updraftplus/list-backups returns the sets on this server, newest first, with what each one holds and how large it is.
The identifier it returns is what every other ability in this group takes — reading one set, deleting one, restoring from one.
At a glance
| Ability | updraftplus/list-backups |
| Toolset | UpdraftPlus — toolset/updraftplus |
| Group | UpdraftPlus › Backup sets |
| Requires | UpdraftPlus, active on the site |
| Capability | manage_options |
| Safety | Read-only — changes nothing |
| Repeatable | Idempotent — running it twice leaves the same result |
| Ships in | AcrossAI Abilities Manager 0.0.34 and later |
How it works
This reads the local store. A set that was uploaded to remote storage and then pruned off this server will not appear here, which means an empty list does not prove there are no backups anywhere. updraftplus/get-status reports which destinations are configured.
Each entry says what it contains — database, plugins, themes, uploads, others. A set with only the database is a perfectly reasonable thing to have and a very unreasonable thing to restore from when the problem is a deleted upload.
Page through with limit and offset on sites that keep a long retention.
Input
| Name | Type | Required | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
limit | integer | No — defaults to 20, max 100 | How many sets to return. |
offset | integer | No — defaults to 0 | Where to start, for paging. |
What comes back
| Name | Type | What it is |
|---|---|---|
backups | array | One entry per set: id, when it was taken, age, components, size and label. |
count | integer | How many sets were returned. |
total | integer | How many sets exist on this server. |
success | boolean | Whether the call completed. |
message | string | A one-line summary of what happened, suitable for showing a human. |
error_code | string | Present only on failure — a stable machine-readable reason, such as a missing field, a wrong field type or an unmet confirmation. |
Example
Ask your assistant:
What backups do we have, and how old is the newest one?
It resolves to one call:
{
"ability": "updraftplus/list-backups",
"parameters": {
"limit": 10
}
}Worth knowing
- Local only. An empty list is not proof that no backup exists — check the remote destinations in
updraftplus/get-status. - Check the components before planning a restore. Not every set holds everything.
- The id is opaque and belongs to the plugin. Pass it through unchanged.
Related abilities
- Get Backup — one set in full
- Get Backup Status — schedules, retention and remote storage
- Restore Backup — the operation these ids feed
Get the plugins:
AcrossAI Abilities Manager · AcrossAI MCP Manager
Browse the rest: Every ability, by category