How do I set up automatic backups for my SaaS?

Every Chatref AI agent can be given custom actions – webhooks that reach out to your own services. For backup setup, you create a custom action that hits your SaaS’s backup endpoint. The agent then fires that action whenever a conversation intent matches (e.g., “run backup”) or when an external scheduler sends a periodic prompt. This means your automated backups are handled in the same place your team already manages support, without building a separate dashboard.

1. In the Chatref app, open your agent and go to Custom Actions.
2. Click Add Action, name it (e.g., “Trigger Backup”), and set the method to POST.
3. Enter your backup API URL and any required authentication headers.
4. In the payload, include the parameters your backup process needs – database name, bucket, retention days, etc.
5. Test the action directly from the editor; you’ll see the response immediately.
6. Save and publish. Your agent can now trigger your real backup routine with a single chat message.

Chatref agents respond to incoming messages in real time. To run backups on a schedule, pair your agent with a simple external cron job that sends a message like “run backup – daily” to the agent’s chat endpoint. The agent detects the intent, matches it to your custom action, and executes it. No complex orchestration needed – the AI agent handles the dispatch, logs the conversation, and surfaces the result. This is how you turn a one-off backup execution into a fully automated backup routine.

After a backup runs, your custom action’s response (success/failure, timestamp, size) appears in the chat thread. Your team can ask the agent “status of last backup” at any time and get a clear summary. For proactive monitoring, write a second custom action that posts to your team’s Slack or email channel on failure. The AI agent will call it automatically when the backup response includes an error code, so you’ll know immediately if something went wrong.

What are the steps to set up automatic backups?

Set up automatic backups in Chatref by creating a custom action that calls your backup API, then configuring an external scheduler (like a cron job) to send a “run backup” message to your agent’s endpoint. The AI agent picks up the message, fires the action, and logs the result. No additional infra required.

Can I schedule backups at specific times?

Yes. Since Chatref agents process messages instantly, you can schedule backups for any time by controlling when your external cron job sends the trigger message. For example, set a daily cron to send “run backup” at 2 AM UTC – your agent will execute it exactly then.

How do I ensure my automatic backups are reliable?

Test your custom action thoroughly using the built-in tester. Use idempotent backup endpoints so repeated runs don’t cause issues. Set up a second custom action to alert your team on failure. Regularly review the backup conversation history in your Chatref inbox to confirm every schedule runs cleanly.