FAQ & Troubleshooting

General

What databases does ColdPlane support?

ColdPlane supports PostgreSQL and MySQL. Both postgres:// and pg:// connection schemes are supported for PostgreSQL.

Is my data encrypted?

Yes. All backups are encrypted at rest using AES-256 with a unique encryption key per backup, managed by AWS so that only your account can decrypt the data.

Can I query archived data without restoring it?

Yes — this is a core feature. ColdPlane runs SQL queries directly against your archived data, so there is no need to rehydrate data into a live database.

What happens if I delete a backup?

Your archived data is kept indefinitely — it never expires. When you explicitly delete a backup, it enters a recovery window (14 days on Free, 30 days on paid plans) during which you can undo the deletion from the dashboard or CLI. After the recovery window the data is permanently removed.

How do I know what data to archive?

Run coldplane analyze to see how much data in your database is older than a given threshold. It connects read-only, never reads actual row data, and prints a summary with estimated archive sizes. It also suggests a copy-paste-ready backup create command.

coldplane analyze \
  --db-url "postgres://user:pass@host:5432/mydb" \
  --tables "orders,events"

Old data is not necessarily stale — you know your data best. The analyze command gives you the numbers to make that decision.

Can I use ColdPlane without signing up?

Yes. The CLI supports a --local flag that stores backups on your machine and lets you query them without an account, API key, or network connection.

coldplane backup create --local \
  --db-url "postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb" \
  --tables "events"

coldplane query run --local \
  --backup-id events_20250401_120000 \
  --sql "SELECT count(*) FROM restore_input"

Local backups are saved to ~/.coldplane/backups/. When you are ready for encrypted cloud storage, team access, and retention management, sign up and drop the --local flag.

Where are local backups stored?

Local backups are saved to ~/.coldplane/backups/<backup-name>/ as Parquet files with an index.json manifest. You can list them with coldplane backup list --local.

How do I delete a local backup?

coldplane backup delete --local my_backup_name

This removes the backup directory and all its Parquet files.

Can I export query results in local mode?

No. The --export flag is a cloud feature. In local mode, you can use the --output csv or --output json flags to format results directly in your terminal, or pipe the output to a file:

coldplane query run --local \
  --backup-id my_backup \
  --sql "SELECT * FROM restore_input" \
  --output csv > results.csv

CLI

How do I install the CLI?

The fastest way is the one-line installer:

curl -fsSL https://get.coldplane.com | sh

Or download a binary directly from the releases page.

The CLI says "command not found" after install

Your shell may cache command lookups. Run hash -r or open a new terminal window, then try again.

How do I update the CLI?

Re-run the installer — it always fetches the latest version:

curl -fsSL https://get.coldplane.com | sh

How do I check my current version?

coldplane version

Backups

My backup is stuck in "running" status

A backup can appear stuck if the CLI lost connectivity mid-upload. Wait for the lock to expire (locks auto-release after 15 minutes), then retry:

coldplane backup create --db-url "..." --tables "..."

If the lock persists, contact support.

Can I back up a production database safely?

Yes. ColdPlane uses read-only connections and does not acquire locks on your database. For extra safety, point the CLI at a read replica instead of the primary.

Archiving very large tables may increase read load on your database. Use a replica for tables over 10 GB.

What format is the archived data stored in?

Data is exported in an efficient columnar format optimized for compression and fast analytical queries.

Queries

What SQL syntax is supported?

ColdPlane supports standard SQL SELECT and WITH statements, including window functions, CTEs, and aggregations. Only read-only queries (SELECT/WITH) are allowed.

My query timed out

Query timeouts depend on your plan:

Plan	Timeout
Free	30 seconds
Pro	120 seconds
Business / Enterprise	300 seconds

Try narrowing your query with WHERE clauses or projecting fewer columns.

Can I export query results?

Yes. Use --export with the query run command:

coldplane query run \
  --backup-id bck_abc123 \
  --table events \
  --sql "SELECT id, type, created_at FROM events WHERE created_at > '2024-01-01'" \
  --export --format csv

Account

How do I close my account?

Go to Settings > Danger Zone in the dashboard and click Close Account. You will be asked to type DELETE to confirm. Once confirmed, your account enters a 30-day grace period before permanent deletion.

What happens during the 30-day grace period?

During the grace period:

Your API keys are disabled and all API calls (except viewing your profile and restoring your account) are blocked.
Your subscription is cancelled immediately — no further charges.
Your archived data and backups remain intact but inaccessible.

You can cancel the deletion at any time during this window by logging in and clicking Cancel Deletion on the Settings page.

What happens after the grace period?

After 30 days your account and all associated data — backups, query results, API keys, and personal information — are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

Can I restore my account after closing it?

Yes, as long as the 30-day grace period has not expired. Log in to the dashboard, and you will see a banner with a Cancel Deletion button on the Settings page. Your API keys will be re-enabled automatically. Note that your Stripe subscription is not automatically restored — you will need to re-subscribe from the Billing page.