# Manual Local backups

Local backups are useful if you need to take a quick backup of a small dataset locally and want to download the backup to your computer, or just be able to restore it later quickly.

<p class="callout info">Local backups only contain the software's data volume, not the OS or software itself.</p>

### Instructions:

From the service dashboard, click on the *Backups* tab, then click on *Manual Local Backups.* From there you can make new manual backups, list existing backups, download, restore or delete previous local backups.

[![Screenshot 2022-09-29 153308.png](https://docs.elest.io/uploads/images/gallery/2022-09/screenshot-2022-09-29-153308.png)](https://docs.elest.io/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/image-1643050826729.png)

<p class="callout warning">You are responsible for deleting manual backups to regain disk space. Elest.io will not automatically delete them.</p>

<p class="callout danger">Manual backups use the available disk space of your service.</p>