Synology Backup

Backup OpenClaw data to a Synology NAS over SMB. Designed for secure, automated daily snapshots with configurable retention.

Setup

1. Network Connectivity

For VPS-to-NAS backups, use Tailscale for secure connectivity without exposing SMB to the internet:

1. Install Tailscale on the Synology (Package Center → search "Tailscale")
2. Install Tailscale on the VPS — see Tailscale's official install guide for your platform
3. Join both to the same tailnet
4. Use the Synology's Tailscale IP in config

For local network setups, use the NAS local IP directly.

2. Synology Preparation

1. Create a dedicated user on the Synology (e.g., openclaw-backup) with minimal permissions
2. Create or choose a shared folder (e.g., backups)
3. Grant the user read/write access to only that folder

3. Credentials File

Create an SMB credentials file with restricted permissions — never store credentials in config or scripts:

# Create the file and set permissions (replace placeholders with your values)
touch ~/.openclaw/.smb-credentials
chmod 600 ~/.openclaw/.smb-credentials
# Edit the file and add two lines:
#   username=<your-synology-user>
#   password=<your-synology-password>
nano ~/.openclaw/.smb-credentials

4. Configuration

Create ~/.openclaw/synology-backup.json:

{
  "host": "100.x.x.x",
  "share": "backups/openclaw",
  "mountPoint": "/mnt/synology",
  "credentialsFile": "~/.openclaw/.smb-credentials",
  "smbVersion": "3.0",
  "backupPaths": [
    "~/.openclaw/workspace",
    "~/.openclaw/openclaw.json",
    "~/.openclaw/cron",
    "~/.openclaw/agents"
  ],
  "includeSubAgentWorkspaces": true,
  "retention": 7,
  "schedule": "0 3 * * *"
}

Note on sensitive files: The .env file (containing API keys) is not included in the default backup paths. If you want to back it up, add "~/.openclaw/.env" to backupPaths — but ensure your Synology share has restricted access and the dedicated user has minimal permissions.

5. Install Dependencies

apt-get install -y cifs-utils rsync

6. Mount Setup

For persistent mounts across reboots, add to /etc/fstab:

//<host>/<share> /mnt/synology cifs credentials=<credentials-file>,vers=3.0,_netdev,nofail 0 0

Usage

Backup Now

scripts/backup.sh

Runs an incremental backup. First run copies everything; subsequent runs only sync changes.

Restore a Snapshot

scripts/restore.sh [date]

Restores from a specific date's snapshot (e.g., 2026-02-20). Without a date, lists available snapshots.

Check Status

scripts/status.sh

Shows last backup time, snapshot count, total size, and mount health.

What Gets Backed Up

• ~/.openclaw/workspace/ — memory, SOUL, AGENTS, skills, all workspace files
• ~/.openclaw/workspace-*/ — all sub-agent workspaces (if enabled)
• ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json — main config
• ~/.openclaw/cron/ — cron job definitions
• ~/.openclaw/agents/ — agent configurations
• ~/.openclaw/.env — opt-in only (contains API keys — add to backupPaths manually if desired)

Snapshot Structure

backups/
├── 2026-02-20/
│   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── workspace/
│   ├── workspace-email/
│   ├── workspace-news/
│   ├── agents/
│   ├── cron/
│   └── openclaw.json
├── 2026-02-19/
└── ...

Security Notes

• Credentials: Always use a dedicated credentials file with restricted permissions (chmod 600). Never inline secrets in config files, scripts, or fstab.
• Network: Use Tailscale or a VPN for remote backups. Never expose SMB (port 445) to the public internet.
• Sensitive data: The .env file contains API keys and is excluded from default backup paths. Only include it if your NAS share is properly secured with restricted user permissions.
• NAS user: Create a dedicated Synology user with access to only the backup share — not an admin account.
• Retention: Old snapshots are pruned by moving them to the Synology trash (if supported) or deleting them. Increase retention for critical environments.