SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) lets you store your Plesk backups on your own remote server over an encrypted connection. Unlike plain FTP, SFTP encrypts both the login and the file transfer, so your credentials and backup data never travel in clear text. This guide shows you how to configure SFTP storage for a subscription, send backups to it, and restore from it. It is written for Noiz Plesk hosting, where your subscription lives on a shared, managed Plesk server.
The key thing to know before you start: SFTP storage is not part of core Plesk. It is added by the SFTP Backup extension, which the server administrator installs once for the whole server. On Noiz managed Plesk the extension is provided for you, so you only need to supply the details of your own remote SFTP server and Plesk writes backups to it.
Last reviewed: 27 July 2026, against Plesk Obsidian 18.0 and the SFTP Backup extension 2.2.2 (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 SFTP Backup extension (features, requirements and version)
- Plesk Obsidian Customer Guide (backing up and restoring your subscription)
Prerequisites
- Access to your subscription in Plesk (the Websites & Domains area) on your Noiz hosting account.
- Your own remote server running an SSH/SFTP service that is reachable from the internet.
- The remote server's hostname or IP address, an SFTP username and password with write access, and the directory path where backups should be written.
- The SFTP Backup extension available on the server. On Noiz managed Plesk this is already in place. If SFTP is missing from Remote Storage Settings, contact Noiz support rather than trying to install extensions yourself, as extension installation is a server-administrator task.
If you only need backups kept on the hosting server itself, see How to Configure Local Backups in Plesk for a Subscription instead.
Accessing SFTP storage settings
- Log in to Plesk.
- Go to Websites & Domains and open Backup & Restore (sometimes shown as the Backup Manager) for your subscription.
- In the Backup Manager, click Remote Storage Settings.
- In the list of storage types, select SFTP (labelled SFTP Backup on some builds).
Configuring SFTP storage
Complete the fields as follows:
- SFTP server hostname or IP address (required): the address of your remote SFTP server, for example
backup.yourdomain.comor203.0.113.10(replace these with your own). - Directory for backup files storage: the path on the remote server where backups are written, for example
/backups/plesk/. The SFTP account must have write permission to this directory, and the path must already exist. If you leave it blank, backups are placed in the SFTP user's home directory. - SFTP username (required): the login for the SFTP account on your remote server.
- SFTP password: the password for that SFTP account. Whether SSH key authentication is offered as an alternative depends on your Plesk build and the extension version, but password authentication is always available. Either way, SFTP encrypts the whole session, so the credentials are never sent in clear text.
Fields marked as required cannot be left empty. After entering your details, click OK. Plesk tests the connection immediately and reports an error if the host is unreachable or the credentials are rejected, so you will know straight away whether the settings are correct.
Creating and scheduling backups to SFTP storage
- In the Backup Manager, click Back Up to run a backup now, or Schedule to set up recurring backups.
- In the Store in section, select SFTP storage instead of server storage.
- Choose what to include (configuration and content, or configuration only) and whether the backup is Full or Incremental. For scheduled backups, set the frequency, the time of day, and how many backups to keep before older ones are pruned.
- Click OK to run the backup or save the schedule.
Note that scheduled backups to remote storage such as SFTP depend on the extension's paid capability. On-demand backups to SFTP work without it. If SFTP storage does not appear as a destination when scheduling, that capability is not enabled for your plan; contact Noiz support to discuss options.
Restoring from SFTP backups
- Open the Backup Manager for the subscription.
- Set the storage selector to SFTP storage so that the remote backups are listed.
- Select the backup you want to restore and click Restore.
- Choose whether to restore everything or only specific objects (for example, a single mailbox or database), then confirm.
Plesk needs to reach the remote server during a restore, so the SFTP storage settings must still be valid and the server reachable at that moment. 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
- The connection test fails when you click OK: double-check the hostname or IP address, username, and password, and confirm the remote SSH/SFTP service is running and reachable. If the remote server or an intervening firewall blocks unknown addresses, allow the Noiz Plesk server's IP so it can connect.
- The backup runs but nothing appears on the remote server: the SFTP account most likely lacks write permission to the target directory, or the directory path does not exist. Create the path first and confirm the account can write to it.
- SFTP storage is missing from Remote Storage Settings: the SFTP Backup extension is not enabled on the server. Contact Noiz support.
- SFTP does not appear when scheduling: scheduled remote backups require the extension's paid capability. On-demand backups still work; contact Noiz support about scheduled remote backups.
- Backups are slow to complete: transferring full backups over SFTP can be slow across long distances. Schedule them for off-peak hours and keep storage in check by lowering the number of backups to retain.
Noiz hosting plans include Plesk backup support. If you would like help configuring or verifying remote SFTP backups for your subscription, contact the Noiz support team and they will assist.
