# Backups - which email?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 26, 2025, 10:14am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907 "2025-03-26T10:14:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 10:14am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/1 "2025-03-26T10:14:38Z")

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Hi,

I am trying to make a backup of my forum. Everything goes smooth until I can not recieve the email that is needed for the backup. I have double checked everywhere.

From what I have read the email that was used in the setup of Discourse is the one where the email will be sent to. Is there some way in Discourse to confirm which email that it should be sent to?

Does this backup function work for both Discourse Business forum and self host?

I have read regarding S3 and other backup functions but for now I am trying to just get the manual backup on Discourse to work.

Best regards  
Olle

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### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 10:54am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/3 "2025-03-26T10:54:59Z")

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The email goes to the user they requested the backup.

If you’re self hosted then the file is available on your server in /var/discourse/shared/standalone/backups/default

If you’re using s3, then it’s there.

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:17am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/4 "2025-03-26T11:17:50Z")

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Great, and to double check, it is the email of the user as seen by clicking on the profile photo in the top right, then settings and the email that is seen there?

I still will not recieve any email. Will self host or business plan not recieve any email?

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### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:19am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/5 "2025-03-26T11:19:32Z")

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Check out Admin - Email Settings - Server Setup and Logs - Sent.

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/6 "2025-03-26T11:28:41Z")

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It seems like the mail here is the correct one. If trying to backup through /admin/backups and you have self host, is it supposed to work?

Sidekiq/retries shows many posts with the following:

Jobs::HandledExceptionWrapper: Wrapped Net::OpenTimeout: execution expired

It also shows this one:

Jobs::HandledExceptionWrapper: Wrapped Net::SMTPAuthenticationError: 535 Incorrect authentication data

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### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:38am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/7 "2025-03-26T11:38:32Z")

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> [@Olle11](#):
>
> If trying to backup through /admin/backups and you have self host, is it supposed to work?

Yes, but apparently your mail server is not correctly configured, hence the “535 Incorrect authentication data” error.

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/8 "2025-03-26T11:39:48Z")

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Aha, do I need to adress something in Discourse?

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/9 "2025-03-26T11:57:06Z")

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Is it possible to change the email settings in Discourse or do I need to reinstall the forum?

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### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 12:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/10 "2025-03-26T12:25:22Z")

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The official way is to change them in app.yml and rebuild.

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/11 "2025-03-26T13:50:15Z")

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Thank you, I will try that

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/12 "2025-03-26T14:44:47Z")

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So the email adress I have as admin/user on my forum is my personal email. The backup email will not reach this address. I cant change email neither because I have to verify from my current email address but the email will not reach.

What do I need to do in order to change the email address so I can recieve the backup?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/13 "2025-03-26T14:46:28Z")

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See [Change staff email address from console](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-staff-email-address-from-console/42062)

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### Author: ![Olle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Olle11](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Olle11)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/14 "2025-03-26T15:47:14Z")

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Thank you Richard, this actually worked. Seems like I signed up with another email than the server one.

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/backups-which-email/358907/15 "2025-04-25T15:48:09Z")

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