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How to Backup a WordPress Site (4 Proven Methods)

Karan Jain Mar 1, 2024 Plugins , Website Maintenance

Backing up your WordPress site is essential for safeguarding your valuable data and ensuring the continuity of your online presence.

While WordPress offers immense customization, built-in backup tools are not included. For mostly static sites, less frequent backups may be sufficient. However, for active sites like forums, ecommerce stores, blogs, and large sites, consistent backups are a necessity.

Knowing what to back up is also key. A WordPress site comprises of two components:

  • Important files and folders which includes themes, plugins, and media.
  • The database containing your posts, users, comments and other site content.

There are numerous tools and services available that allow you to back up all your files and content through both automated and manual options.

Today, we’ll explore four reliable WordPress backup methods that will give you peace of mind with easy-to-restore options when disaster strikes. Before delving into these methods, let’s first understand why taking backups is important.

Why WordPress backups are important

WordPress backups are crucial for safeguarding your website’s data and ensuring its security and integrity. Here’s why they matter:

  1. Protection Against Data Loss: Accidental deletions, hacking attempts, or server failures can lead to loss of important data. Backups serve as a safety net, allowing you to restore your website to a previous state if such incidents occur.
  2. Security Measures: Backups provide a means to recover your website in case of security breaches or malware attacks. Having a recent backup ensures that you can restore your site to a clean state and mitigate potential damage.
  3. Website Recovery: In the event of a website crash or technical issues during updates or modifications, backups enable you to quickly recover your website and minimize downtime, ensuring uninterrupted user access.
  4. Peace of Mind: Knowing that your website data is securely backed up offers peace of mind, allowing you to focus on growing your website without worrying about data loss or security threats.

4 possible ways to take backups

There are various options available for taking backups of your WordPress site, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It’s crucial to weigh the time and cost implications before settling on a method. These options include:

  • Host-based Backups
  • WordPress Management Services
  • Free & Paid WordPress Plugins
  • Manual Backups

No single method encompasses all features; therefore, understanding the specifics of each is important. Let’s delve into each option in more detail.

1.  Backups through Hosting Services

Many web hosting providers that specialize in WordPress offer built-in backup features as part of their managed hosting plans. This can be a convenient option for regular WordPress site backups, as the process is handled automatically by your hosting provider.

How web host backups work

With managed WordPress hosting, your entire site is hosted on optimized servers designed for WordPress. This includes all your files like themes and plugins, as well as the database that stores all your site’s content and settings.

The web host will perform backup tasks on preset schedules, usually daily or weekly. These automated backups capture snapshots of your entire WordPress installation – both files and database. The host stores these backup copies on their servers.

Some key factors to consider:

  • Frequency – Hosts offer daily, weekly or monthly automated backups. Daily is ideal for large, active sites.
  • Retention period – Backup copies are stored for a set period before being deleted. A month or longer retention is recommended.
  • Backup types – Files, database or full site backups may be offered. Full site backups are most comprehensive.
  • Restoration – Hosts provide tools to restore or roll back to previous backup versions when needed. Look for easy one-click restores.
  • Security – Backups should be encrypted and stored in multiple locations for protection.
  • Customization – Some hosts allow adjusting backup frequency and retention periods.
  • Costs – Added fees for more frequent backups or longer retention may apply.

Let’s have a look at some of the advantages and potential downsides of web hosted backups

Pros

  1. Automated process requires no action from site owner.
  2. Supported by web host technical staff if backup issues arise.
  3. Integrated directly with hosting account for easy access.
  4. Multiple recovery points in case any data loss occurs.

Cons

  1. Limited customization and control compared to other methods.
  2. Dependent on host for security and reliability.
  3. If host has outage, backups may be unreachable.
  4. Changing web hosts means starting backups from scratch.

Examples of Hosting Services Allowing WordPress Backups:

Shared hosting plans are inexpensive and great for getting started with new websites. You can choose services like Siteground and Dreamhost which includes automated daily backups in their basic hosting plans.

If you do not have a budget contraint and require best of hosting services then you can go for managed hosting plans from WPEngine, Flywheel and Cloudways. Each provider has easy to use inferface to take manual or automatic backups of your site at scheduled intervals.

For further information on shared and managed WordPress hosting services, check out this article: Shared Vs Managed WordPress Hosting.

2. Backups through WordPress Management Services

There are some third-party service providers which allows you to manage multiple WordPress websites from a central dashboard system. Most of these services include a number of essential features like wordpress & plugin updates, monitoring website performance and page speed,  taking full website backups and implementing security measures which are beyond what most web hosts include.

