Backups

The Backups page (Admin → Backups) lets you export and import your site in two formats — a Template for sharing the site's structure, or a Snapshot for full content backup and restore.

Export Template

A Template export packages the structure of your site — page HTML files, templates, CSS, and the page hierarchy — without any editable region content. Uploaded images are replaced by neutral placeholder images at the correct dimensions so the layout is preserved.

Use a Template export to:

  • Share or sell a site design that other developers can install on a fresh RuntCMS instance
  • Start a new client project from an existing layout
  • Archive a site's design independently of its content
Placeholder images are provided by PicMunk at the exact dimensions of the original image, so proportions and layouts look correct immediately after import.

Export Snapshot

A Snapshot export packages everything — pages, regions, global regions, partials, settings, and uploads. It is a full backup of your site's content that can be used to restore a site after a clean install.

Keep snapshots private. They contain all your site content including any personal or client information stored in regions. Do not share snapshot ZIP files publicly. SMTP passwords are excluded from snapshots for security.

Import Template

To install a template on a fresh RuntCMS site:

  1. Go to Admin → Backups → Danger Zone.
  2. Click Import Template and select the template ZIP file.
  3. Enter your admin password to confirm.
  4. RuntCMS will install the templates, CSS, JS, and page hierarchy.
This replaces existing content. Import Template overwrites your current templates and pages. Only use this on a fresh install or when you intend to replace the existing design.

Import Snapshot

To restore a site from a snapshot:

  1. Install RuntCMS fresh on the target server.
  2. Go to Admin → Backups → Danger Zone.
  3. Click Import Snapshot and select the snapshot ZIP file.
  4. Enter your admin password to confirm.
  5. RuntCMS will restore all pages, regions, partials, settings, and uploads.
Page hierarchy is fully restored — parent/child relationships are rebuilt correctly even for deeply nested page trees.

RuntCMS 0.9 Documentation