Backing Up a WordPress Website
In the digital landscape, having a website is essential for businesses and individuals alike. However, with this opportunity comes the risk of data loss due to unforeseen circumstances like server crashes, hacking attempts, or accidental deletions. That’s why backing up your WordPress site is crucial. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the importance of backups, different methods to back up your WordPress site, and step-by-step instructions to ensure your data remains secure.
Why WordPress Back Ups Are Important
Having a backup ensures that you can restore your site quickly without significant downtime. Knowing that you have a reliable backup system in place allows you to focus on growing your business or blog, rather than worrying about potential data loss.
- • Data Loss Prevention: Websites can face various threats
- • Server Failures: Hardware issues can lead to data loss.
- • Hacking Attempts: Cybercriminals may exploit vulnerabilities, leading to compromised data.
- • Human Error: Accidental deletions or updates can result in lost content.
- • Easy Restoration: In the event of a disaster, having a backup means you can quickly restore your site to its previous state, minimizing downtime and impact on your visitors.
Compliance and Legal Requirements
For Corporate, Business and certain E-commerce websites, backing up data may be a legal requirement. Ensuring you have copies of your data helps you comply with regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation.(GDPR).
Different Methods Of Backing Up
There are several ways to back up your WordPress site, including manual backups, using plugins, and utilizing a control panel or hosting provider services. Let’s explore these methods.
WordPress Backup with Plugins
We recommend using a reliable WordPress backup plugin. It removes the complexities involved in a manual backup such as FTP and makes the whole process simpler. Various plugins exist to take automatic scheduled backups of your WordPress database. This helps to manage your backup collection easily.
You can find "Backup Plugins" in the Plugin Browser on the WordPress Administration Screens.
You can search for plugins at the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Creating WordPress Backup with cPanel
Creating a WordPress backup with cPanel is a straightforward yet crucial task for any website owner, providing peace of mind against data loss. With just a few clicks, you can secure your website's files and database, ensuring that your hard work is protected.
For complete information on backing up with cPanel see our cPanel tutorials section: Creating Backups with cPanel
And our cPanel tutorial on Creating Backups with the Backup Wizard in cPanel
Creating a Backup with Softaculous
Backing up a WordPress website manually using Softaculous is a breeze, transforming a potentially tedious task into a seamless experience.
Once you log into your hosting control panel, locate the Softaculous Apps Installer, where WordPress sits prominently among the options. With just a few clicks, you can select your WordPress installation and navigate to the “Backup” feature. This user-friendly interface allows you to initiate a complete backup, encompassing all your files, themes, plugins, and the all-important database, ensuring that every aspect of your site is captured.
Softaculous even offers the option to store the backup in a location of your choice, whether on your server or downloaded directly to your computer. We have found this is probably the easiest and most reliable way to back up and restoring your WordPress website
For further reading see the official Softaculous pages on Back Ups
WordPress FTP Backup
There are many ways to back up your WordPress site. One way to back up your files is through an FTP client, like WinSCP FTP Client or Transmit for Mac. This method is particularly useful if you cannot access your WordPress admin area.
Open an FTP client of your choice. See What Is FTP?
Enter your credentials and connect to the site
You will see your "Local Site" on the left panel (This is your computer) and the remote site on the right. (Your website)
Right click on "/public_html" folder and choose Download
Or if you want to choose specific files, double-click on the "/public_html" folder. Here you will see all the files and folders for your website. You can also drag and drop from right pane to left if this is easier for you.
WordPress Database Backups
With FTP backups, only the files are backed up. You will still need to back up your WordPress Databases
We can do is by coping your database via phpMyAdmin
phpMyAdmin can be found within your cPanel
Login into cPanel and under "Databases" you will see phpMyAdmin.
You should see your WordPress databases. Choose your database from the left panel, and it will expand on the right panel to show you the contents.
Once you’ve selected the right database, simply select all the tables on the right panel and click "Export".
If you don’t know which one is your database
Inside the "wp_config.php" file you already downloaded with FTP will contain your database information.
See Backing Up Your Database - WordPress Developer Resources
Also see our blog on WordPress Maintenance and Databases.
Restoring WordPress from a Backup
Restoring your WordPress site from a backup is a crucial skill for any website owner, ensuring your content and design are quickly recoverable in times of crisis. Whether you've faced a hack, a plugin conflict, or accidental deletions, knowing how to effectively restore your site can save you from significant downtime. By utilizing reliable backup plugins like UpdraftPlus or the built-in tools from your hosting provider, you can easily revert your website to a previous version. This seamless restoration process not only safeguards your valuable data but also allows you to maintain your site's functionality and user experience. Regularly backing up and knowing how to restore your WordPress site empowers you to tackle any challenges with confidence, keeping your online presence secure and resilient.
Example 1) Restoring from Plugin such as UpdraftPlus
Go to UpdraftPlus Settings.
Select the Backups: Choose the backup you want to restore.
Click on Restore: Follow the prompts to complete the restoration process.