How third-party backups work

You install a plugin or connect an account to link your WordPress site with the service. Backup processes and schedules are then configured through your account dashboard.

Backups can be performed daily, weekly or on-demand capturing your full site data.

Backups are encrypted and sent to remote cloud storage maintained by the service. Some also support backing up to personal storage like Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive etc.

Some key factors:

  • Scheduling – Schedule daily, weekly or real-time incremental backups. Configure times and frequency.
  • Retention – Store several weeks to months of backup versions. Some offer unlimited retention.
  • Storage – Cloud storage by service and/or your own S3, Dropbox etc.
  • Restoration – Restore entire site or individual files easily via account dashboard.
  • Security – Military grade encryption and off-site storage for backup protection.
  • Notifications – Receive emails on backup status. Alerts for missed backups.
  • Speed – Some services offer incremental backups which helps to save site resources.
  • Support – Technical assistance from the service support team.

Pros and cons of taking backups through third-party services:

Pros

  1. More customization of backup frequency, storage, etc.
  2. Robust security measures for backup protection.
  3. Reliable backups even if web host has outage.
  4. Can backup multiple WordPress sites under one account.
  5. User-friendly interface to schedule, restore, and manage backups efficiently.
  6. Expert support from dedicated backup service.

Cons

  1. Added monthly or annual costs for the backup service subscription.
  2. No backups available if service subscription is cancelled.
  3. More setup and configuration required compared to web host backups.

Examples of third-party backup services:

2.1 ManageWP

ManageWP is a WordPress management dashboard designed to allow users to manage multiple WordPress sites with ease. From one centralized platform, users can perform individual or bulk updates and streamline maintenance tasks across all one’s (or client) sites — no matter where they are hosted.

Offered as a freemium service, ManageWP delivers core functionalities for free, allowing the management of an unlimited number of sites, with advanced features available through its premium tier.

Some of the free-addons includes Performance Check, Security Checks, Analytics, Manage Comments, Code Snippets, Vulnerability Updates and more.

Check ManageWP Pricing

Key Features Include:

  • Complimentary monthly backups, with premium backup options at $2/month/site for enhanced security. It features incremental backups that are stored off-site, ensuring reliability even for websites that are typically difficult to back up. Backups are stored for 90 days, with an option to download them for longer storage.
  • The ability to perform bulk updates for WordPress plugins, themes, and the core system with a single click.
  • Comprehensive site monitoring, including uptime, security scans, SEO ranking, and traffic analysis.
  • Customizable client reports to keep stakeholders informed about website performance and updates.

2.2 WP Umbrella

WP Umbrella offers a comprehensive solution for managing multiple WordPress sites effortlessly, catering especially to agencies and freelancers focused on WordPress maintenance. This platform stands out by providing an array of powerful features that streamline the management of multiple sites.

WP Umbrella offers the most budget-friendly service at $1.99/month/site which includes all the core features. It also offers a 14-day trial with full access to all features without any credit card. Following the trial, you can continue to enjoy key functionalities like health checks and safe update technology.

Check WP Umbrella Pricing

Core Features include:

  • Centralized Dashboard: Manage, update, and back up all your sites from a single location. Efficiently update all your sites with just one click.
  • Cloud-based Automatic Backups: Secure and GDPR-compliant backups stored in the cloud. Hourly automatic backups are retained for 50 days whereas manual backups are kept for 14 days.
  • WordPress Monitoring: Keep tabs on PHP errors, uptime, performance, and Google Page Speed.
  • Automated Maintenance Reports: Deliver value to your clients with white-label reports showcasing the benefits of your maintenance services.

2.3 InfiniteWP

InfiniteWP is another freemium service which allows users to manage unlimited number of WordPress sites from a centralised dashboard. Paid plans start at $147/year for upto 10 sites.

Check InfiniteWP Pricing

Here’s an overview of the services it offers.

Free Services:

  • 1-Click Admin Access: Log in to your WordPress dashboards easily.
  • 1-Click Updates: Update your sites, plugins, and themes with a single click.
  • Backup & Restore: Perform backups of all your WordPress sites with one click.

Premium Services:

  • Install, Migrate & Stage: A comprehensive package for WordPress deployment.
  • Malware Scanning: Protect your sites from hackers and malware.
  • Uptime Monitoring: Ensure your sites are always up and running.
  • Publish Content: Manage and post pages or links to select sites or all sites efficiently.
  • Manage Comments: Review and reply to comments from one dashboard.
  • Code Snippets: Execute scripts across multiple sites simultaneously.
  • Broken Link Checker: Identify and fix broken links across your WordPress sites.

