections present
✓ Document count verified

Backup is VALID

Step 7: Preview Backup Contents​

See what's inside your backup without restoring:

  1. Click "Preview"
  2. Browse the collection structure
  3. View sample documents
// Preview of 'users' collection
{
  "users": {
    "count": 1250,
    "sample": [
      {
        "id": "user_001",
        "email": "john@example.com",
        "createdAt": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
      },
      // ...
    ]
  }
}
Privacy

Preview shows actual data. Be mindful of sensitive information.

Step 8: Schedule Regular Backups​

Now that you've created a manual backup, set up automated backups:

  1. Go to Schedules in the sidebar
  2. Click "New Schedule"
  3. Configure:
    • Name: "Daily Backup"
    • Cron: 0 2 * * * (2 AM daily)
    • Type: Incremental
    • Retention: 30 days
  4. Click "Create Schedule"

Backup Complete!​

You've successfully:

  • Connected a Firebase project
  • Created an encrypted, compressed backup
  • Verified backup integrity
  • Previewed backup contents
  • Set up automated scheduling

What's Next?​

Now that you have backups working, explore these advanced features:

Point-in-Time Recovery​

Enable continuous protection to restore to any second in time. Learn about PITR →

Restore Data​

Practice restoring data to a test environment. Restore Guide →

API Integration​

Automate backups in your CI/CD pipeline. API Reference →

Storage Setup​

Configure cloud storage for production use. Storage Tutorials →

Troubleshooting​

Backup Failed: Permission Denied​

Your Firebase credentials may have expired or lack permissions.

Solution:

  1. Go to Projects
  2. Click "Reconnect" on your project
  3. Re-authorize Firebase access

Backup Taking Too Long​

Large databases may take longer. Consider:

  • Using Selected Collections instead of all
  • Scheduling backups during low-traffic periods
  • Enabling Incremental backups for daily runs

Verification Failed​

A failed verification indicates data corruption.

Solution:

  1. Do not delete the backup
  2. Create a new backup immediately
  3. Contact support if the issue persists

Need help? Contact support@firebackup.io