How to Configure Remote Backups in Plesk Using Dropbox Storage

Plesk can send subscription backups straight to your own Dropbox account, giving you an off-site copy that survives problems on the server itself. This guide shows you how to connect Plesk to Dropbox, run and schedule backups to it, and restore from a Dropbox backup when you need to. It is written for Noiz Plesk hosting, where your subscription lives on a shared, managed Plesk server.

The key thing to understand before you start: Dropbox support is not part of core Plesk. It is added by the Dropbox Backup extension, which the server administrator installs once for the whole server. On Noiz managed Plesk the extension is provided for you, so you connect your own Dropbox account and Plesk stores backups inside a dedicated app folder that Plesk creates in your Dropbox.

Last reviewed: 27 July 2026, against Plesk Obsidian 18.0 and the Dropbox Backup extension 4.4.2 (latest stable). This guide is written for Noiz hosting and is kept current against Plesk. It complements, and does not replace, the official Plesk documentation linked below.

Official Documentation Reference

• Plesk Dropbox Backup extension (features, requirements and version)
• Plesk Obsidian Customer Guide (backing up and restoring your subscription)

Prerequisites

• Access to your subscription in Plesk on your Noiz hosting account.
• A Dropbox account with enough free space for the backups you intend to keep. Backups can be large, so check your Dropbox quota first.
• The Dropbox Backup extension available on the server. On Noiz managed Plesk this is already in place. If the Dropbox option is missing from Remote Storage Settings, contact Noiz support rather than trying to install extensions yourself, as extension installation is a server-administrator task.

Accessing remote storage settings

1. Log in to Plesk.
2. Open Websites & Domains and select Backup & Restore (sometimes shown as the Backup Manager) for your subscription.
3. In the Backup Manager, click Remote Storage Settings.
4. In the list of storage types, select Dropbox.

Connecting Plesk to your Dropbox account

Plesk uses Dropbox's own sign-in and permission screen (OAuth) to connect. You never enter your Dropbox password into Plesk; you authorise Plesk from within Dropbox instead, and Dropbox hands back a token that Plesk stores securely.

1. On the Dropbox tab in Remote Storage Settings, click the option to connect or authorise (labelled Configure or Sign in to Dropbox depending on your Plesk build).
2. A Dropbox window opens. Sign in with your Dropbox account if you are not already signed in.
3. Review the access Dropbox is about to grant and click Allow. Plesk requests access only to its own app folder, not to the whole of your Dropbox.
4. You are returned to Plesk, which confirms the connection. Backups are stored in the app folder that Plesk creates inside your Dropbox (typically under Apps).

Backing up a subscription to Dropbox

Once the connection is in place, Dropbox appears as a destination whenever you create a backup.

1. In the Backup Manager, click Back Up.
2. Under Store in (or Backup location), select Dropbox storage.
3. Choose what to include (for example, configuration and content, or configuration only), and whether the backup is Full or Incremental.
4. Click OK to start the backup. Larger sites take longer, and the transfer to Dropbox is limited by your server and Dropbox upload speed.

Scheduling backups to Dropbox

To back up on a recurring basis, use Schedule in the Backup Manager, set the frequency and retention (how many backups to keep), and choose Dropbox storage as the destination.

Note that scheduled backups to remote cloud storage such as Dropbox depend on the Backup to Cloud Pro capability of the extension. On-demand backups to Dropbox work without it. If Dropbox storage does not appear as a destination when scheduling, that capability is not enabled for your plan; contact Noiz support to discuss options. Setting a sensible retention limit also matters, so old backups are rotated out and do not fill your Dropbox quota over time.

Restoring from a Dropbox backup

1. Open the Backup Manager for the subscription.
2. Make sure the Dropbox storage is shown, so its backups are listed.
3. Select the backup you want, click Restore, and choose whether to restore everything or only specific objects (for example, a single mailbox or database).
4. Confirm to begin. Restoring overwrites current data with the contents of the backup, so restore to the right subscription and be sure you have chosen the correct backup point.

Troubleshooting

• Dropbox is missing from Remote Storage Settings: the Dropbox Backup extension is not enabled on the server. Contact Noiz support.
• Authorisation fails or the connection is lost: revoking Plesk's access in your Dropbox account settings, or changing your Dropbox password, can break the stored token. Reconnect by repeating the authorisation step above.
• Backup fails partway through: this is almost always a full Dropbox account. Free up space or reduce how many backups you retain, then run the backup again.
• Dropbox does not appear when scheduling: scheduled cloud backups require the Backup to Cloud Pro capability. On-demand backups still work; contact Noiz support about scheduled cloud backups.

Related articles

• How to Configure Local Backups in Plesk for a Subscription
• How to Configure Remote Backups in Plesk Using FTP(S) Storage
• How to Configure Remote Backups in Plesk Using SFTP Storage

If you would like Noiz to review your backup strategy or help set up off-site backups for your subscription, contact Noiz support and the team will assist.