2.4 BlogVault

BlogVault is a comprehensive backup service specifically designed for WordPress websites, offering a robust solution for site backups, security, and management. It distinguishes itself with incremental backup technology, ensuring that backups are performed without overloading the server, and includes free cloud storage for all backed-up data.

At $149/year for a single site, it is probably the most expensive service for backing up your site. However, it boasts a 100% successful website restoration rate and is trusted by over 450,000 WordPress sites globally. Additionally, it offers a 7-day free trial, which will give you full access to its features without any commitment or the need for a credit card.

Check BlogVault Pricing

Key features of BlogValult are as following:

  1. Daily Automatic Backups & Extended Storage: BlogVault ensures your site is backed up daily automatically, storing backups for up to 90 days, providing ample time to recover from any unforeseen issues.
  2. Staging & Migration: Offers a secure and active staging environment with a 30-day validity for testing changes, coupled with flawless migration tools for easy site transfer across hosts.
  3. Uptime Monitoring & Performance Checks: Continuously monitors site uptime, immediately notifying you of any downtime, ensuring your site remains accessible to users at all times.
  4. Secure Cloud Storage & Multisite Support: Utilizes secure cloud storage to safeguard backups, and supports WordPress Multisite backups, ensuring comprehensive coverage for all your site data.
  5. Comprehensive Site Updates & Testing: Features verified auto-updates with a single click, backed by visual regression testing to ensure updates do not negatively impact site appearance or functionality.
  6. Advanced Security Measures: Instant malware removal and real-time firewall and bot protection keep your site secure against threats, ensuring your website’s integrity and the safety of its data.

3. Free & Paid WordPress Plugins

WordPress backup plugins enable automating site backups directly from your WordPress admin. They provide backup scheduling and storage options without relying on your web host.

How backup plugins work

Free plugins can be installed from the WordPress plugin repository. After activation, they add backup options under Settings or Tools menus.

You can configure scheduled backups to your desired frequency – usually daily, weekly or monthly capturing files, database or both.

Backup files can be downloaded to your computer or sent to cloud storage like Dropbox. Some plugins support backing up to services like Amazon S3, Google Drive, etc.

Some key factors:

  • Scheduling – Schedule auto daily, weekly or monthly backups. Some allow on-demand backups.
  • File inclusion – Back up files, database or both together. Select specific themes/plugins.
  • Destinations – Save backups locally, cloud storage, FTP, etc.
  • Retention – Store limited backup versions based on available storage.
  • Restoration – Restore entire site or individual components as needed.
  • Support – Varies from limited to dedicated customer support.

Pros and cons of taking backups through WordPress plugins:

Pros

  1. Fine-tuned control for custom backup scheduling and storage.
  2. Avoid limitations of web host’s built-in backups.
  3. Basic backup features are available for free.
  4. Useful for migrating or cloning sites.

Cons

  1. Installation, configuration and management required.
  2. Advanced backup features are found in paid plugins.
  3. Less reliable for large size websites
  4. Additional storage costs may apply depending on destination.
  5. May have a noticeable impact on website performance, especially during backup processes.

Examples of WordPress Backup Plugins:

3.1 UpdraftPlus

With over 3 million active installations,  UpdraftPlus is a highly popular backup plugin for WordPress sites. It is known for its robust capabilities in backing up, restoring, and migrating all types of websites.

Download  Buy UpdraftPlus

  • Rating: 4.8/5
  • Downloads: 3million+ active installs
  • Pricing: Free and paid plans that start with $70/year for 2 sites.

Free (Basic) Plan Features

  1. Versatile Backup Options: UpdraftPlus enables backups to various cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, and more, with the premium version expanding these options significantly.
  2. Scheduled Backups: Users have the flexibility to manually backup their site or set up automatic schedules according to their needs—ranging from every few hours to fortnightly.
  3. Simple Restoration Process: Restoring your WordPress site is straightforward with UpdraftPlus, offering the ability to select specific components for restoration and complete the process in just a few clicks.
  4. Efficient Migration: Migrating your WordPress site to a new host or domain is hassle-free, thanks to UpdraftPlus’s built-in search-and-replace tool that ensures a smooth transition without broken links or missing files.

Premium Features

  1. Pre-update Automatic Backups: This feature ensures that you can always revert to the last backup if a wordpress or plugin updates cause any issues to your site.
  2. Incremental Backups: This option saves server resources by only adding new site changes to the master backup.
  3. Additional Storage Options: More cloud storage solutions and 1GB of integrated storage with UpdraftVault for enhanced reliability.
  4. Enhanced Control and Security: Options for managing backup intervals, database encryption, and verifying backup integrity with detailed reports.

