diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index fbaf0ce..7b2680d 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -24,54 +24,106 @@ jobs:
             set -e
             cd /opt/wordly
 
-            echo "=== Git pull ==="
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 1. GIT PULL
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [1/8] Git pull ==="
             git config --global --add safe.directory /opt/wordly
             git fetch origin production-deployment
             git reset --hard origin/production-deployment
 
-            echo "=== Building images ==="
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 2. DATABASE BACKUP (before anything else)
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [2/8] Database backup ==="
+            BACKUP_DIR="/opt/backups/postgres"
+            BACKUP_FILE="${BACKUP_DIR}/translate_db_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).sql.gz"
+            mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
+
+            docker compose exec -T postgres pg_dumpall -U translate | gzip > "$BACKUP_FILE"
+            BACKUP_SIZE=$(du -h "$BACKUP_FILE" | cut -f1)
+            echo "  ✅ Backup saved: ${BACKUP_FILE} (${BACKUP_SIZE})"
+
+            # Keep only last 10 backups
+            ls -t "${BACKUP_DIR}"/translate_db_*.sql.gz | tail -n +11 | xargs -r rm --
+            echo "  📦 Retained last 10 backups"
+
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 3. BUILD IMAGES
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [3/8] Building images ==="
             docker compose build backend frontend
 
-            echo "=== Starting services ==="
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 4. START SERVICES
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [4/8] Starting services ==="
             docker compose up -d --remove-orphans
 
-            echo "=== Waiting for postgres ==="
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 5. WAIT FOR POSTGRES
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [5/8] Waiting for postgres ==="
             for i in $(seq 1 30); do
               if docker compose exec -T postgres pg_isready -U translate >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-                echo "Postgres ready after $((i * 2))s"
+                echo "  ✅ Postgres ready after $((i * 2))s"
                 break
               fi
               if [ "$i" -eq 30 ]; then
-                echo "ERROR: Postgres not ready after 60s"
+                echo "  ❌ Postgres not ready after 60s"
                 docker compose logs postgres --tail=30
                 exit 1
               fi
               sleep 2
             done
 
-            echo "=== Running database migrations (one-shot container) ==="
-            docker compose run --rm backend alembic upgrade head
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 6. RUN MIGRATIONS (one-shot container)
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [6/8] Running database migrations ==="
+            if ! docker compose run --rm backend alembic upgrade head; then
+              echo "  ❌ Migration FAILED!"
+              echo "  ⚠️  Restoring database from backup..."
+              gunzip -c "$BACKUP_FILE" | docker compose exec -T postgres psql -U translate -d translate_db >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+              echo "  🔄 Database restored. Restarting services..."
+              docker compose restart backend
+              echo "  ❌ Deploy aborted. Database restored from backup."
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            echo "  ✅ Migrations applied"
 
-            echo "=== Restarting backend to pick up migration ==="
+            # Restart backend to pick up new schema
             docker compose restart backend
 
-            echo "=== Waiting for backend healthy ==="
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 7. HEALTH CHECK
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [7/8] Waiting for backend healthy ==="
             for i in $(seq 1 20); do
               if curl -sf http://localhost:8001/health >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-                echo "Backend healthy after $((i * 5))s"
+                echo "  ✅ Backend healthy after $((i * 5))s"
                 break
               fi
               if [ "$i" -eq 20 ]; then
-                echo "ERROR: Backend not healthy after 100s"
+                echo "  ❌ Backend not healthy after 100s"
+                echo "  ⚠️  Rolling back database..."
+                gunzip -c "$BACKUP_FILE" | docker compose exec -T postgres psql -U translate -d translate_db >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+                docker compose restart backend
+                echo "  ❌ Deploy failed. Database restored."
                 docker compose logs backend --tail=50
                 exit 1
               fi
               sleep 5
             done
 
-            echo "=== Deploy summary ==="
-            docker compose ps
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            # 8. SUMMARY
+            # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+            echo "=== [8/8] Deploy summary ==="
+            docker compose ps --format "table {{.Name}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}"
+            echo ""
             echo "Health: $(curl -sf http://localhost:8001/health 2>/dev/null || echo 'FAILED')"
+            echo "Backup: ${BACKUP_FILE} (${BACKUP_SIZE})"
           ENDSSH
 
       - name: Wait for frontend