# Restore a file/server backup

Download and restore a file backup to your server.

SimpleBackups stores your file backups as compressed `.tar.gz` archives. You can restore them using a one-line automated command or by manually downloading and extracting the archive. This guide walks through both methods using a `/var/www` directory as an example.

## Find your backup

Go to your backup page and select the **Logs** tab. Click the **info icon** next to the backup copy you want to restore.

![The Logs tab showing backup copies with the info icon on the right](https://simplebackups.com/docs/docs-assets/www-notion-so/26eca36ed6ec30e6b2de.png)

## Automated restore

In the backup details modal, navigate to the **Restore** section. You will find a **Restore command** — a single-line command that handles downloading and extracting your backup.

![The Restore command section in the backup details modal](https://simplebackups.com/docs/docs-assets/www-notion-so/b2718b0b83d17547b731.png)

Copy the command and run it on your server. The wizard will ask you where to extract the files and prompt for the encryption key if the backup was encrypted.

## Manual restore

If you prefer to restore manually, click **Click to generate a signed download link** in the backup details modal and copy the resulting URL.

Download the backup archive to your server:

```bash
wget "PASTE_YOUR_SIGNED_DOWNLOAD_LINK_HERE" -O "backup.tar.gz"
```

Replace the URL with the signed download link you copied. Then extract the archive to the target directory:

```bash
tar --overwrite -xvf backup.tar.gz --directory /var/www
```

**Overwrite risk:**
This command overwrites the contents of `/var/www` with the backup archive. Extract into a temporary folder first and inspect the contents before overwriting production data.

- [Create a file/server backup](https://simplebackups.com/docs/server-and-file-backup/create-a-fileserver-backup): Step-by-step guide to setting up a file or server backup.

- [Incremental file backups](https://simplebackups.com/docs/server-and-file-backup/incremental-file-backups): Back up only changed files to save storage and speed up backups.