- What a WordPress backup has to include
- Three ways to back up WordPress
- How often to back up
- The catch: one backup in one place isn't a backup
- A simple backup plan for a small business site
- How restoring works
- Questions to ask your web host
- Where to keep your backup copies
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To back up a WordPress site, save two things: the database, which holds your posts, pages and settings, and the files, which hold your themes, plugins and images. A backup plugin does both automatically. Keep several recent copies in different places, such as your host, cloud storage and your own computer.
A WordPress backup is what saves you when a plugin update breaks your site, a hacker gets in, or someone deletes the wrong page. Most business owners assume their host has it covered. Sometimes they do. But the backup that matters is the one you've checked you can restore, stored somewhere other than the server that just went wrong.
What a WordPress backup has to include
WordPress's own handbook is clear that a backup has two parts, and you need both to restore a typical site:
| Part | What's in it | If you lose it |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Posts, pages, comments, settings, users | Your content is gone |
| Files | WordPress itself, themes, plugins, images, uploads | Your design and media are gone |
Backing up the files doesn't back up the database, and the other way round. A backup that only has one half can leave you with a site that loads with no content, or content with no images.
Three ways to back up WordPress
- Use your host's backups. Many hosts take daily backups. Find out how often, how long they're kept, and how to restore one yourself.
- Use a backup plugin. Most backup plugins save the database and files on a schedule and send copies to cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Back up manually. Export the database through your hosting control panel, and download your WordPress files. It's the most technical option and best left to your host or developer.
How often to back up
WordPress suggests weekly backups for smaller sites with fewer posts, and daily backups for busy sites with lots of posts. Add one more rule: always take a fresh backup before you update WordPress, your theme or a major plugin, because that's when things most often go wrong.
The catch: one backup in one place isn't a backup
This is the part most people skip. WordPress's handbook recommends keeping at least 3 to 5 recent backups, with copies in different locations: one on your hosting server, one on cloud storage, and one downloaded to your own computer. If your only backup lives on the same server as your site, the same problem, a security breach, a host failure, an account suspension, can take out both.
It also recommends checking automated backups with a manual one now and then, to make sure the automatic process is working. A backup plugin can quietly fail for weeks if a cloud connection expires.
A simple backup plan for a small business site
- Turn on your host's daily backups and find out how to restore one.
- Install a backup plugin that saves weekly (or daily for busy sites) to cloud storage.
- Keep several recent copies, not just the latest.
- Once a month, download a copy to your computer or an external drive.
- Before any major update, run a manual backup.
- Twice a year, test a restore, ideally on a staging copy of your site.
How restoring works
WordPress's guidance gives a clear order. When backing up, save the database first, then the files, and keep them together so you know they match. When restoring, put the files back first, then import the database. If your database login details changed, for example because you moved host, the site's configuration file needs updating to match. If that sounds daunting, it's exactly what your host's support team or developer can do for you, as long as you've got a good backup to hand them.
Questions to ask your web host
- How often do you back up my site, and how long do you keep each backup?
- Do your backups include both the database and the files?
- Can I restore a backup myself, or do I need to contact support?
- Can I download a copy of a backup to keep elsewhere?
If you're choosing a host partly on backups, my Hostinger review covers what one popular host includes.
Where to keep your backup copies
| Location | Protects you from | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Your hosting server | Plugin and update mistakes | Problems that affect the whole server |
| Cloud storage, like Google Drive or Dropbox | Host failures and account problems | Expired connections that stop backups silently |
| Your own computer or drive | Losing access to everything online | Remembering to download it regularly |
WordPress's handbook suggests exactly this spread: a copy on the server, a copy in cloud storage and a copy on your own computer. If one fails, one of the others will be there.
My verdict
Back up both halves of your WordPress site, the database and the files, on a schedule that matches how often it changes, and always before updates. Keep several copies in different places, at least one off the server, and test that you can restore. A backup you've never restored is a hope, not a plan. For the other half of keeping a site safe, see my guide to stopping hackers.
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Frequently asked questions
In what order should I restore a WordPress backup?
WordPress's handbook says restore the files first, then import the database.
Does a WordPress backup include my images?
A full backup does, because images are part of the files. Check your plugin includes uploads.
Where should I store WordPress backups?
In more than one place: your hosting server, cloud storage and your own computer.
What should a WordPress backup include?
Both the database and the files. You need both to restore a typical WordPress site.
How often should I back up my WordPress site?
WordPress suggests weekly for smaller sites and daily for busy ones, plus a backup before every major update.
Is my host's backup enough?
It's a good start, but WordPress recommends keeping copies in different places, including off the server.
How many WordPress backups should I keep?
WordPress's handbook suggests at least 3 to 5 recent backups.
Can I back up WordPress without a plugin?
Yes, by exporting the database and downloading the files, but it's more technical.
