How to back up your website: why and how
A good website backup strategy is indispensable for every website owner. Without regular website backups you run the risk of losing all your data in the event of a hack, server error or human error. In this article we show you how to set up a reliable website backup strategy.
Imagine: your website is hacked, you accidentally deleted something crucial, or an update went wrong. Without a backup you can lose everything - years of work, customer data, all of it. A good backup strategy is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Why backups are essential
Things go wrong. Always. Common disaster scenarios:
- Hacking: malware destroys your site
- Human errors: files or database accidentally deleted
- Bad updates: a plugin or theme update breaks your site
- Server problems: hardware failure at your host
- Ransomware: attackers encrypt your files
With a recent backup you are back online within minutes.
What should you back up?
A complete website backup consists of:
1. Files
- All website files (HTML, CSS, JS, images)
- CMS files (WordPress core, themes, plugins)
- Uploads and media
- Configuration files (.htaccess, wp-config.php)
2. Database
- Posts, pages, products
- Users and settings
- Orders and customer data
- All content that is not stored in files
Important: a backup of only files or only the database is not complete. You need both.
How often should you back up?
| Type of site | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Static site (few updates) | Weekly |
| Blog (regular new content) | Daily |
| Online store | Daily or more often |
| Busy community/forum | Several times a day |
Rule of thumb: back up as often as you are willing to lose data. If you would mind losing one day of content, back up daily.
Backup methods
Through your hosting provider
Most hosting providers make backups automatically. At Theory7 you get daily backups with up to 90 days retention. You can restore with one click through DirectAdmin.
Note: do not blindly trust your host. Also make your own backups in an external location.
Manually through FTP + phpMyAdmin
- Download all files through FTP to your computer
- Export the database through phpMyAdmin as a .sql file
- Keep both in a safe place
Time-consuming, but you have full control.
Through plugins (WordPress)
Popular backup plugins:
- UpdraftPlus: free, backup to the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive)
- All-in-One WP Migration: easy for migration and backup
- BackWPup: flexible, many options
- Jetpack Backup: real-time backups (paid)
Through your control panel
DirectAdmin and cPanel have built-in backup functions:
- Log in to your control panel
- Look for "Backup" or "Create Backup"
- Select what you want to back up (files, database, email)
- Download the backup file
Where do you keep backups?
Not on the same server as your website! If the server crashes, your backups are gone too.
Good options:
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3)
- External hard drive
- Another server/hosting
- Locally on your computer + cloud
The 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, on 2 different media, of which 1 off-site.
Test your backups!
A backup you cannot restore is worthless. Test regularly:
- Download a backup
- Restore it on a test environment
- Check whether everything works
Do this at least every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
Does my host already make backups for me?
Usually yes, but check the conditions. How many days are kept? Can you restore easily? Always make your own backups as well.
How long should I keep backups?
At least 30 days. For e-commerce or sites with important data: 90+ days. Some hacks are only discovered after weeks.
Should I back up the whole site or only the database?
Both. The database contains your content, the files contain your themes, plugins and uploads. You need both for a full restore.
Start today
Do you not have a backup routine yet? Start today:
- Check whether your hosting has automatic backups
- Install a backup plugin or use your control panel
- Set up automatic backups to cloud storage
- Test a restore to see whether it works
Backup strategy for your website
A good backup strategy follows the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, of which 1 offsite (outside your server).
Automatic backups from your hosting
Most hosting providers make automatic daily backups. Check how long these are kept (often 7-30 days) and how you can restore them. Do not blindly rely on this - also make your own backups.
Making manual backups
For WordPress you can use plugins such as UpdraftPlus or BackWPup. These make automatic backups and can store them in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). For other CMS platforms there are comparable solutions.
What should you back up?
- All website files (including images and uploads)
- The database (this is where all your content is)
- Configuration files (wp-config.php, .htaccess)
- Email if relevant
How often should you back up?
This depends on how often your website changes:
- Online store with daily orders: daily or more often
- Blog with weekly posts: weekly
- Static business site: monthly is often sufficient
When in doubt: back up more often. Storage space is cheap, lost data is priceless.
Restoring a backup
A backup is only useful if you can also restore it. Test this periodically by restoring a backup on a test environment. That way you know for sure that your backups work when you really need them.
At most hosting providers you can restore a backup with a few clicks through the control panel. With manual backups you upload the files and import the database through phpMyAdmin.
