Setting up automatic WordPress backups: complete guide to website security
A backup of your WordPress website is like insurance: you hope you never need it, but you're incredibly glad to have it when something goes wrong. Websites can crash due to server errors, get hacked by malicious actors, or accidentally get broken by a failed update or human error. With a good backup you restore in minutes what would otherwise take hours, days, or might never come back at all. In this comprehensive guide I explain how to set up reliable automatic WordPress backups.
Why backups are absolutely essential
Picture the following scenario: you've spent months or years working on your website. Thousands of words of content, carefully chosen images, settings that are exactly right, and maybe even valuable customer data. Then one day you log in and your site has been hacked, your database has become corrupted due to a server error, or you accidentally deleted something crucial. Without a backup, you've lost everything.
With a good backup strategy you simply turn back the clock. You restore your site to a working version and carry on as if nothing happened. The time you invest in setting up backups is negligible compared to the time, stress, and potential financial damage you save when something inevitably goes wrong. Because believe me, sooner or later something always goes wrong.
What exactly needs to be backed up?
A complete WordPress backup consists of two essential parts, both of which you need for a full recovery:
All WordPress files
This includes the WordPress core files (the foundation of WordPress itself), your themes (including customizations in a child theme), all the plugins you've installed, your uploads folder with all images and media files, and configuration files such as wp-config.php and .htaccess. The wp-content folder is the most important here, since it holds all your unique content and customizations.
The MySQL database
The database contains all your dynamic content: every post and page you've written, page settings and menu configurations, user accounts and their data, visitor comments, plugin settings and stored data, and theme settings and customizer options. Without the database, your WordPress files are just empty templates with no content.
Never forget either component. You need both the files and the database to fully restore your site. A backup of only the files or only the database is incomplete and makes recovery impossible or extremely time-consuming.
The 3-2-1 backup strategy
The gold standard for reliable backups is the 3-2-1 rule, developed by data recovery experts:
Keep at least 3 copies of your data. Use 2 different storage media or locations. Keep 1 copy off-site, meaning not at the same physical location as your server.
Why this approach? One backup on your own server protects against accidental deletion, but not against a server crash. Two backups at the same location don't protect against fire or theft at the data center. With the 3-2-1 rule you're protected against nearly every scenario you can think of.
In practice, for a WordPress site this means: your live site is copy one, a local backup on the server or your computer is copy two, and a cloud backup with an external service is copy three. That way you always have a fallback.
How often should you back up?
The ideal backup frequency depends on how often your website changes:
For active websites such as webshops, news sites, or busy blogs with daily updates, a daily backup is essential. Losing even one day of orders or content can be significant.
Websites with regular updates, such as business websites with weekly blog posts or portfolio sites updated monthly, benefit from weekly backups.
Static websites that rarely change, such as business card sites or brochure websites, can get by with monthly backups, though weekly doesn't hurt either.
When in doubt, back up more often. Storage space is dirt cheap these days, but your data is irreplaceable. The difference in storage cost between daily and monthly backups is negligible compared to the risk of data loss.
What are the best WordPress backup plugins?
UpdraftPlus: the most popular choice
With more than 3 million active installations, UpdraftPlus is the most widely used backup plugin for WordPress. The free version offers everything most websites need: fully automatic scheduled backups, direct storage to cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and more, easy one-click restore from the dashboard, and the ability to choose which components you want to back up.
The premium version adds extra functionality such as incremental backups that only back up changed files for faster and smaller backups, migration tools to move your site to different hosting, more storage destinations, and automatic backups before plugin updates.
BackWPup: powerful and free
BackWPup is an excellent alternative with many storage options in the free version, including FTP/SFTP, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, and more. The plugin is a bit more technical than UpdraftPlus but offers a lot of control for experienced users. Backups can be compressed and encrypted for extra security.
Duplicator: ideal for migrations
Duplicator excels at creating installable site packages, perfect for migrations between servers. The free version is less suited for scheduled automatic backups, but the Pro version does offer scheduling. If you regularly move or copy sites for staging, Duplicator is a great addition to your toolkit.
BlogVault: premium reliability
For critical websites where no data loss is acceptable, BlogVault offers real-time backups that capture every change. The service runs entirely off your server, doesn't burden it, and offers built-in staging and migration capabilities. The cost is higher, but reliability is excellent for professional websites.
