WordPress backups and restores
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What to save
A complete WordPress backup generally needs both website files and the database. Store a separate copy outside the hosting account when practical.
Set a schedule
Match backup frequency to how often your content or orders change. A store may need a different schedule from a rarely updated brochure site.
Practice recovery
Confirm retention periods, download a copy, and test restoration in a safe environment before an emergency.
Define your recovery target
Ask how many hours of changes you could afford to lose and how quickly the site must return. Those answers determine backup frequency and whether a host-only backup is enough.
Test a restore
Restore into a staging site and verify pages, images, users, and database content. A green backup status without a successful restore test is incomplete evidence.
Technical reference: WordPress.org hosting requirements. Verify current recommendations before installing.
Put this guide to work
Use this short worksheet before making changes or purchasing a service. Keep your answers with your website records so you can revisit them when your needs or contract change.
- What to save: A complete WordPress backup generally needs both website files and the database. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Set a schedule: Match backup frequency to how often your content or orders change. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Practice recovery: Confirm retention periods, download a copy, and test restoration in a safe environment before an emergency. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
If an answer is uncertain, pause that part of the decision and verify it. For changes to a live site, make a restorable backup first and test the result before deleting the previous configuration.