It’s important to backup WordPress before updating, maintenance or making any changes. It’s a get out of jail free card if it goes wrong. We can backup WordPress either via a manual process or use a plugin. In this step by step recipe, I will show you how to use a plugin as this is the easier method.
What Needs Backing Up
WordPress is built of pages, databases (lots of databases), images, plugins, themes, users, and posts. This all needs to be backed up to avoid any unnecessary issues when we upgrade or change our site. Though most changes wont be very drastic some plugins, themes or WordPress upgrades could damage our site making it useless. Its better to restore your site after a bad upgrade so you have a working website while you try and fix the issue.
Why UpdraftPlus
There are lots of backup plugins for WordPress. I like UpdraftPlus because it allows me to store backups in the cloud on Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
Updraft makes it easy to schedule backups without having to pay for premium features.
Alternative Backup Add Ons
Backup WordPress with UpdraftPlus
Equipment
- 1 WordPress
Ingredients
- 300 MB Storage (Cloud or Desktop / Laptop) Size depends on your website
- 300 MB Storage (Cloud or Desktop / Laptop) Size depends on your website
Instructions
Installing UpdraftPlus
- To start, we need to install UpdraftPlus, Open your WordPress dashboard go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search UpdraftPlus
- Find ‘UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin’ and press Install Now and then Activate.
Auto BackUp Setup
- Open your WordPress dashboard go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups
- Select the Settings tab towards the top.
- From here you can schedule how often UpdraftPlus performs a backup and how many backups to keep. Consider your clients when choosing settings. Backups can slow your site down while they perform. Change Files backup schedule and Database backup schedule to weekly or monthly.
- Select where you would like your backups to be stored. UpdraftPlus is great in the way it integrates with multiple cloud storage. Select the one best for you and follow the on-screen instructions to connect.
- Leave the default settings to backup the full website
- That’s it, all done. Your website will now back up regularly to your chosen location.
Manual BackUp
- Open your WordPress dashboard go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups
- Select the Settings tab towards the top.
- Select where you would like your backups to be stored. UpdraftPlus is great in the way it integrates with multiple cloud storage. Select the one best for you and follow the on-screen instructions to connect.
- On the Backup / Restore screen you can press Backup Now. This will perform a backup based on the settings you selected in the Auto Backup setup.
Restore Back Up
- Open your WordPress dashboard go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups
- This will open your UpdraftPlus settings, Scroll down until you reach the Existing Backups section, Locate the backup you want to restore and press the blue Restore button.
- You’ll be presented with a pop-up asking you which elements of your database you want to restore. Select the elements that apply and press RestoreOnce complete, a successful message will pop up.
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