Example 2) Restoring WordPress from Manual Backup With FTP
Restoring WordPress from a manual backup using FTP involves a few straightforward steps. First, connect to your server using an FTP client, entering your FTP credentials provided by your hosting service. Once connected, navigate to the directory where your WordPress files are stored, typically the public_html folder. Next, delete the existing files in this directory to ensure that you're starting fresh. After that, upload the backed-up WordPress files from your local computer to the server, ensuring you include all necessary folders such as wp-content, wp-admin, and wp-includes.
Next restore your WordPress database via phpMyAdmin:
Again log into your hosting account and navigate to cPanel, then locate and open phpMyAdmin. Once inside, select the database associated with your WordPress site from the list on the left. Next, click on the “Import” tab at the top of the page. Here, you’ll need to choose the SQL backup file you previously exported from your site. After selecting the file, ensure that the format is set to SQL, then click the “Go” button to start the import process. phpMyAdmin will process the file, and once it’s complete, you’ll see a confirmation message indicating that your database has been successfully restored. Your WordPress site should now reflect all the content and settings from the backup.
Best Practices for Backing Up
A reliable WordPress backup strategy should protect the complete website, support fast recovery, and preserve important content through updates, errors, security incidents, migrations, and server failures. Use automated schedules, independent storage locations, clear file names, documented restoration steps, and regular testing so each backup remains understandable and usable when it is needed.
- • Back up both the WordPress files and database. Website files contain themes, plugins, uploads, configuration files, and custom code, while the database stores posts, pages, users, settings, comments, menus, and plugin data. A copy containing only one part may not be sufficient for a complete restoration.
- • Set the backup frequency according to how often the website changes. A frequently updated store, membership site, or active blog may require daily or real-time database backups, while a mostly static informational website may need them less often. Schedule additional backups before important publishing, development, or maintenance work.
- • Create a fresh restore point before updating WordPress core, plugins, themes, PHP, or server software. Updates can affect files, database tables, templates, and integrations. Review these common WordPress mistakes to avoid when planning maintenance procedures.
- • Store backup copies away from the live website. A backup saved only inside the same hosting account may become unavailable during a server failure, account suspension, malware infection, or storage problem. Keep at least one independent copy in trusted cloud storage, another server, or secure local storage.
- • Do not depend on a single backup method. Combine an automated WordPress backup plugin with hosting-level or control-panel backups when practical. Website owners using cPanel can follow the cPanel website backup guide or use the cPanel Backup Wizard for guided file and account backups.
- • Maintain several dated backup versions instead of repeatedly overwriting one copy. A recently created backup may already contain corrupted files, malicious code, an incorrect setting, or unwanted database changes. Retaining daily, weekly, and monthly restore points provides more recovery options.
- • Use descriptive backup names that identify the website, creation date, backup method, and whether the copy contains files, a database, or the complete installation. Consistent names help administrators locate the correct restore point quickly and prevent backups from different websites from being confused.
- • Test restorations periodically in a staging or isolated environment. Confirm that the archive opens, the database imports, media files load, users can sign in, forms work, and important pages display correctly. A backup should not be considered dependable until its contents and restoration process have been verified.
- • Document the complete recovery process. Record where backups are stored, which credentials are required, how to restore the database and files, how domain or configuration changes are handled, and who is authorized to perform the recovery. Keep this documentation accessible even when the website is offline.
- • Encrypt backups that contain customer records, user information, form submissions, order data, private documents, or configuration credentials. Restrict storage access to authorized people, enable account protection where available, and avoid sending unencrypted backup archives through ordinary email.
- • Monitor automated backup results instead of assuming every scheduled task succeeded. Review completion notices, error logs, storage limits, expired credentials, remote-storage connections, and archive sizes. An unexpectedly small file or repeated failure message may indicate that important website data was omitted.
- • Exclude disposable files only when their purpose is understood. Cache files, temporary archives, and replaceable logs may increase backup size unnecessarily, but essential uploads, custom themes, configuration files, and plugin-generated content should not be excluded without confirming how they will be restored.
- • Maintain the WordPress database before creating long-term archive copies. Remove obsolete revisions, expired temporary data, spam, and unused plugin tables only after confirming that the information is unnecessary. Review the WordPress database maintenance guide before performing cleanup operations.
- • Protect backups from the same threats that affect the live website. Use strong storage credentials, limited user permissions, malware scanning, software updates, and secure transfer methods. Additional precautions are covered in the WordPress security and vulnerability guide.
- • Verify that a backup plugin supports the website’s size, database structure, hosting limits, multisite configuration, and external services. Features such as incremental backups, remote storage, selective restoration, encryption, scheduling, and activity logs may be valuable for larger or frequently updated websites.
- • Avoid keeping excessive backup archives inside the public WordPress directory. Large ZIP or SQL files can consume storage, interfere with new backups, and expose sensitive information if their URLs are discovered. Move completed archives to protected storage and remove temporary server copies after verifying the transfer.
