---
title: "Deploy Postgres Backup to your Google Drive"
description: "Backup a Postgres DB to your Personal Google Drive"
category: "Automation"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/16Nb5i
---

# Deploy Postgres Backup to your Google Drive

Backup a Postgres DB to your Personal Google Drive

**[Deploy Postgres Backup to your Google Drive on Railway](https://railway.com/template/16Nb5i)**

- **Creator:** Twokei Software
- **Category:** Automation
- **Total deploys:** 35

## Template content

### backup-postgres-gdrive

- **Source:** https://github.com/doiska/postgres-gdrive-backup

## Documentation

### Supported Modes
- **Single shot**: run once when the app starts or when the `Run Now` button is clicked.
  - Set the `CRON_EXPRESSION` to `-1` and the `RUN_ON_START` to `true`. 

- **Scheduled**: run on a schedule.
  - Set the `CRON_EXPRESSION` to a valid cron expression.

## How to setup

### Google Cloud Platform Setup
- Log-in to the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
- Enable [Google Drive API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/api/drive.googleapis.com/overview).
- Then [create a new service account](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector2/iam-admin/serviceaccounts/create)
- Click in the **three dots** on the right of the service account you just created and click on **Manage keys**.
- Create a new **json** key and download the file.
- Now go to **your** Google Drive and create a new folder where the backups will be stored.
    - Save the **Folder ID**, it's the string after ``https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/{ID HERE}``.
- Share the folder with the **service account email** (**client_email**), you can find it on the JSON file you downloaded on the previous step.
    - The email looks like: `projectname@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com`
    - Make sure to include Editor permissions.

### Environment Setup
You can use `.env.default` as a template for your environment variables.

---

`SERVICE_ACCOUNT`: The downloaded JSON string of the service account.

```json
{"type":"service_account","project_id":"projectname","private_key_id":"123"}
```

`FOLDER_ID`: The ID of the folder where the backups will be stored.
  - You can find the ID on the URL of the folder, it's the string after `https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/`.
  - Example: `https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9i0j1k2l3m4n5o6p7`
  - Your ID: `1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9i0j1k2l3m4n5o6p7`

`DATABASE_URL`: The connection string of your Postgres database.

`CRON_EXPRESSION`: A schedule for the backups.
  - Example: `0 0 * * *` (every day at midnight)
  - You can use [crontab.guru](https://crontab.guru/) to help you create the expression.
  - If set to `-1` the backup will run without a schedule, only once when the app starts.

`FILE_PREFIX`: A prefix for the backup files.
  - Example: `my-database-backup-`
  - Result: `my-database-backup-2024-02-01.sql.tar.gz`

`RUN_ON_START`: If set to `true`, the backup will run once when the app starts.


## Similar templates

- [N8N Main + Worker](https://railway.com/deploy/n8n-main-worker) — Deploy and Host N8N with Inactive worker.
- [Evolution API with n8n](https://railway.com/deploy/evolution-api-with-n8n) — [Jul'26] WhatsApp automation platform using Evolution API, n8n & PostgreSQL
- [Postgres Backup](https://railway.com/deploy/postgres-s3-backups) — Cron-based PostgreSQL backup to bucket storage

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