As a seasoned WordPress developer I’ve learned the hard way that backing up your WordPress files and database is more than just a good idea—it’s an absolute necessity.

It’s like having a safety net ready to catch you if disaster strikes.

But let’s face it manually backing up a WordPress site can be a real chore especially if you’re not a tech wizard.

That’s where my recent discovery comes in: the amazing world of automated backups which have revolutionized my approach to website security.

Table of Contents

Why Backups Are Essential for WordPress Sites

You see WordPress is a dynamic platform.

Your website is constantly changing with updates happening all the time new content being added and plugins being tweaked.

All of this can lead to unforeseen problems like a corrupted database or a plugin update that goes wrong.

Without a backup you could lose everything!

Think about it:

Hackers: Imagine waking up one morning to find your website has been hacked and all your precious data is gone. This is a nightmare scenario but it happens all the time.
Plugin or Theme Updates: Sometimes an update can cause your site to break. You might find yourself staring at a blank screen unable to access your website.
Accidental Deletion: We all make mistakes right? One wrong click and you could accidentally delete an entire page or even your entire database. It’s happened to the best of us!

Manual Backups: A Legacy Approach

In the early days of WordPress manual backups were the only option.

It involved using an FTP client to download all your website files then manually exporting your database using phpMyAdmin.

It was a tedious process and let’s face it most of us would rather be doing just about anything else!

Automated Backups: The Modern Solution

Thank goodness technology has come a long way since then! We now have the luxury of automated backups which take the pain out of the process and give us peace of mind.

Using Plugins for Automated Backups

For those not using a managed hosting solution like Pressable backup plugins are a lifesaver.

These plugins work behind the scenes automatically backing up your website on a regular basis usually daily or even hourly.

Here are some of the most popular and reliable WordPress backup plugins:

Jetpack Backup: Jetpack is a powerful all-in-one plugin that offers a variety of features including backup and restoration. With Jetpack you can easily backup your entire website including files databases and even plugins. It’s a great option if you want a comprehensive backup solution that’s easy to use.
UpdraftPlus: UpdraftPlus is a highly-rated plugin known for its user-friendliness and flexibility. You can choose to store your backups locally on a remote server or in a cloud storage service like Dropbox Google Drive or Amazon S3. UpdraftPlus also offers incremental backups which save time and bandwidth by only backing up the files that have changed since the last backup.
BlogVault: BlogVault is a premium backup solution that offers a range of features including scheduled backups unlimited manual backups and a built-in staging environment. It’s a great choice for those who need a reliable backup solution and want to take advantage of advanced features like site monitoring and activity logging.

Why I Love Using Pressable’s Automatic Backups

For my own sites I’ve switched to Pressable’s managed WordPress hosting.

It’s been a game changer for me.

Pressable takes care of everything for me including automatic backups so I don’t have to lift a finger.

Every time a change is made on my website Pressable automatically creates a backup of my files and it also performs hourly database backups which is essential for sites that experience frequent data changes.

Why Managed WordPress Hosting is a Game Changer

It’s not just about automatic backups though.

Pressable provides a ton of other benefits that make managing my websites a breeze.

They offer super-fast servers excellent security and a team of experts who are always available to help.

Pressable truly takes the worry out of website management allowing me to focus on creating amazing content and growing my business.

Manual Backups: When They Still Make Sense

While automated backups are amazing there are still times when manual backups are necessary.

Here are a few examples:

Before a Major Update: If you’re planning to update your WordPress core a plugin or your theme it’s a good idea to create a manual backup just in case something goes wrong during the update process.
Before Migrating Your Website: If you’re moving your website to a new host or domain it’s essential to have a backup in case anything goes wrong during the migration.
After Making Major Changes: If you’ve made significant changes to your website like adding a lot of new content or restructuring your site it’s a good idea to create a backup to preserve your work.
After a Security Incident: If your website has been compromised it’s important to create a backup of the clean version of your website to restore it to its original state.

Manual Backups With Pressable

Even with their automatic backup feature Pressable gives you the option to manually back up your site.

This is useful in cases where you want to have an extra layer of security or want to control the timing of the backup.

Here’s how to manually back up your website using Pressable:

Log in to your Pressable account: Go to the Pressable website and log in to your account.
Go to the “Backups” page: Once you’re logged in click on the “Backups” tab.
Select the site you want to back up: From the list of your sites choose the site you want to back up.
Click on the “Manual Backup” button: You’ll see a button labeled “Manual Backup”. Click on this button to initiate the backup process.

Manual Backups Using FTP and phpMyAdmin

If you’re not using Pressable you can manually back up your website using an FTP client and phpMyAdmin.

Here are the steps:

Download an FTP client: There are many FTP clients available such as Filezilla Cyberduck and WinSCP. Choose one that works for you and download it to your computer.
Connect to your hosting server: Open your FTP client and connect to your hosting server using the credentials provided by your hosting provider.
Download your website files: Once connected navigate to the root directory of your website and download all the files and folders to your computer.
Export your database: Log in to your hosting control panel and access phpMyAdmin. Select the database for your website and click on the “Export” tab. Select the desired export format (usually SQL) and click on the “Go” button. This will download a file containing all your database data.

Restoring Your Website

Once you have a backup you’ll need to know how to restore it.

If you’re using a plugin the restoration process is usually simple:

Go to the plugin’s settings page: Open the settings page for your backup plugin.
Select the backup you want to restore: Choose the backup you want to restore from the list of available backups.
Click on the “Restore” button: Click on the “Restore” button to start the restoration process.

Restoring Your Website with Pressable

Pressable makes restoring your website incredibly easy.

They offer a one-click restoration tool that lets you restore your website to a previous point in time with just a few clicks.

Here’s how to restore your website using Pressable:

Log in to your Pressable account: Go to the Pressable website and log in to your account.
Go to the “Backups” page: Once you’re logged in click on the “Backups” tab.
Select the site you want to restore: From the list of your sites choose the site you want to restore.
Choose the backup you want to restore: Click on the backup you want to restore from the list of available backups.
Click on the “Restore” button: Click on the “Restore” button to start the restoration process.

Final Thoughts:

Regular backups are essential for protecting your WordPress website.

With the help of automated backup solutions you can rest assured that your website is safe even in the face of disaster.

I urge you to take this crucial step to safeguard your digital assets.

If you’re still using manual backups I encourage you to look into using a backup plugin or exploring a managed WordPress hosting solution like Pressable.

Your website and your peace of mind will thank you!

How to Backup WordPress Files and Databases ⚠️