Backups are your insurance against data loss. Whether it is a hack, an error, or a server outage, with good backups you recover quickly. Invest time in setting up a reliable backup routine and regularly test whether your backups can actually be restored. Those few minutes per month can one day save you hours or days of work.
Backups are your insurance against data loss. Do not wait until something goes wrong - set up a backup strategy today and sleep peacefully knowing that your data is safe.
Backups are your last resort in case of data loss. Make them regularly and keep them safe in an external location.
With Theory7 web hosting you get automatic daily backups with one-click restore. But always make your own backups too - double is better.
Website backup methods compared
There are several ways to make a website backup. The best approach combines multiple methods for maximum safety.
| Website backup method | Automatic | Restore speed | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting backup | Yes (daily) | Fast | All websites |
| Plugin backup (WordPress) | Yes (configurable) | Medium | WordPress sites |
| Manual FTP backup | No | Slow | Technical users |
| Cloud backup | Yes | Fast | Business-critical sites |
| External drive | No | Slow | Extra safety |
Best practices for website backup
- Make a website backup of your files and database at least daily
- Keep website backup copies in multiple locations (server + external)
- Choose web hosting with automatic daily backups
- Regularly test whether your website backup can actually be restored
- Use a VPS for more control over your website backup schedule
- Never store website backup files only on the same server
- Consider WordPress hosting with built-in backup functionality
A reliable website backup gives you peace of mind and protects you against data loss. Combine your backup strategy with an SSL certificate and good security. Register your domain name with a provider that takes website backup seriously.
How to back up your website: automation and planning
Making a manual website backup is better than nothing, but for reliable protection you need an automated backup system that runs on a fixed schedule.
Determining a backup schedule
The right backup frequency depends on how often your website changes. A blog that publishes new articles daily needs daily backups. A business website that rarely changes can suffice with weekly backups. An online store with daily orders needs several backups per day so as not to lose orders. Set up the following schedule as a guideline: a full backup weekly, an incremental backup daily, and a database backup every hour for online stores.
Backup locations: the 3-2-1 rule
The gold standard for backups is the 3-2-1 rule: keep at least three copies of your data, on two different storage media, of which one in an external location. In practice this means: a backup on your hosting server, a copy in the cloud (Google Drive, Amazon S3 or Backblaze B2), and possibly a local copy on an external hard drive. If your hosting provider goes bankrupt or is hacked, you always still have an external copy.
How to back up your website: tools and methods
There are several ways to make a website backup, from manual methods to fully automated solutions.
Manual backup through FTP and phpMyAdmin
For a manual backup you download all website files through FTP and export the database through phpMyAdmin. This is suitable as a one-off backup for major changes, but not practical for daily use. The steps: connect through FTP, download the entire website folder, open phpMyAdmin, select your database, click Export, and save the SQL file together with your website files.
Automatic backup through your hosting provider
Most hosting providers offer automatic backups through the control panel. In DirectAdmin you find this option under Backup/Restore. Check how long backups are kept (at least 14 days is desirable), whether both files and databases are backed up, and whether you can restore individual files or only full backups. Never rely only on the backups of your hosting provider - always make an extra copy in an external location.
WordPress backup plugins
For WordPress websites there are excellent backup plugins available. UpdraftPlus is the most popular option with support for automatic backups to Google Drive, Dropbox and Amazon S3. BackupBuddy offers migration tools in addition to backups. Duplicator is ideal if you want to migrate your website. Choose a plugin that supports incremental backups - this considerably reduces the server load and storage space.
Restoring a backup: when things go wrong
A backup is only valuable when you know how to restore it. Regularly test whether your backups work correctly.
