Backing up your WordPress site

This article discusses WordPress backups -- why, when, and how to do them.

Why do I need to back up WordPress?

Backing up your WordPress site is important. There are times when data can be erased or corrupted due to updates or well-intentioned tinkering. If this happens, and you have a backup, there is nothing to worry about. You can quickly restore the site to the most recent backup. However, if the data is not backed up, you will have a much harder time restoring normal operation to your site.

When should I back up WordPress?

Any time is a good time to back up your WordPress site! That said, it is especially important to back up WordPress before you make any major site changes, such as:

• Publishing new content.
• Installing or upgrading plugins.
• Installing or upgrading themes.
• Any other major changes to site functionality or content.

Maintaining up-to-date backups helps ensure that you can restore the site in case anything goes wrong. If you rely on automatic backups from a plugin, it is a good idea to check that recent backups exist. Alternatively, if you do manual backups, make sure you have a system in place that reminds you to do periodic backups.

There is a common saying among website administrators: “Your site is only as good as your last backup.” By ensuring you have up-to-date backups, you help reduce the risk to your site, and ensure you can get back up and running sooner rather than later.

How do I back up WordPress?

There are several ways to back up WordPress. Some methods back up the entire site, including the database and files, while some only back up one:

• You can use a plugin to manage WordPress backups. This is the easiest method. A2 Hosting recommends the UpDraftPlus plugin, which backs up the database and associated files. For information about how to use UpDraftPlus, please see this article. There are many other plugin options for backups, such as Jetpack.
• If you installed WordPress using Softaculous, you can use it to manage backups. Softaculous backs up the database and site files. For information about how to do this, please see this article.
• You can manually back up WordPress using phpMyAdmin or MariaDB. This method is more advanced, and only backs up the database, not the site files.