User Guide

Adding a Client

Create a new backup client in Borg Backup Server and get the API key needed to connect the agent on your server.

Creating a New Client

To add a new backup client to Borg Backup Server:

1

Open the Client List

Navigate to the Clients page from the main navigation bar.

2

Click Add Client

Click the Add Client button at the top of the client list. A dialog will appear.

Add Client button and dialog in Borg Backup Server
Screenshot coming soon
3

Enter Client Details

Fill in the following:

  • Name — A descriptive name for this client (e.g., "Web Server 01", "Database Server - Production")
  • Owner — (Admins only) Which user account owns this client

Click Create Client to finish.

4

Copy the API Key

After creation, BBS displays the API key for this client. Copy it immediately — this key is shown only once and is needed to configure the agent on the client machine.

Important: The API key is displayed only once. If you lose it, you'll need to regenerate it from the client settings.

What Happens Behind the Scenes

When you create a client, BBS automatically generates:

  • A unique API key for agent authentication
  • An SSH key pair (Ed25519) for secure repository access
  • A dedicated Unix user account (bbs-{agent-id}) on the server for isolated repository storage

Next Steps

After creating the client, you'll typically:

  1. Install the BBS agent on the target machine using the API key
  2. Create a repository for storing backups
  3. Create a backup plan to schedule automatic backups
Tip: Use clear, descriptive client names that identify the server's role and environment — for example, "web-prod-01" or "db-staging-02".