3.2 WP Vivid Backup

The WPvivid Backup & Migration Plugin is one of the highest rated plugin in the list which is designed to simplify the backup, migration, and staging processes for WordPress websites. Offering a suite of fundamental features, it caters to both novice and experienced users looking to maintain and secure their WordPress sites efficiently.

Download  Buy WP Vivid Backup

  • Rating: 4.9/5
  • Downloads: 400,000+ active installs
  • Pricing: Free and paid plans that start with $40/year for 2 domains. It also has a lifetime deal of $80 for 2 sites.

Free (Basic) Plan Features

  1. Auto Migration: Enables seamless cloning and migration of your WordPress site to a new domain or server with just a single click, streamlining the transition process.
  2. Staging Site Creation: Allows the development of a staging site within a subdirectory of your live site, offering a safe environment to test updates and changes.
  3. Scheduled Backups: Automates the backup process according to your preferred schedule, ensuring your site is regularly backed up without manual intervention.
  4. Cloud Backups: Supports sending backups to various cloud storage options such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, Microsoft OneDrive, DigitalOcean Spaces, FTP and SFTP, ensuring your data is securely stored offsite and accessible when needed.
  5. One-Click Restore: Provides the ability to easily restore your site from a backup, minimizing downtime in the event of a site issue.

Premium Features

  1. Customizable Backups: Select components for specific backup needs, covering WordPress core, themes, plugins, multisite, and staging.
  2. Incremental and Secure: Utilizes incremental backups for less server load and encrypts databases for enhanced security.
  3. Scheduled Backups with Remote Storage: Automates backup scheduling and integrates with remote storage for site migration and access.
  4. Staging Site Deployment: Facilitates the creation and deployment of staging sites to live environments for seamless testing and development.
  5. White Label and Access Control: Offers white label branding for backup features and controls user access to WP Vivid Backup & Migration Pro.

3.3 BackWPup

BackWPup is a versatile backup plugin for WordPress that offers comprehensive solutions for saving your entire site and transferring these backups to various external services. With BackWPup, users can create a single backup .zip file, facilitating effortless restoration of their WordPress installation.

For full functionality, BackWPup requires PHP 7.2 with mysqli, FTP, gz, bz2, ZipArchive, and curl support. The plugin intelligently hides any functions that cannot operate due to server limitations, streamlining the user experience in the admin area.

Download  Buy BackWPup Pro

  • Rating: 4.4/5
  • Downloads: 600,000+ active installs
  • Pricing: Free and paid plans that start with $69/year for 1 site.

Free (Basic) Plan Features

  1. Comprehensive Backup Solutions: This feature set includes database backups using mysqli, facilitating site content exports in WordPress XML format, and generating lists of all installed plugins. It also extends to backing up specific files and directories, ensuring a thorough safeguarding of your site’s data.
  2. Database Management and Optimization: The tools provided not only help in optimizing the WordPress database for enhanced performance but also ensure its integrity through regular checks and repairs. This proactive approach maintains the health and efficiency of your site’s database.
  3. File Backup & Formats: Allows backing up of specific files and directories and supports backups in zip, tar, and tar.gz formats.
  4. Diverse Storage Options: Backups can be stored in a directory, on an FTP server, or with various cloud services like Dropbox, S3, Microsoft Azure, RackSpaceCloud, and SugarSync.
  5. Email Notifications: Sends backup logs and files via email, keeping you informed of backup statuses.

Premium Features

  1. Extended Cloud Storage Options: Ability to store backups on Amazon Glacier, Google Drive, OneDrive, and HiDrive.
  2. Easy Restoration: New Pro feature for restoring backups directly from the WordPress backend or via a Standalone App.
  3. Encryption: Offers encryption for backup archives, enhancing security and privacy.

3.4 Solid Backups

Solid Backups, previously known as BackupBuddy, has been a steadfast protector of WordPress sites since its inception in 2010. It offers a comprehensive backup solution designed to safeguard small to large WordPress networks efficiently and securely.

Buy Solid Backups
  • Pricing: Paid plans that start with $99/year for 1 site.

Premium features of Solid Backups include:

  • Secure Offsite Backups: Provides peace of mind by storing encrypted backups securely offsite, with 1GB of free space available in their cloud or an option to use your own like like Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive , or through email and S/FTP.
  • Flexible Backup Scheduling: Enables scheduling of backups to your preferred destination, ensuring your site’s data is regularly archived without manual intervention.
  • Automated Backups: Utilizes the Action Scheduler for automated backup processes, simplifying site maintenance.
  • One-Click Restore: Offers a straightforward restoration process, allowing you to quickly recover your site in the event of a disaster.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed to be super easy to use, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.
  • Notifications and Secure Storage: Users receive notifications upon the completion of backups, affirming their success and integrity.

