Hey there, WordPress site owner! Let me guess – you know you should be backing up your site regularly, but you keep putting it off or struggling to find the time. Maybe you think your web host has backups covered. Or perhaps you‘re using a plugin but not really sure if it‘s working right.
Sound familiar? Don‘t worry, I‘ve been there too. In fact, at one point I learned the hard way that neglecting WordPress backups can lead to a real nightmare when your site gets hacked or corrupted.
So today, I want to share with you a simple but powerful solution for automating offsite WordPress backups – no plugins or technical skills required! We‘ll walk through how to set up daily backups of your site with a tool called CodeGuard.
By the end of this guide, you‘ll have a reliable "set it and forget it" backup system in place. That means you can focus on running your site with full peace of mind that you can restore it quickly if (really, when) things go wrong.
But first, let‘s get clear on why having a solid backup plan is so essential for every single WordPress site.
Why WordPress Backups Are Non-Negotiable
Here‘s the truth: your WordPress site is a target. It‘s not a question of "if" you‘ll face a major problem like a hack, malware infection, or accidental deletion – but "when".
Consider these eye-opening statistics:
- WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, making it a huge target for hackers
- Over 70% of WordPress installations are vulnerable to hacker attacks (WPWhiteSecurity)
- There are up to 100,000 hacking attempts on WordPress sites per minute (Wordfence)
- 60% of hacked sites are infected with SEO spam (GoDaddy)
- Roughly 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a data loss incident (Downtime and Data Loss Cost)
The bottom line? Assuming it won‘t happen to you is a surefire recipe for disaster. And far too many site owners have had to learn that the hard way, yours truly included.
Now, a lot of WordPress users think their web host is backing up their site regularly. But the reality is many hosts don‘t do backups at all unless you‘re paying extra. And even if they do, there are some major pitfalls to relying solely on your host such as:
- Backups may only happen weekly or even monthly, meaning you could lose a lot of data
- Backups are often stored on the same server as your live site, so if that server goes down, your backups are toast too
- Many hosts make it difficult or impossible to do a full site restore yourself, leaving you at their mercy
That‘s why the standard best practice these days is the "3-2-1 backup rule". That means having at least:
- 3 total copies of your site
- 2 on different storage media (e.g. server, external drive)
- 1 stored offsite
Following that one simple rule can save you from almost any data disaster. But it requires having an offsite backup solution that‘s taking regular backups and storing them securely in the cloud, independent from your hosting environment.
And that‘s where a service like CodeGuard comes in. It‘s like having an insurance policy for your WordPress site. Let‘s take a closer look at how it works.
What Makes CodeGuard Ideal for WordPress Backups
CodeGuard is a cloud-based website backup and monitoring service. While it‘s not strictly a WordPress-only solution, it offers key features that make it especially well-suited for WordPress sites:
Automatic Daily Backups
CodeGuard will automatically back up your entire WordPress site (files and database) every 24 hours. No need to remember to run manual backups or worry about backup plugin compatibility issues. Just set it and forget it.
One-Click Restores
Hopefully you never need this, but if you do have to restore your WordPress site from a backup, CodeGuard makes it a snap. Just browse your backup archive by date, select the backup you want, and click restore. You can restore your whole site or just specific files/folders.
365-Day Backup Archive
CodeGuard keeps a full 365 days worth of backups for your site. That means you can roll back your site up to a year if needed. Super handy for debugging issues or recovering from a sneak attack.
Malware Scanning & Alerts
All CodeGuard plans include daily malware scans of your site‘s files. If any infected files are detected, you‘ll get an instant alert so you can take action right away. Spotting and cleaning malware quickly can save you from a world of hurt.
Secure Offsite Cloud Storage
All of your backups are stored separately from your live site on secure Amazon S3 servers and encrypted in transit and at rest. So even if your own site gets compromised or your server crashes, you always have clean backups ready to go.
Uptime Monitoring
CodeGuard also monitors your site‘s uptime at 5 minute intervals and notifies you of any downtime. Great for keeping tabs on your host‘s reliability or spotting denial of service attacks.
Client Dashboard & Reporting
This is a godsend for freelancers or agencies managing multiple client sites. CodeGuard‘s dashboard gives you a central hub to view backup status and uptime across all sites. You can also generate branded client reports in a couple clicks.
CodeGuard has a super affordable entry plan that covers 1 site and up to 5GB of backup storage for just $5/month. So it‘s a no-brainer investment compared to the massive cost and headaches of dealing with a hacked or broken site.
Tutorial: How to Backup WordPress Automatically with CodeGuard
Alright, let‘s walk through how to get CodeGuard up and running with your WordPress site step-by-step.
1. Sign Up for CodeGuard
First, head to the CodeGuard site and click the "Start Free Trial" button.
