---
title: "Updating, backing up, moving"
description: "How to update Éclair CMS safely, back up your site in one click, restore it and move it to another host or another domain name."
url: "https://eclaircms.org/en/documentation/updates"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-10-30"
---

# Updating, backing up, moving

> **Key takeaways** — To update Éclair CMS: download a backup, delete the app/ and assets/ folders via FTP, upload the ones from the new version along with index.php and .htaccess, without touching data/ or media/, then clear the cache. A backup is a ZIP archive of data/ and media/, which you restore by replacing those two folders.

You can update Éclair CMS in five minutes, and the update never touches your content: it lives in folders that updates leave intact. This guide also explains how to back up your site in one click, restore it and move it to another host or domain, without losing a single page or your search rankings.

## How do you back up your site?

In **Security › Backup**, click **Download a backup**. You get a ZIP archive that contains two folders:

| Folder | What it contains |
| --- | --- |
| `data/` | Your content and its versions, your settings, accounts, menus, categories and messages |
| `media/` | All your images and their WebP versions |

For security, the AI assistant’s API keys, its conversation history, sessions and login counters are excluded from the archive. If your host lacks the zip extension, simply copy the `data/` and `media/` folders via FTP.

> **When should you back up?** — Before any big change, and before every update. One backup a month is a good habit too, even when nothing changes: keep it on your computer or in your cloud storage.

If you logged in more than 15 minutes ago, Éclair asks for your password again before creating the archive.

## How do you restore a backup?

1. Unzip the archive on your computer: it contains `data/`, `media/` and a `LISEZ-MOI.txt` file (French for “read me”).
2. Via FTP, replace your installation’s `data/` and `media/` folders with the ones from the archive.
3. Log in, then go to **Settings › Advanced › Clear cache**.
4. If you use the AI assistant, paste your API keys again in Settings › AI assistant: they aren’t part of backups.

## How do you update Éclair CMS to a new version?

First check the [changelog](https://eclaircms.org/en/changelog) to see what’s changing, then download the new archive from the [Download](https://eclaircms.org/en/download) page.

1. **Make a backup** from Security › Backup.
2. Via FTP, **delete** your site’s `app/` and `assets/` folders.
3. **Upload** the ones from the new version, along with `index.php` and `.htaccess`.
4. **Don’t touch** `data/` (content, settings, accounts) or `media/` (images).
5. In the admin, click **Settings › Advanced › Clear cache**.

Deleting before uploading avoids leaving behind old files that are no longer needed, which the integrity check would flag. To finish, run **Security › File integrity › Scan now**: everything should be green.

> **Custom theme** — If you’ve modified the templates in `app/theme/` or the `theme.css` file, the update replaces them with the originals. Keep a copy of your custom files and upload them again after the update, then clear the cache. The integrity check will flag them as modified: that’s expected.

## How do you move to another host?

1. Download a backup, then copy **the whole site folder** via FTP, hidden `.htaccess` files included.
2. Upload it to your new host, in the domain’s public folder. Check that PHP is version 8.1 or later (8.3 recommended).
3. Point your domain to the new hosting, then wait for DNS propagation (from a few minutes to a few hours).
4. Log in and click **Security › Verify the site address**.

There’s no database to export or reimport: that’s one of the big advantages of a [flat-file CMS](https://eclaircms.org/blog/flat-file-cms).

## How do you change your domain name?

After copying the site, change the address in **Settings › General › Official site URL**, then verify it on the Security page. Internal links adapt automatically, even if the site is installed in a subfolder. The sitemap, canonical URLs and `llms.txt` use the new address right away.

If the old domain stays active, redirect it to the new one with a 301 at your host: your visitors and your rankings will follow. Also remember to report the change of address in Google Search Console, as explained in [Google’s guide to site moves](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes).

## Can you store the data outside the public folder?

Yes, if your host allows it. First move the `data/` folder to the location you chose, then copy the `eclair-config.exemple.php` file as `eclair-config.php`, next to `index.php`, and enter the new path:

```php
<?php
defined('ECLAIR') || exit;

// Data stored outside the public folder.
define('ECLAIR_DATA', '/home/myaccount/eclair-data');
```

Your data is already protected twice inside the public folder. This option adds a third barrier: it’s no longer even in the site’s directory tree.

## Do you need to clear the cache after every change?

No. The static cache clears itself on every change made in the admin, and at the scheduled time for a scheduled post. Only clear it by hand after an update or after changing files via FTP, in Settings › Advanced › Clear cache. The **Rebuild the index and clear the cache** button on the Security page also repairs the content index if needed.

## Questions about updating

### Does updating erase my content?

No. Your content, settings and accounts are in data/, and your images are in media/: the procedure specifically tells you not to touch those two folders.

### How long does it take to update Éclair CMS?

About five minutes: a backup, deleting and uploading two folders (under 1 MB), then one click to clear the cache.

### Does my backup include my API keys?

No. The AI assistant’s keys and its conversation history are deliberately excluded. After restoring, paste your keys again in Settings › AI assistant.

### Is the site offline during the update?

Only while app/ and assets/ are uploading, usually less than a minute. Pages already in the cache keep being served thanks to the index.php file.