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The first pages of the Backup and Restore Plan template

Backup and Restore Plan

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
7 · US Letter
Style
Minimal
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
November 5, 2026

Every page (7)

Overview

A backup that nobody has restored is a guess, and a recovery plan that ignores the people needed during downtime fails when it matters most. This template sets out the plan in seven pages: systems and tiers, the backup schedule, storage locations, restore steps and tests, followed by a guide page. Recovery time and recovery point objectives sit beside each system as numbers, so the recovery order is agreed before an incident rather than during one.

The sample shows Lindenhurst Software, a fictional software company whose tier-1 orders database has a 2-hour recovery time and a 15-minute recovery point. Its last restore test took 95 minutes and passed. Replace the systems, owners, schedules and contacts with your own, and record your real test results on the tests page. The organisation, people and figures are fictional sample data.

Useful for

  • A cloud engineer setting RTO and RPO for a small platform team
  • An IT manager preparing evidence for an annual customer audit
  • An operations lead agreeing downtime procedures with the business

What's included

  • Systems: the architecture layers and the request flow with data stores
  • Schedule: backup cadence by tier, with a timeline of milestones
  • Storage: copies, locations and retention in a ruled table
  • Restore steps: the order of recovery and the escalation path
  • Tests: action checklist, requirements table and restore results
  • Make it yours: numbered steps for replacing the sample content

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Replace the systems on page 1 with your own, and assign each one to a tier with the owner who confirmed its RTO and RPO.

  3. 3

    Set the backup table and timeline to your real schedule, locations and retention, with the date of your last verified restore.

  4. 4

    Write restore steps for your top three systems, then test each one in a sandbox and record the time taken.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the copy with auditors or present it to the operations and executive team.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

Is this a free Google Docs template?

Yes. Make a copy in Google Docs and it is saved to your own Google Drive, where you can change every page, delete the sample rows and add your own systems.

Are Lindenhurst Software and its figures real?

No. Lindenhurst Software, its people, the email addresses and every recovery time, backup count and test result are fictional sample data, written to show a finished plan.

How do I set RTO and RPO for my own systems?

Start with what the business can tolerate. Agree each target with the system owner, confirm the architecture can meet it, and test the restore against that target before you sign the plan.

  • #disaster-recovery-plan
  • #backup-and-restore
  • #rto-rpo
  • #business-continuity
  • #restore-test
  • #backup-schedule
  • #google-docs-template

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