---
title: Retrieve a backup
url: https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/managed-hosting-platform/api/reference/operations/showbackup/
image: https://developers.wpengine.com/og/docs/managed-hosting-platform/api/reference/operations/showbackup.png
---

# Retrieve a backup

GET

/installs/{install_id}/backups/{backup_id}

Select code sample

```sh
curl --request GET \
  --url https://api.wpengineapi.com/v1/installs/294deacc-d8b8-4005-82c4-0727ba8ddde0/backups/e41fa98f-ea80-4654-b229-a9b765d0863a \
  --header 'Authorization: Basic <credentials>'
```

-

Returns a backup of the install, including its current `status`. Possible statuses are `requested`, `in_progress`, `completed` and `aborted`.

## Limitations & Warnings

- `initiated` is deprecated in favour of `in_progress`.

## Authorizations

- **[basicAuth](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/managed-hosting-platform/api/reference/#basicauth)**

## Parameters

### Path Parameters

**install_id**

required

string format: uuid

ID of install

#### Example

```
294deacc-d8b8-4005-82c4-0727ba8ddde0
```

**backup_id**

required

string format: uuid

ID of backup

#### Example

```
e41fa98f-ea80-4654-b229-a9b765d0863a
```

## Responses

### 200

Returns a `Backup` object.

Media typeapplication/json

object

**id**

required

The unique identifier of the backup

string format: uuid

**status**

required

State of the backup.

string

Allowed values: requested in_progress completed aborted

**description**

Human-readable description provided when the backup was requested

string

nullable

**create_time**

Timestamp when the backup was created

string format: date-time

nullable

**complete_time**

Timestamp when the backup completed. `null` while the backup is still in progress.

string format: date-time

nullable

**wordpress_version**

WordPress version of the install at the time the backup was taken

string

nullable

#### Example

```json
{
  "id": "e41fa98f-ea80-4654-b229-a9b765d0863a",
  "status": "requested",
  "description": "Pre-deploy snapshot",
  "create_time": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z",
  "complete_time": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "wordpress_version": "6.4.2"
}
```

### 400

Bad Request

Media typeapplication/json

object

**message**

required

A message regarding the error that occurred on the server

string

**documentation_url**

(Optional) A URL where documentation regarding this specific error can be found

string

**errors**

An array of error objects describing specific errors that arose when servicing the request

Array\<object>

object

**resource**

required

The name of the resource that was being processed when the error occurred

string

**field**

required

(Optional) The specific field associated with the error

string

**type**

required

(Optional) A type associated with the error. `invalid_value`, `access_error`, `value_unavailable`

string

**code**

required

(Optional) A machine code relating to the error that occurred with the field and resource

string

**message**

required

(Optional) A human-readable message relating to the error that occurred with the field and resource

string

#### Example

```json
{
  "message": "Invalid request.",
  "errors": [
    {
      "resource": "Resource",
      "field": "field_name",
      "type": "invalid_value",
      "code": "invalid",
      "message": "The value is invalid."
    }
  ]
}
```

### 401

Authentication Error

Media typeapplication/json

object

**message**

required

A message regarding the error that occurred on the server

string

**documentation_url**

(Optional) A URL where documentation regarding this specific error can be found

string

#### Example

```json
{
  "message": "Bad Credentials"
}
```

### 403

Not authorized

Media typeapplication/json

object

**message**

required

A message regarding the error that occurred on the server

string

**documentation_url**

(Optional) A URL where documentation regarding this specific error can be found

string

#### Example

```json
{
  "message": "You don't have permission to perform that action"
}
```

### 404

Not found

Media typeapplication/json

object

**message**

required

A message regarding the error that occurred on the server

string

**documentation_url**

(Optional) A URL where documentation regarding this specific error can be found

string

#### Example

```json
{
  "message": "Not Found"
}
```

### 429

Too many requests

### 500

Internal Server Error

Media typeapplication/json

object

**message**

required

A message regarding the error that occurred on the server

string

#### Example

```json
{
  "message": "An unexpected error occurred, please try again in a few minutes"
}
```

### 503

Service unavailable

## Was this helpful?

Thanks for the feedback!

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://developers.wpengine.com/#website","name":"WP Engine Product Documentation","url":"https://developers.wpengine.com/","description":"Resources for developing, deploying, and scaling on WP Engine.","inLanguage":"en-US","keywords":["API documentation","product documentation","headless WordPress","managed WordPress hosting"],"publisher":{"@id":"https://wpengine.com/#organization"}}]}
```