Support

> The site is password restricted

> It also didn't work with frontend Backups. It just redirects me to the login.

OK, this is not exactly accurate but it's close enough.

Your site is currently in off-line mode.

When Joomla is in off-line mode it prevents access to any frontend URL. This includes the frontend URLs provided by Akeeba Backup for the legacy front-end backup URL or with the Akeeba Backup JSON API (you didn't specify but they both work on the same principle).

When you are not logged into the site Joomla BLOCKS the request and issues an HTTP 301 redirect to the login page. As a result, it never routes the request to Akeeba Backup. Our code never runs; it's blocked by Joomla.

The only way to automate your backups with a CRON job on a site set to Off-line through its Global Configuration is using the native Joomla CLI script. This does not go through the web server; it runs code directly on the command line. Joomla does not check for a logged in user under CLI; the CLI application does not have the concept of logged-in users nor does it care about whether your site is set to off-line or not. It always runs the command you tell it to run.

As per the attached file, it seems that it is.

If it's not Joomla's off-line mode you are using some (I assume third party) plugin which requires a login to visit the site OR you have set the Home menu item to an access level other than Public.

In the former case it's a problem with the plugin you are using. I can't help; ask its developer.

In the latter case, it's exactly the same problem as the off-line mode. If your default menu item is set to an access level other than Public then this access level MUST be met for all access to your site, including for component which implement their own API like Akeeba Backup. This is how Joomla works. Nothing we can do about it.

The only way to automate your backups with a CRON job on a site whose Home menu item has an access level other than Public is using the native Joomla CLI script. This does not go through the web server; it runs code directly on the command line. Joomla does not check for menu items or even for a logged in user under CLI; the CLI application does not have the concept of menu items or logged-in users. It always runs the command you tell it to run.