---
title: "Using an Encryption Passphrase"
method: POST
path: "/v1/backup"
tags: ["Direct Backup"]
---

# Using an Encryption Passphrase

`POST /v1/backup`

Use the `POST` verb to start a direct download ad-hoc backup. You will want to supply a `passphrase` with your chosen encryption passphrase. It is possible to omit this, in which case the backup will still be encrypted, but it will decrypt given an empty passphrase.

Please see the section notes above about the long-running nature of this endpoint.

## Response `200`

OK

## Changes

- **2025-12-20** `022694254f0d` — 1 info
  - api operation id `Using an Encryption Passphrase` removed and replaced with `useEncryptionPassphrase`
- **2025-10-27** `b11b54eea487` — 2 info
  - added the media type `application/zip` for the response with the status `200`
  - removed the non-success response with the status `403`
- **2025-03-13** `e8c2858fd4eb` — 1 breaking, 2 info
  - removed the media type `application/zip` for the response with the status `200`
  - api operation id `useEncryptionPassphrase` removed and replaced with `Using an Encryption Passphrase`
  - added the non-success response with the status `403`

[Change history](https://skmtc.dev/getodk/apis/odk-central-api/changes/v1/backup/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/getodk/apis/odk-central-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/getodk/apis/odk-central-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/getodk/odk-central-api/revisions/d4f5ba77f644/schema)