4. Manual backup from cPanel and Database

For users comfortable with technical tasks, manual backups can be performed directly from the hosting control panel (cPanel) and by accessing the WordPress database. Here’s how to manually take backups:

  1. Access cPanel: Log in to your hosting account and navigate to the cPanel dashboard, usually found at yourdomain.com/cpanel or through a link from your host.
  2. Locate File Manager: In cPanel, find the “File Manager” icon and click to open the file management interface for navigating your site’s directories.
  3. Backup Website Files: Go to the directory containing your WordPress files, typically “public_html” or a subfolder. Select all files/folders, right-click and choose “Compress” to zip them into a complete site file backup.
  4. Access Database: Return to cPanel and click the “phpMyAdmin” icon to access the interface for managing your MySQL database.
  5. Export Database: In phpMyAdmin, select your WordPress database then click the “Export” tab. Choose “Quick” or “Custom” export and click “Go” to generate a SQL file as your database backup.
  6. Download Backups: Locate the exported site file and database SQL backups in the “Downloads” or “Backups” folders. Select them and choose “Download” or “Download as ZIP” to save the backups locally.
  7. Store Backups Securely: Once downloaded, store the backup files in a secure, preferably encrypted and password-protected location – either locally or on cloud storage.
  8. Test Restoration: After backup completion, test restoring the files on a staging environment for data checks before using on your live site.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to manually take backups of your WordPress website’s files and database from cPanel, ensuring that your website data is safely backed up and protected

How often should you take WordPress backup

Determining how often to take WordPress backups depends on several factors, including the frequency of updates and changes made to your website, the criticality of the data, and your tolerance for potential data loss. Here are some key points to help you decide how often you should take backups:

  1. Frequency of Updates and Changes: Consider how often you update your website’s content, plugins, themes, and other elements. Websites with frequent updates may require more frequent backups to ensure that the latest changes are captured in the backup files. If you make daily updates or publish new content regularly then daily backups may be necessary to safeguard your website’s latest data.
  2. Criticality of the Data: Assess the importance of your website’s data in terms of business operations, user engagement, and revenue generation. If your website contains critical data that cannot be easily replaced or recreated, such as customer information, transaction records, or proprietary content then you may need to take backups more frequently to minimize the risk of data loss. Critical data often requires daily or even real-time backups to ensure its integrity and availability.
  3. Risk Tolerance and Recovery Objectives: Consider your tolerance for potential data loss and the recovery objectives in the event of a website disaster or data breach. If you have a low tolerance for downtime and data loss and need to minimize recovery time in case of emergencies, frequent backups are essential. Conversely, if your website experiences minimal changes and can afford some downtime or data loss then less frequent backups may suffice.
  4. Resource Constraints and Backup Solutions: Evaluate the resources available for backup operations, including storage space, bandwidth, and backup solution capabilities. Some backup solutions may offer automated scheduling for daily, weekly, or monthly backups, allowing you to tailor the backup frequency to your needs and available resources. Consider the storage capacity and cost implications of storing multiple backup copies over time.
  5. Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: Take into account any legal or regulatory requirements that mandate specific backup practices or data retention periods. Industries such as healthcare, finance, and e-commerce may have strict compliance requirements regarding data protection, backup procedures, and retention policies. Ensure that your backup strategy aligns with these requirements to avoid potential penalties or liabilities.

In short, the frequency of WordPress backups should be determined based on the unique characteristics of your website, including update frequency, data criticality, risk tolerance, resource constraints, and compliance requirements.

Regularly reassess your backup strategy to accommodate changes in your website’s operation and environment, ensuring that you can effectively protect and recover your valuable website data.

Final Thoughts:

Backing up your WordPress site is not merely a precaution; it’s an essential part of responsible website management. Taking backups can be considered as a form of insurance which are easy to overlook on sunny days but deeply appreciated when storms hit. And in the digital world, storms can come without warning.

This guide has covered 4 simple ways to back up your site, each with its own set of pros and cons. Choose the method that best aligns with your website needs and budget.

Remember, the time and effort invested in backing up your WordPress site today can save you from significant headaches and disruptions in the future. So don’t delay—take action now to safeguard your online investment and ensure the continued success of your WordPress website.

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Karan Jain

Karan Jain is a web expert with over 12 years of experience in building custom websites for numerous clients ranging from small businesses to large corporations. He is passionate about staying current with AI trends and utilizing advanced technologies to develop marketing strategies that increase business sales. Karan shares his expertise through his Codekyt blog and various online channels.

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