Setting up automatic backups with UpdraftPlus: step by step
Step 1: install and activate the plugin
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New. Search for "UpdraftPlus" and install the plugin from UpdraftPlus.Com. Activate the plugin after installation. You'll now see a new menu item, "UpdraftPlus Backups", under Settings.
Step 2: configure remote storage
Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups and click the "Settings" tab. Scroll down to the remote storage section and choose your preferred destination. Google Drive is a popular choice with 15GB of free storage.
Click the chosen service and follow the authorization steps. For Google Drive you need to log in with your Google account and give UpdraftPlus permission to store files. After a successful connection you'll see a confirmation message.
Step 3: set the backup schedule
At the top of the settings page you'll see two dropdown menus for scheduling backups: one for files and one for the database. For the database, choose a daily or weekly backup, depending on how often your content changes. Files can be backed up weekly or biweekly since they change less often.
Also set how many backups you want to keep. Keep at least 7 daily backups and 4 weekly backups. This gives you enough of a recovery window if you only discover a problem later on.
Step 4: test your backup and restore
Click "Backup Now" to create your first backup. Select both database and files. Wait until the backup is complete and check that it was stored correctly in your remote storage.
Download the backup to your computer as extra security. Check that all components are present: database, plugins, themes, uploads, and other files. A backup you can't restore is worthless, so test this periodically on a test environment.
Where do you safely store backups
The most important rule: never store backups only on the same server as your website. If the server crashes, you lose your backups too. Always use remote storage.
Good storage locations
Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage, is reliable, and works seamlessly with most backup plugins. Dropbox gives 2GB free (more with referrals) and is easy to use. Amazon S3 is affordable for large backups with very high reliability, ideal for professional use cases.
Also keep a regular copy on your own computer or an external hard drive. This gives you an offline backup that doesn't depend on an internet connection or cloud services. Combine at least two storage locations for optimal safety.
Restoring backups when you need to
A backup is only valuable if you can actually restore it. Know the restore process before you need it in a panic.
Restore via the UpdraftPlus plugin
If you still have access to your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups. You'll see a list of existing backups. Select the backup you want to restore and choose which components (database, plugins, themes, uploads, other). Click Restore and wait until the process is complete.
Manual restore via FTP and phpMyAdmin
If you don't have access to WordPress, you'll need to restore manually. Upload the backup files via FTP to your server, overwriting the damaged files. Import the database backup via phpMyAdmin by selecting your database, going to Import, and uploading the SQL file. Update wp-config.php with the correct database details if needed.
This requires more technical knowledge, but it's essential to know if everything is broken and you can no longer log in to WordPress.
Backup best practices
Always back up before updates
Before updating WordPress core, themes, or plugins, create a fresh backup. Updates can go wrong and cause conflicts. With a recent backup you're back to a working site within minutes. Most backup plugins offer a "backup now" button for exactly this purpose.
Test your backups regularly
Schedule a test restore every quarter, preferably on a staging environment or local install. Check that all content, images, and functionality are restored correctly. Nothing is worse than discovering your backups are corrupt when you actually need them.
Document your backup procedure
Write down where your backups are stored, how to restore them, and which credentials you need. Keep this document in a safe place outside your website. If you're unavailable, someone else needs to be able to restore the site.
Keep backups long enough
Some problems, such as malware infections, are only discovered weeks later. If you only have backups from the past week, those might be infected too. Keep at least 30 days of backups, with monthly snapshots for longer periods.
Setting up automatic backups takes you half an hour, but that investment protects you against nearly every data loss scenario. Don't wait until it's too late. Set up your backup system today and rest easy from now on knowing your website is safe.