Choose the plan you want (you can always upgrade later) and complete the signup process. The 14-day free trial is a great way to test the waters.
2. Add Your Website
Once you‘re logged in, go to the My Websites tab and click the "Add Website" button:
Enter your WordPress site‘s domain name or URL.
3. Connect Your Website
Next you‘ll need to connect CodeGuard to your site so it can access your files and database for backup. You have a few different options here, but the most common are:
- FTP/SFTP connection – just enter your FTP hostname, username and password
- Host-provided backup methods like cPanel backup
If you have a standard web hosting plan with cPanel, you can generate FTP credentials right in your cPanel dashboard under the FTP Accounts section:
Once you have your connection details, enter them in the CodeGuard form and hit "Test & Continue":
4. Choose Your Backup Folders
After a successful connection, CodeGuard will scan your site‘s files and show you the directory structure. Now you just need to select which folders you want to include in your backups.
For most WordPress sites, you‘ll want to include your root WordPress folder (usually called public_html or www) as well as your wp-content folder:
5. Choose Your Database
CodeGuard will also detect any MySQL databases. Make sure the database for your WordPress site is selected. You can find those details in your wp-config.php file.
Then just click "Save & Start Backup" to kick off your first backup!
6. Verify Scheduled Backups Are Running
Your initial backup may take a few minutes depending on the size of your site. Once it‘s done, you can check the status anytime in the Backups tab of your site dashboard:
By default, CodeGuard will now automatically backup your site every 24 hours. If you want to adjust that frequency, just visit the Backup Settings tab.
That‘s it! You now have an automated offsite backup system protecting your WordPress site. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.
How to Restore Your WordPress Site from CodeGuard
Ok, so what happens when you actually need to restore your site from a backup? CodeGuard‘s one-click restore makes it super simple:
- In your CodeGuard dashboard, go to the site you need to restore and click the Backups tab
- Find the backup version you want to restore in the list (it will show the date and time)
- Click the Restore button next to that backup
- Choose whether you want to restore just your files, just your database, or both
- Click the Restore button to start the process
Depending on the size of your backup, the restore may take a few minutes. But once it‘s done, your site will be right back to the way it was at your selected backup point.
CodeGuard also gives you the option to download your backups as a zip file at anytime. So if you‘d rather do a manual restore or migrate your site to a new host, you‘ve got that flexibility.
WordPress Backup Best Practices
We‘ve covered a ton of ground in this guide, but I want to leave you with a few bonus tips to really bulletproof your backup strategy:
Backup before any major changes – Whenever you‘re about to do a big WordPress update, switch themes, or install a new plugin, it‘s always smart to take a manual backup first just in case. CodeGuard makes on-demand backups a snap.
Keep backups in multiple locations – As the old saying goes, "don‘t put all your eggs in one basket". Even though CodeGuard keeps your backups in the cloud, it‘s still a good idea to occasionally download a copy to your computer or another storage spot like Dropbox. Belt and suspenders!
Test your restore process regularly – Don‘t wait until a catastrophe strikes to test whether you can actually restore your backups. I recommend doing a dry run restore on a staging site every couple months just to make sure there are no snags.
Don‘t forget other security best practices – Backups are hugely important, but they won‘t stop hacks or attacks from happening in the first place. So make sure you‘re also following hardening best practices like:
- Keeping your WordPress core, themes and plugins up-to-date
- Using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication
- Limiting login attempts and putting your login page behind HTTP auth
- Installing a reputation-based firewall like Wordfence or Sucuri
- Monitoring for suspicious admin activity
- Have a crisis response plan – Even with solid backups and security, there may come a time when your site goes down hard. When that happens, every minute counts. So before you‘re in crisis mode, put together a simple document outlining the exact steps you‘ll take to get back online. That might include:
- How to get the latest clean backup from CodeGuard
- The contact info for your host‘s emergency support line
- The location of a recent database export
- A list of your theme and plugin licenses for quick re-activation
Having that all documented in one place when you‘re panicking at 3am is priceless, trust me.
Final Thoughts
If there‘s one thing I hope you take away from this guide, it‘s that backups are an absolute necessity for your WordPress site. They‘re just as important as the locks on your house or the seatbelt in your car.
Don‘t learn the hard way like so many site owners before you. Investing a few minutes to put an automated cloud backup solution in place today could literally save your website – and your sanity – when disaster strikes.
CodeGuard makes it super affordable and easy to start backing up your site like a pro. At just $5/month, it‘s a tiny price to pay for some huge peace of mind.
So don‘t wait – head over to CodeGuard today and get your first backup underway. I think you‘ll be amazed at how good it feels to finally check "backups" off your endless to-do list.
Here‘s to a safer, stress-free WordPress journey!
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