---
title: "How to migrate Chatwoot database?"
description: "Learn how to migrate your Chatwoot database from bundled PostgreSQL to managed database services like AWS RDS"
---

## Chatwoot database migration

Follow along If you started out with a bundled install of postgres, redis and chatwoot in a single instance
and now wants to migrate to managed database service.

In this guide, we assume you want to migrate to AWS RDS. This guide should be equally applicable to any other
managed database service or even migrating data between different Chatwoot installations.

### Step 1: Stop Chatwoot service

Stop Chatwoot service to stop database activity.

```bash
sudo systemctl stop chatwoot.target
```

### Step 2: Back up the database

Back up the database using `pg_dump` tool.

```bash
pg_dump -Fc --no-acl --no-owner  -U postgres chatwoot_production > /tmp/cw.dump
```

### Step 3: Create RDS instance

Create an RDS Postgres instance in your AWS account. Refer to the [AWS documentation](https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/create-connect-postgresql-db/).

### Step 4: Verify connectivity

Verify connectivity to the new RDS instance from your Chatwoot installation.

```bash
psql -h <hostname> -u <username> -d postgres
```

### Step 5: Restore the database

Restore the database from the backup file.

```bash
pg_restore --verbose --clean --no-acl --no-owner --create -U postgres -d postgres /tmp/cw.dump
```

### Step 6: Update environment variables

Modify the Postgres related environment variables to use the new RDS credentials.

```bash
sudo -i -u chatwoot
cd chatwoot
vi .env
```

### Step 7: Start Chatwoot service

Start the Chatwoot service.

```bash
sudo systemctl start chatwoot.target
```

<Note>
  If you are getting the Chatwoot onboarding screen again on visiting your self-hosted Chatwoot URL, 
  login to the rails console and run the following:

  ```bash
  sudo cwctl --console
  ::Redis::Alfred.delete(::Redis::Alfred::CHATWOOT_INSTALLATION_ONBOARDING)
  ```
</Note>