What Is a WordPress Backup? The Complete Beginner‘s Guide

Hi there! If you have a WordPress website, one of the most important things you need to do is keep it fully backed up. I know, backups aren‘t the most exciting topic, but trust me, they are absolutely essential.

In this guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about WordPress backups:

• Why backups are so critical
• What components make up a complete WordPress backup
• How to choose the best WordPress backup plugin
• Setting up automated backups
• Restoring WordPress from a backup

I‘ll also share real data, compare the most popular backup solutions, and provide expert tips along the way. By the end, you‘ll be a backup pro ready to keep your site safe and sound!

Why You Can‘t Afford to Skip WordPress Backups

First, let me emphasize why having current WordPress backups is so important. It comes down to three key reasons:

1. Protecting your site from hackers and malware
2. Preventing data loss from mistakes or crashes
3. Allowing you to easily migrate or clone your site

WordPress Sites Are Hacking Targets

Did you know that over 30,000 websites get hacked every day? And 83% of hacked CMS sites are WordPress sites, according to a Sucuri report.

When a WordPress site gets hacked, cybercriminals can insert malware, plant SEO spam, steal data, or even delete your entire site. Having a recent clean backup allows you to wipe the slate clean and quickly restore your unhacked site.

Accidents Happen

Even if your site doesn‘t get hacked, servers can crash, mistakes get made, and data can be lost. A backup ensures an "undo button" to easily roll back your site to before that database import went awry or a bad update took your site down.

Backups Make Migrations and Cloning Possible

Trying to manually move every WordPress file and database entry to migrate hosts or clone your site to a staging version would be a nightmare. But with a full-site backup, you can easily duplicate your WordPress site to a new server or dev environment with just a few clicks.

What Makes Up a Complete WordPress Backup

Now that you understand the importance of backups, let‘s clarify what data needs to be backed up to fully protect your WordPress site. A complete WordPress backup consists of three main components:

1. WordPress Core Files

The core WordPress files include:

• The root directory (excluding wp-content)
• wp-admin and wp-includes directories
• Index.php and xmlrpc.php files

While you can download a fresh copy of WordPress core from WordPress.org, backing up your existing core files ensures the exact same version and functionality.

2. Wp-content Directory

The wp-content directory contains all your site‘s unique files, including:

• Themes
• Plugins
• Media uploads

All those customizations, images, and files that make your site your site live in the wp-content folder. It‘s critical this entire directory is backed up.

3. WordPress Database

Your WordPress database (usually a MySQL database) contains all your site‘s content, including:

• Posts
• Pages
• Comments
• Users
• Settings
• Plugin and theme configurations

An incomplete backup that only copies your files but not the database would be missing all your content! The database is the most important component to back up frequently.

WordPress Backup Plugin Comparison

While you can manually back up your WordPress files and database, the most reliable and efficient solution is to use a WordPress backup plugin. With so many great options available, which one should you choose?

Here‘s a comparison table of the most popular WordPress backup plugins and their key features:

To help you decide, here‘s my take on the strengths and best use cases for each:

• Jetpack Backup – With real-time backups and easy one-click restores, Jetpack Backup (formerly VaultPress) is my top pick for easy, reliable and stress-free WordPress backups. It‘s a great option if you want to "set it and forget it."

• Duplicator Pro – Duplicator Pro really shines for cloning and migrating WordPress sites. Its wizard-based system makes short work of even complex migrations. If you need to move your site around, it‘s a top choice.

• BlogVault – BlogVault stands out for backing up your site on its own servers, minimizing your server load. For resource-intensive or high-traffic sites, BlogVault offers performance and reliability.

• UpdraftPlus – With a generous free version, UpdraftPlus is popular for a reason. While not as beginner-friendly as other options, it‘s a solid budget pick to automate your backups.

• BackupBuddy – One of the most established names in WordPress backups, BackupBuddy offers scheduled backups, easy restores, and its unique site deployment feature. However, it can be more resource-intensive.

Effortless Backups With WP Engine

If your WordPress site is hosted with WP Engine, backups are even easier thanks to the platform‘s built-in backup system. Here‘s how it works:

1. Automated Daily Backups – WP Engine automatically performs a full backup of your site each night and stores it in a separate location. No setup or plugins needed!

2. Create Restore Points – Anytime you make a change to your live site, like installing a new plugin, WP Engine automatically takes a backup snapshot. If something breaks, you can instantly roll back with a click.

3. One-click Restore – Restoring your WP Engine backup is as easy as selecting the backup point and clicking Restore. WP Engine takes care of the rest almost instantly.

Some other notable WP Engine backup features:

• Backup Points – WP Engine keeps the last 40 backup points (~40 days) for each environment, with options to extend to 60 or 180 days.

• Large Filesystem Backups – For big sites, WP Engine can store large backups on a separate Amazon S3 bucket for better performance.

• Backup Cloning – Easily clone a backup point to a staging site to test changes before pushing live.

Setting Up Automated Backups

Now that you know why backups are critical and the best tools for the job, let‘s walk through setting up automated WordPress backups.

While the exact steps will vary based on your chosen backup solution, the general process involves:

1. Install and activate your backup plugin on your WordPress site.
2. Configure backup settings like backup frequency, backup location, and any exclusions.
3. For offsite backups, connect to your chosen storage provider (e.g. Google Drive, Amazon S3).
4. Save settings and let the plugin handle your automatic backups!
5. Periodically test a site restore from your backups to ensure they are working properly.

I recommend setting up daily automated backups at a minimum. If you have a high-traffic or ecommerce site, consider real-time backups for even better protection.

How to Restore WordPress from a Backup

The final piece of the WordPress backup puzzle is knowing how to actually restore your site from a backup. The restoration process depends on your backup plugin, but typically involves:

1. Downloading the backup files (WordPress files and database dump).
2. Importing the database backup via a tool like phpMyAdmin.
3. Replacing the wp-content and other WordPress directories on your server.
4. Reconfiguring wp-config.php file with new database credentials if needed.
5. Ensuring file permissions are correct and logging in to the restored site.

Many backup plugins like Jetpack Backup and BlogVault have a built-in restore feature to handle this process automatically. With WP Engine, restoring a backup is as simple as selecting the backup point and clicking Restore.

Your Backup Action Plan

In summary, here‘s your WordPress backup action plan I recommend:

1. Choose a backup solution that performs automatic complete backups of your WordPress files and database. I highly recommend Jetpack Backup or managed hosting with backup features like WP Engine.
2. Configure backups to run at least daily (or invest in real-time backups for crucial sites).
3. Store backups in a secure offsite location like Jetpack servers or cloud storage.
4. Periodically test restoring your site from a backup to ensure the process works.
5. Sleep easier knowing your WordPress site is fully protected and recoverable!

Sources:

• Sucuri Hacked Website Report 2019
• WordPress.org Support: Backing Up Your Database
• Kinsta: WordPress Backup Plugin Showdown