Quick answer
To back up WordPress properly, save both your files and your database, store the backups off-site (not only on the same server), automate them on a schedule that matches how often your site changes, and test a restore periodically. A reputable backup plugin (UpdraftPlus, BlogVault) or a host-level backup makes this straightforward.
Key takeaways
- A backup must include both files and the database to be complete.
- Store backups off-site — a backup on the hacked server can be lost with it.
- An untested backup isn't a backup; verify a restore works.
Backups are boring right up until the moment they save your business. A proper backup means a hacked, broken, or accidentally deleted site is a quick restore instead of a catastrophe. Here's how to do it right.
Back up files and database
Your site is two halves: the files (themes, plugins, uploads) and the database (posts, settings, users). A complete backup includes both — one without the other can't fully restore your site.
Store it off-site
A backup sitting on the same server as your site can be lost along with it — to a hack, a hardware failure, or a suspension. Send backups to off-site cloud storage.
Automate on the right schedule
Match the frequency to how often your site changes. A store taking orders needs daily or real-time backups; a static site can be weekly. Manual backups get forgotten.
Test a restore
An untested backup is just a hope. Periodically restore to a staging site to confirm it actually works — the worst time to discover a broken backup is during an emergency.
Tools that make it easy
Reputable plugins like UpdraftPlus or BlogVault, or a solid host-level backup, handle all of this automatically. Set it up once and it quietly protects you.
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Related
Take it further.
Follow-up questions
People also ask
Match it to how often the site changes. A busy store may need daily or real-time backups; a static brochure site can be weekly.
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