Restore procedure step by step
- Assess the situation - determine which data is damaged or lost
- Choose the right backup - select the most recent backup from before the problem
- Test on a staging environment - restore on a test environment first to check whether the backup is complete
- Restore files - upload the website files through FTP or the control panel
- Restore the database - import the SQL file through phpMyAdmin
- Check the configuration - verify that the database connection settings are correct
- Test the website - check all pages, forms and functionality
Common mistakes when restoring backups
- No test on staging - always test first before you restore live
- Wrong backup version - a backup from after the problem contains the same errors
- Forgetting database settings - after a restore, database references in wp-config.php can be incorrect
- Not refreshing permalinks - after a restore in WordPress, go to Settings, Permalinks and save again
- Not clearing caches - clear all caches after a restore to prevent old content
How to back up your website: specific CMS guides
The approach to making a website backup differs per CMS. For WordPress you use a plugin like UpdraftPlus that automatically makes daily backups to Google Drive or Amazon S3. For Joomla you use Akeeba Backup, which can make a full site backup including database and configuration. For Drupal, the Backup and Migrate module is the standard choice. For static websites, an FTP download of all files is enough. For all platforms, use the phpMyAdmin export as an additional database backup. Regardless of your CMS: always keep backups in at least two different locations and regularly test whether a restore can be carried out successfully. A backup you cannot restore is worthless.
How to back up your website: how often and how long to keep
The ideal backup frequency and retention period for making a website backup depend on your type of website. For online stores: a database backup every hour, a full backup daily, kept for at least 30 days. For business websites: a daily backup, kept for at least 14 days. For blogs: a daily backup with regular publishing, weekly with irregular updates, kept for at least 7 days. For the retention period, take into account the fact that you sometimes only discover a hack or malware infection after weeks - so always keep a few older backups as a safety net. A good hosting provider offers automatic backups with a retention of at least 14 days.
How to back up your website: costs and investment
The cost of making a website backup varies from free to a few tens of euros per month. Free options are the backups of your hosting provider (check frequency and retention) and free WordPress plugins such as UpdraftPlus with Google Drive storage. Premium backup solutions cost five to twenty euros per month and offer a higher frequency, longer retention, and easier restore. Cloud storage costs are minimal: Google Drive offers 15 GB free, Amazon S3 costs less than a euro per month for most websites. Compare these costs with the potential damage of data loss: rebuilding a website costs hundreds to thousands of euros, and lost customer data is irreplaceable. A backup investment of five euros per month is therefore one of the wisest expenses for your website.
How to back up your website: the next step
Now that you know how to make a website backup, it is time to take action. Check whether your hosting provider makes automatic backups and how long these are kept. Install a backup plugin as an extra safety net and configure automatic backups to an external location. Test your first backup by carrying out a restore on a test environment. Set up a backup schedule that suits your website and stick to it. A good backup policy takes you five minutes to set up and can save you thousands of euros and irreparable data loss.
How to back up your website: advanced strategies
For websites with many daily changes, advanced backup strategies are needed. Implement incremental backups that store only changed files, which saves storage space and time. Use versioning so that you keep several versions of the same backup and can return to any point in time. Keep backups in at least two different external locations for maximum redundancy: for example Google Drive and Amazon S3. Automate backup verification by periodically carrying out a restore test on a test environment. Document your restore procedure so that everyone on your team can restore a backup, even in emergency situations when you are not available.
How to back up your website: per CMS platform
The best backup approach differs per platform. WordPress users install UpdraftPlus or BlogVault for automatic backups to the cloud. Joomla users use Akeeba Backup for complete site packages that are easy to restore. Drupal offers the Backup and Migrate module for database exports. Custom PHP websites require manual configuration with mysqldump for the database and rsync or tar for files. For all platforms: test your backups regularly by carrying out a full restore on a test environment. A backup you have not tested is not a reliable backup.
How to back up your website: automation with scripts
For advanced users, automating website backups with scripts is the most reliable method. On a Linux server you make a bash script that uses mysqldump for the database export and tar for archiving files. Schedule the script through cron to run automatically every day, for example every night at three o'clock. Add automatic upload to an external location with rclone (for Google Drive, Dropbox or Amazon S3) or rsync (for an external server). Implement automatic cleanup that removes backups older than 30 days to save storage space. Send a notification email after each backup with the status and file size so that you immediately know if something goes wrong.
Website backup: disaster recovery plan
A backup is only one part of a complete disaster recovery plan. Document the full restore procedure step by step so that everyone on your team can restore a backup. Define your Recovery Time Objective (RTO): how long may it take to restore your website? And your Recovery Point Objective (RPO): how much data loss is acceptable? Practise the restore process at least every quarter on a test environment. Keep the contact details of your hosting provider and access details separate from your server, for example in a password manager or physically in a safe location.
Do not wait any longer to set up a reliable website backup strategy. The investment in time and resources is minimal compared to the potential consequences of data loss. Start today by configuring automatic backups to an external location and regularly test your restore procedure.
