FAQ
Is Reaver self-hosted?
Yes. The dashboard runs on your server, and agents run on each host you protect. You choose where backups are stored (local disk, S3, B2, SFTP, etc.).
What is the difference between the dashboard and an agent?
The Dashboard is the web UI and control plane (jobs, schedules, settings, users). An Agent is a poll-only worker on each host that runs restic and reports status. One dashboard can manage many agents. Agents can auto-discover WordPress sites and back up arbitrary custom paths.
How do agents talk to the dashboard?
Agents make outbound HTTPS calls to the dashboard to poll for jobs and report status. There is no agent inbound HTTP API and no local agent job queue database.
How do I install an agent?
From Agents → Add / Upgrade agent:
- Upgrade (SSH) — preferred for existing hosts (keeps agent id)
- New install (SSH) — first-time hosts (auto-upgrades if an agent is already present)
- Manual pair — pairing code + install script on the host
See Agents & Sites.
Does Reaver use restic?
Yes. Restic is the backup engine. Reaver manages repositories, snapshots, schedules, and restore through the dashboard and agents.
Are backups encrypted?
Client-side restic encryption is optional (off by default). When enabled, restic encrypts repository data with its repository password model. Local and remote restic passwords are both dashboard-managed and included in the Security recovery bundle. Enabling it requires a liability waiver because a lost password means the data cannot be recovered.
Cloud providers may also offer server-side encryption at rest. Dashboard credentials are always encrypted at rest.
Can I restore an old snapshot?
Yes. Use Restore → Restore from repository, pick a site and snapshot id, and confirm. You can also export a snapshot to a portable archive and restore from Archives later. See Restore & Archives.
What destinations are supported?
Local agent disk, S3-compatible storage, Backblaze B2, and SFTP/SSH (SSH keys only for restic SFTP). See Offsite Destinations.
Why don’t my schedules run?
Schedules need the dashboard minute cron (cli/run_schedules.php) for the web user. Enable Automatic scheduling on the Schedules page. Without it, “next run” times appear but jobs never queue. See Schedules.
Is Reaver privacy-friendly? What data is collected?
Yes by design. Backup content stays on infrastructure you control (local disk and destinations you configure) — Reaver is not a SaaS vault for your files. Website analytics are privacy-friendly (Plausible-compatible style).
Anonymous product statistics are limited periodic heartbeats (version, plan label, coarse site/agent counts, destination types, feature flags, etc.). They do not include hostnames, site URLs, emails, paths, tokens, or backup content. Stats default on for all editions; you may opt out anytime with anonymous_statistics: false. If the stats endpoint is down, backups continue. See Configuration and the Privacy Policy.
Is there a free edition?
Yes. Free covers evaluation / light use with limited sites and local storage (see current Pricing). Paid tiers raise site and offsite limits. Limits are enforced from your linked website account plan across every dashboard you link (account-wide site totals). Agents are unlimited; sites are counted by managed restic repositories (WordPress and custom paths).
How does licensing work?
You create a Reaver website account and link it from the dashboard License page (email/password). The site returns plan, limits, and usage; the dashboard stores them and re-checks about every 6 hours (and on Refresh) with an api_token, reporting this install’s site count. View usage on License, website My Account → Site usage, or Admin → Users → Usage. Paid access is the account subscription — not a separate key. See Configuration.
Current paid tiers (summary)
| Plan | Approx. sites | Offsite |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 | Local only |
| Solo | 1 | 1 offsite destination |
| Starter | 5 | 1 offsite destination |
| Pro | 40 | Unlimited offsite |
| Agency | 100 | Unlimited offsite |
| Scale | 250 | Unlimited offsite |
Confirm live numbers on the Pricing page.
Where do I get help?
Use the dashboard top-bar Feedback control (linked account required), or the website /feedback form (Markdown and optional screenshots). You can also contact support. Public how-do-I questions belong on Community Q&A.
What if a backup hangs connecting to SSH or S3?
Remote jobs use connect timeouts and a few retries when the destination is unreachable (for example the SSH host is rebooting). After that the job fails with a clear message so you can fix the host or Offsite credentials and re-queue — you should not see a job stuck on “Connecting to remote destination…” forever.
Tune per agent in /opt/reaver-agent/data/agent.env (REAVER_SSH_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, REAVER_DEST_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, REAVER_DEST_CONNECT_RETRIES, REAVER_DEST_BACKUP_TIMEOUT). Details: Agents, Backup Jobs.
Can I manage backups from Claude, Cursor, or another AI client?
Yes, on all paid plans (not Free). Reaver V2 includes a REST API and a built-in MCP server on your dashboard (/api/v1/mcp). They are the same control plane: scripts use the API; chat apps use MCP. Turn MCP on under Security → MCP server, then paste that URL into the app. You sign in to this dashboard, approve a permission, and the client can list sites, start backups, restore, and check jobs — limited by the token.
This is not a backup agent (those are poll-only workers on each host). Guide: MCP Server for AI Agents.
Where do I ask other users for help?
Public how-do-I questions go to Community Q&A. Anyone can read it; posting uses your Reaver website account. Keep passwords, tokens, private hostnames, and backup logs out of public posts — use Feedback for those.