WordPress backup frequency and storage locations
How often you create a WordPress backup depends on how often your content changes. For an active website, a daily WordPress backup is recommended, while a static site can get by with a weekly WordPress backup.
| Website type | Recommended WordPress backup frequency | Storage location |
|---|---|---|
| Blog (daily new content) | Daily | Cloud + local |
| Webshop | Every 6 hours | Offsite cloud storage |
| Portfolio/business card site | Weekly | Local or cloud |
| Community/forum | Every 12 hours | Multiple locations |
Checklist for a reliable WordPress backup strategy
- Always store your WordPress backup in a remote location (not on the same server)
- Regularly test whether your WordPress backup can actually be restored
- Keep at least 3 recent WordPress backup versions
- Automate the process so you never miss a WordPress backup
- Store both the database and files in your WordPress backup
A good WordPress backup strategy protects you not just against technical problems, but also against hacks and human error. Invest in a reliable WordPress hosting provider that offers automatic backups, and always create your own WordPress backup as well via a plugin or manually. Also check out our guide on web hosting for more information on reliable hosting solutions.
How do you compare wordpress backup: the best strategies?
A daily full wordpress backup is the simplest strategy. Keep at least seven daily backups. Incremental backups are more efficient: only changed files are stored. The 3-2-1 rule is the standard: three copies, two media, one offsite. Combine with regular manual backups.
Automating WordPress backup: plugins and tools
| Plugin | Price | Cloud storage | Incremental |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpdraftPlus Free | Free | Google Drive, Dropbox | No |
| UpdraftPlus Premium | € 70/year | Extensive | Yes |
| BackupBuddy | € 80/year | Stash | No |
| BlogVault | € 89/year | Own cloud | Yes |
Set up daily automatic backups to a remote location. Regularly test that backups are restorable.
WordPress backup: restoring after a problem
Always restore to a test environment first. If your site is unreachable, restore manually via FTP and phpMyAdmin. In case of a hack: first identify the vulnerability, update everything, change passwords, check for backdoors. Combine with a security check.
WordPress backup: special considerations for WooCommerce
WooCommerce webshops place extra demands on your wordpress backup strategy. The database contains not just content but also orders, customer data, and stock levels. Losing this data can be catastrophic for your business. For WooCommerce shops, create at least two daily backups: one in the morning and one in the evening, so that if something goes wrong you lose a maximum of half a day's worth of orders.
Test your WooCommerce backups extra carefully. Restore a backup to a test environment and check that orders, customer accounts, and product configurations are intact. Pay particular attention to variable products, coupon codes, and shipping rules, since these contain complex serialized data that can get corrupted during a careless restore.
Also consider real-time database replication for business-critical webshops. Services like BlogVault offer real-time WordPress backups that store every change instantly. This means that during a crash or hack you lose at most a few minutes of data instead of a whole day. The extra cost of € 15-25 per month is well worth it compared to the risk of data loss. Also check out our guide on WooCommerce costs including hosting and backups.
WordPress backup: automation and monitoring
Automating your wordpress backup process is only the first step. Monitoring is just as important. Set up email notifications that alert you if a backup fails. Most premium backup plugins offer this functionality by default. Check weekly whether backups completed successfully and whether the file size is consistent. A sudden drop in backup size can indicate missing files.
Set a monthly calendar reminder to perform a restore test. Download the latest backup, set it up on a local or staging environment, and verify that everything works correctly. This test takes only 30 minutes but gives you the certainty that you can actually restore when it's needed.
A robust wordpress backup strategy is the best insurance for your website. The cost of a good backup solution (€ 0-90 per year) is negligible compared to the cost of data loss. By automatically backing up daily to a remote location, following the 3-2-1 rule, and performing a monthly restore test, you're prepared for any scenario. Whether it's a hack, a human error, or a server outage, with a recent, tested backup you're back online within hours. Don't forget to also regularly go through your WordPress maintenance checklist.
Remember: a wordpress backup is only valuable once you know you can actually restore from it. Schedule a test moment in your calendar now and verify that your full restore procedure works. Every minute you invest in testing backups potentially saves you hours of panic and recovery work when it really counts. Make backup management a regular part of your WordPress website management routine.
Start improving your wordpress backup strategy today. Install a backup plugin, configure daily automatic backups to the cloud, and schedule your first restore test. These three steps take less than thirty minutes but give you months of peace of mind. Your future self will thank you.
Keep in mind that a reliable wordpress backup covers not just your files, but also your database. The database contains all your posts, page content, settings, and user data. Make sure your backup solution stores both files and the database, and regularly test whether you can perform a full restore. Only a complete backup gives you the assurance that your website can be fully restored after an incident.
