# Back up or restore a workspace

Create a local MAO backup archive or restore its contents from a backup file.

MAO can create local **.mao-backup** archives and restore them as a new workspace or into a closed workspace. Automatic backups are optional.

## Create or restore a backup

1. Open **Settings** and choose **Backups**.
2. To create one now, choose **Back up now**. You can also enable **Automatic backups**.
3. Choose **Show folder** to locate archives or **Restore from file…** to choose one.
4. Review the restore sheet and choose whether to restore as a new workspace or replace a closed workspace.
5. Use **Delete every backup for <workspace>** to remove that workspace’s backup history.

> **Note:** An Orchestrator can use **mao backup create** and **mao backup list**.

> **Limit:** Automatic backups are off by default and keep at most 14 days or 512 MiB. Worktrees, provider accounts, credentials, task records, and browser cookies are excluded. The target must be closed before replacement.

Source: https://trymao.dev/docs/settings-backups-updates/backups-and-restore