How to Backup Your WordPress Website

panmatech
Blog
June 6, 2025

Backing up your WordPress website is absolutely crucial! It’s your safety net in case anything goes wrong, such as hacking attempts, server crashes, plugin conflicts, or even accidental errors. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to backup your WordPress website in 2025, covering various methods:  

Why Backup Your WordPress Website?

  • Protection Against Hacking: If your site gets hacked, a clean backup allows you to restore it quickly.  
  • Recovery from Errors: Plugin or theme conflicts can sometimes break your site. A backup lets you revert to a stable version.  
  • Server Issues: Hosting providers can experience outages or data loss. Having your own backup ensures you’re not entirely reliant on them.  
  • Accidental Mistakes: You or a team member might accidentally delete files or make irreversible changes.  
  • Failed Updates: Sometimes, WordPress core, theme, or plugin updates can cause issues.  

Methods to Backup Your WordPress Website:

Here are the most common and effective ways to backup your WordPress site:

1. Using WordPress Backup Plugins (Recommended for Most Users):

  • How it Works: Plugins automate the backup process, allowing you to schedule backups, choose what to include, and often store backups remotely.  
  • Popular Free & Paid Plugins (as of May 2025):
    • UpdraftPlus (Free & Paid): One of the most popular, offering scheduled backups, remote storage options (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc.), and easy restoration. The free version is often sufficient for basic needs.  
    • BackupBuddy (Paid): A comprehensive and reliable paid plugin with various features, including real-time backups and website migration.
    • BlogVault (Paid): Offers incremental backups, real-time backups, and a built-in staging environment.  
    • Jetpack Backup (Paid): From the makers of WordPress.com, it provides automated daily backups and one-click restore.
    • WP Time Capsule (Free & Paid): Focuses on real-time backups and restores only the changes made, saving server resources.
    • Duplicator (Free & Paid): Primarily known for website migration but also offers manual backups.  
  • Practical Steps (Using UpdraftPlus as an Example):
    1. Install and Activate the Plugin: Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for “UpdraftPlus,” install, and activate it.  
    2. Access Backup Settings: Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups.
    3. Configure Backup Schedule: Go to the Settings tab. Choose how often you want to backup your files and database (e.g., daily, weekly).
    4. Choose Remote Storage: Select a remote storage location (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) to store your backups securely off-site. Authorize UpdraftPlus to connect to your chosen service.  
    5. Select What to Include: Choose whether to backup files (themes, plugins, uploads, etc.) and the database. It’s highly recommended to backup both.
    6. Save Changes: Click “Save Changes.”
    7. Run a Manual Backup (Initial): Go to the Backup / Restore tab and click the “Backup Now” button to create your first backup immediately.

2. Using Your Web Hosting Control Panel (Often Limited):

  • How it Works: Most hosting providers offer backup tools within their control panels (cPanel, Plesk, etc.).  
  • Pros: Often free and integrated.
  • Cons: Can be less flexible than plugins, might not offer scheduled backups or remote storage in basic plans, and restoration can sometimes be less user-friendly.
  • Practical Steps (Vary by Host, but generally):
    1. Log in to your hosting account’s control panel.
    2. Look for a section labeled “Backup,” “Backup Manager,” or similar.
    3. You might have options for full account backups or separate backups of files and databases.
    4. Follow your host’s instructions to create and download a backup.
    5. Explore options for scheduled backups if available.

3. Manual Backups (More Technical, Less Convenient for Regular Use):

  • How it Works: You manually download your website files via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and export your WordPress database using phpMyAdmin (usually accessible through your hosting control panel).
  • Pros: Gives you complete control.
  • Cons: Time-consuming, requires technical knowledge, and easy to forget to do regularly.
  • Practical Steps:
    1. Backup Your Files (via FTP):
      • Use an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) to connect to your web server.  
      • Download all the files and folders in your WordPress installation directory to your local computer.
    2. Backup Your Database (via phpMyAdmin):
      • Log in to your hosting control panel.
      • Find the “phpMyAdmin” tool (usually under “Databases”).
      • Select your WordPress database.
      • Go to the “Export” tab.
      • Choose a “Quick” or “Custom” export method (SQL format is recommended).
      • Click “Go” to download the database file.

Where to Store Your Backups (Crucial for Safety):

  • Your Local Computer (Temporary): Good for immediate backups but not reliable for long-term storage or disaster recovery.
  • Remote Storage Services (Highly Recommended):
    • Cloud Storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2. Many backup plugins integrate directly with these.  
    • FTP/SFTP Server: You can configure some plugins to send backups to a separate FTP or SFTP server.
  • Dedicated Backup Services (Often Part of Paid Plugins): Some paid backup solutions have their own secure storage infrastructure.  

Best Practices for WordPress Backups in 2025:

  • Automate Backups: Use a plugin to schedule regular backups (daily or weekly for most active sites).
  • Store Backups Remotely: Don’t keep backups on the same server as your website. Use a separate cloud storage service.  
  • Backup Both Files and Database: Both are essential for a full restoration.
  • Test Your Restores: Periodically test restoring your website from a backup to ensure the process works correctly. Do this on your staging environment.
  • Consider Incremental Backups: Some plugins offer incremental backups, which only backup changes made since the last full backup, saving storage space and time.  
  • Monitor Backup Logs: Regularly check your backup plugin’s logs to ensure backups are running successfully.
  • Secure Your Backup Files: If storing backups locally, encrypt them for added security.
  • Have Multiple Backup Locations: Consider using more than one remote storage option for redundancy.

By implementing a reliable WordPress backup strategy in 2025, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your website can be recovered quickly in case of unexpected issues. Choose a method that suits your technical skills and website needs, and make backups a consistent part of your website maintenance routine.

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