LibreOffice Base is a solid and often overlooked tool for creating and managing databases. It works great for simple contact lists as well as more complex registration systems or catalogs. Since working with data requires special care, it is worth ensuring its safety. In this guide, we will show you how to configure automatic data protection in LibreOffice Base to avoid unpleasant surprises.

In this tutorial, we explain what you can do to secure your databases and prevent the loss of your work.

Does LibreOffice Base have AutoSave?

LibreOffice Base does not have a traditional AutoSave feature like Calc or Writer. This is because databases consist of many interconnected elements (tables, forms, queries, relationships), and changes are saved manually or when the program is closed.

However, you can enable AutoRecovery and backup copy features for the database file, which significantly increases data security.

How to configure automatic data protection in LibreOffice Base?

Open LibreOffice Base.

Go to:

Tools → Options

(On macOS: LibreOffice → Preferences)

In the left panel, select:

Load/Save → General

Check both options:

Save AutoRecovery information every X minutes (e.g., every 5 minutes)

Always create backup copy

Click OK to save the settings.

Where are database backups stored?

By default, LibreOffice creates backup copies in the following folder:

Windows:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\LibreOffice\4\user\backup

Linux:

~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/backup

To change this location:

Options → LibreOffice → Paths → Backups

Additional tips:

A backup copy is created only when you manually save the file (Ctrl + S) or close the document.

Regularly save your database manually, especially after major changes to the data structure.

It is a good idea to export the database as a separate .odb backup file from time to time and store it in another location, such as an external drive or cloud storage.

Although LibreOffice Base does not offer a traditional AutoSave feature, you can effectively protect your data using AutoRecovery and backup copies. Enabling these options is a quick way to avoid data loss and work with greater peace of mind.