What Is Website Backup?

Similar to a computer, your website could be prone to security threats. That’s why you need a website backup. However, you might be wondering, “what is website backup?”

A backup simply means a copy of all the data on your website. 💾 If something goes wrong, you won’t have to build your website again from scratch. Instead, you can use the extra copy to restore your site. A website backup is also useful in moving your site to a new host.

By conducting a regular website backup, you can ensure your site’s safety and that all of your hard work won’t go to waste. Without a website backup, you may not be able to recreate all the content you’ve diligently created for your audience.

How to back up a WordPress site

Several free and paid WordPress backup plugins 🔌 are available, allowing you to back up your website easily and automatically. One well-known plugin is UpdraftPlus. It lets you set up automatic schedules for backup. Its features include encrypted backup transport, backup encryption, and various options for cloud storage. These include Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, DreamObjects, OpenStack Swift, and more.

To back up a WordPress site for free, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin. Then, follow 🐇 these steps for a detailed walkthrough.

Mistakes to avoid when backing up

You should try to avoid certain mistakes when putting your newly acquired knowledge on what is website backup in practice and actually backing up your site. These include irregular frequency of site backups, choosing the wrong backup plugin, and being content with manual backups only. You might also fail to back up your website when making major changes. Another mistake is storing backups on the same computer or server as your site.

👉 Read here to learn more about common mistakes when backing up your site.

Restoring website backups

Wondering how to restore WordPress from a backup? You can use the well-recognized hosting dashboard, cPanel.

While cPanel doesn’t include automatic backups, restoring is easy. Simply log into your account, choose BackUp Wizard, and click Restore. Afterward, select the specific site component that you want to restore, and click Choose File and Upload.

For BlogVault, log into the dashboard. Next, click Restore under Backups. Provide the FTP details, like username, server name, and password. Afterward, pick the backup version to restore. After modifying the settings, click Restore.

Alternatively, you can also use tools like BlogVault and UpdraftPlus.

When using UpdraftPlus, go to your WordPress dashboard and select Settings and UpdraftPlus Backups. Find Existing Backups under Backup/Restore, pick the backup you want to use, and then click Restore. You can select all components if you want to restore all elements, and then click Restore. Once UpdraftPlus prepares the backup files, you’ll have to click Restore again. Once finished, it will show a message that the restore has been successful.

Here are some step-by-step walkthroughs on restoring ⚙️ your WordPress site from a backup.

🧐 Conclusion on what is website backup

Performing regular website backups allows you to protect your site against security threats. To keep your site data safe, you should also avoid mistakes like relying on manual backups. Thankfully, you can use several backup plugins. To ensure data protection and availability, build a comprehensive site backup strategy by creating a clear backup plan, weighing your storage options, and carefully choosing a reliable vendor or platform.