- • Create a separate backup before website migrations, domain changes, major redesigns, database replacements, or hosting transfers. Preserve the original installation until the new website has been tested for content, links, forms, media, redirects, user access, and administrative functionality.
- • Review the backup strategy whenever the website gains new features. E-commerce, memberships, learning systems, forums, appointment tools, and customer portals may store rapidly changing information that requires more frequent database backups and shorter recovery intervals.
- • Choose backup and maintenance plugins based on demonstrated requirements rather than installing several tools with overlapping functions. Multiple backup systems may compete for server resources or fill available storage. Compare suitable WordPress performance and maintenance plugins before adding another extension.
- • Review backup retention, storage, and restoration procedures at regular intervals. Remove obsolete copies according to your retention policy, confirm that current administrators can access the required systems, and update documentation when hosting accounts, plugins, storage providers, or website responsibilities change.
WordPress Backup Plugins
Jetpack
Back up your site automatically in real time and restore to any point with one click. By Automattic
Backup Migration
Simply install the plugin, click on “Create backup now” done. You can also schedule backups, e.g. define that a backup should be taken automatically every week (or every day/month). By Migrate
WP Staging Backup
a professional all in one duplicator, staging, and backup plugin. By WP-STAGING, WPStagingBackup
BackWPup
The backup plugin can be used to save your complete installation including /wp-content/ and push them to an external Backup Service, like Dropbox, S3, FTP and many more. By Inpsyde GmbH
UpdraftPlus
Backup your files and database backups into the cloud and restore with a single click. By UpdraftPlus.Com, DavidAnderson
XCloner
a backup plugin that allows you to safely back up and restore your WordPress sites. By watchful
JetBackup
JetBackup is the most complete backup and migration choice for WordPress. By JetBackup
Prime Mover
The simplest all-around WordPress migration tool/backup plugin. These support multi-site backup/migration or clone WP site/multisite subsite. By Codexonics
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether my WordPress backup is complete?
A complete WordPress backup should include the database and all essential website files, including themes, plugins, uploads, configuration files, and custom code. Check the backup report or archive contents rather than relying only on a success message. A file-only backup cannot restore posts, users, settings, and other database content by itself.
How many WordPress backups should I keep?
Keep several restore points from different dates rather than only the newest copy. The appropriate retention period depends on how frequently the website changes, available storage, and any business or legal requirements. Daily, weekly, and monthly versions can provide useful recovery options when recent backups contain unnoticed malware, corrupted files, or unwanted changes.
What should I do if my WordPress backup is too large?
Identify whether cache files, old backup archives, logs, staging copies, or unused media are increasing the backup size. Remove only data you understand and no longer need. Database maintenance may also reduce unnecessary content. Review this WordPress database maintenance guide before deleting tables or stored records.
Are hosting backups enough to protect my WordPress website?
Hosting backups are valuable, but they should not be your only recovery method. They may follow limited retention schedules, share the same account or infrastructure as the website, or require the provider’s assistance to restore. Maintain an independent offsite copy and learn how to create a cPanel website backup when that option is available.
Can I restore only one WordPress file or database table?
Some backup plugins and hosting systems support selective restoration, allowing you to recover a specific file, plugin, theme, upload folder, or database table. Other methods require restoring the complete archive. Selective recovery can reduce disruption, but restoring related files and database content from different dates may cause inconsistencies, so test the result carefully.
Why did my WordPress backup fail or stop before completion?
Common causes include insufficient storage, server execution limits, memory restrictions, expired cloud credentials, file-permission problems, very large archives, or security software interrupting the process. Review the backup log, confirm the remote-storage connection, and ask your host about resource limits. A suitable WordPress backup or maintenance plugin may support incremental backups.
Should WordPress backups be encrypted?
Encryption is strongly advisable when backups contain customer details, user accounts, form submissions, order records, private documents, database credentials, or other sensitive information. Use protected storage, secure transfers, strong passwords, and limited account access. These WordPress security practices can help protect both the live website and its stored backup copies.
How much does a WordPress backup solution cost?
WordPress can be backed up manually at no software cost, and many hosting accounts include basic backup tools. Premium plugins and managed services may charge for automated schedules, cloud storage, incremental backups, migration tools, activity logs, or priority support. Compare the recovery features you need rather than price alone, and explore more guidance in the RSH Web Services blog index.
Summary
Backing up your WordPress site is a critical step in safeguarding your data and ensuring your website's longevity. By understanding the importance of backups and utilizing the methods outlined in this guide. whether manual, plugin-based, or through your hosting provider, you can ensure that your site is protected against unforeseen events.
Regularly backing up your site not only protects your content but also provides peace of mind. Remember to test your backups and keep them stored securely to ensure a smooth restoration process if ever needed. By following these best practices, you can maintain a secure and reliable WordPress site.
Also see: Using WordPress To Build A Website
Installation with cPanel and Softaculous. WordPress Themes. Changing Themes. Plugins, Creating New Pages. Appearance, Step by step guide, more
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Author Bio: Mira Calden
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