Hacks, bad updates, hosting failures and human mistakes happen. A recent backup turns a disaster into a short inconvenience.
What to back up
- Website files: themes, plugins, uploads, code.
- Database: pages, posts, products, orders, settings.
- Email, if hosted with your website.
How often
| Website type | Suggested frequency |
|---|---|
| Brochure site, rarely updated | Weekly, and before every change |
| Blog updated weekly | Daily or weekly |
| Online store with orders | Daily or more often |
Where to store them
- Not only on the same server; if the server fails, backups go too.
- Cloud storage such as Google Drive or another remote location.
- Keep several versions (for example, the last 30 days).
Tools
- Your host’s backup feature.
- WordPress backup plugins that send copies to cloud storage.
- Hosted platforms like Shopify back up the platform, but consider exporting products and data regularly.
Test restoring
A backup you cannot restore is useless. Test it occasionally on a staging site. Read staging sites.
See our website maintenance service.
Want the full picture? This article is part of Business websites: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
