How to back up a local database for sqlite and docker trackers in 2026

Back up a tracker's local SQLite database and Docker folder with a simple copy routine that keeps the libraries safe.

By VLClean · 2026-11-01

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Back up a local tracker database by stopping the tracker, copying the SQLite database file and the Docker data folder to a safe place, and keeping a copy that can be restored if the database is lost or damaged.

Option	What it protects	Cost details
Copy the database file	Copy the tracker's SQLite database file to a safe place while the tracker is stopped.	not published
Copy the Docker data folder	Copy the whole Docker folder that stores the tracker's files, so anything beside the database is kept too.	not published
Watcharr	Turns one public IMDb list into a link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]	not published

What you need before you start

Trackers such as Radarr and Sonarr keep the movies and shows they manage in a local SQLite database that lives inside a Docker folder on the server. A backup is a copy of that database and its surrounding data folder, kept somewhere the server can reach but from another disk or machine is safer.

Find where the tracker stores its data before starting. Docker trackers usually keep the database in a data folder that is set when the container is made, so check the folder the container uses for its data. SQLite writes to one database file, so copying that file while the tracker is not writing is the core of a clean backup.

Decide what to protect. The database holds the library state, so back it up. Decide how many old copies to keep, because keeping several lets the database go back to an earlier state if one copy is corrupt. Pick a safe place such as a second disk, a NAS, or another machine, and check that it has room.

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many Plex owners run in Docker to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. They are examples of docker trackers whose local SQLite databases can be backed up this way.

Step by step

Stop the tracker so it is not writing to its database. A stopped tracker cannot change the file while it is copied, which keeps the copy consistent.

Copy the SQLite database file from the tracker's data folder to the backup location. Copying the whole data folder as well protects anything the tracker keeps next to the database.

Start the tracker again once the copy has finished.

Add the date and the tracker name to the copy so it is clear which state it holds and when it was taken.

Keep a few dated copies, not just one, so a corrupt copy has an older one to fall back on.

Test a restore. Put a copied database back into a spare tracker or a spare folder and check that the tracker reads it, because a backup that cannot be restored is not a working backup.

Put the backup task on a regular calendar day each week so a fresh copy always exists.

Check the location that holds the backup has room and that the copies open, and replace the oldest copy with the newest on each run so the folder does not fill up.

Run the same steps for each tracker, since Radarr and Sonarr keep separate databases and each needs its own copy.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into a link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]

The watcharr links keep working because each one acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] The links come from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

The other options for a local database backup are generic steps rather than named products. One is to copy the SQLite database file while the tracker is stopped. Another is to copy the whole Docker data folder that holds the tracker's files. A third is to run a scheduled copy on a regular day.

When choosing a way to back up, check how it pauses the tracker before copying, where it keeps the copies, and how a restore is tested.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid copying the database while the tracker is writing to it. Stop the tracker before copying so the database is not being changed during the copy.

Avoid keeping only one backup copy. A single copy that turns out to be corrupt leaves nothing older to restore.

Avoid never testing a restore. A backup that has never been put back and opened proves nothing about whether it works.

Avoid leaving backups on the same disk as the database. A disk failure that takes the database can take the backup as well, so keep copies on a separate disk or machine.

Frequently asked questions

Can Watcharr back up a local sqlite database?

Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into a link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1] For a local database backup, check that the backup tool can copy the tracker's SQLite database file and Docker data folder while the tracker is stopped.

What is the best way to back up a sqlite tracker database in Docker?

Stop the tracker so the database is not being written, copy the SQLite database file and the whole Docker data folder to a safe place, start the tracker again, and test a restore by putting a copy back and checking the tracker reads it. Keep several dated copies so one that is corrupt has an older one to fall back on.

Is it safe to copy the tracker database while it is running?

Stop the tracker before copying the database so it is not being changed during the copy. Watcharr re-reads a list about every 15 minutes when signed in. ^[1]

How often should a Docker tracker database be backed up?

There is no single set rule for every tracker. A regular weekly backup on a set day is a common starting point, and more frequent backups suit a tracker whose database changes often. The key parts are keeping a few dated copies, storing them on a separate disk or machine, and testing a restore so a backup is known to work.

Where should the backup copy of a tracker database be kept?

Keep the backup on a separate disk or another machine so a failure of the disk that holds the database does not take the backup as well. A network drive, a NAS, or a second disk are all reasonable places. Check the location has room and that older copies are replaced by newer ones so it does not fill up.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)