Beginner steps: how to back up a WordPress site safely and simply

Beginner steps: how to back up a WordPress site safely and simply

Backing up your WordPress site is an essential habit that protects your work against accidents, hacks and hosting issues. For a beginner it can feel technical, but the basic idea is straightforward: copy your site files and copy your database, then store those copies somewhere separate from your live server. This guide walks through the main options, gives a simple manual method to try, and explains how scheduled backups work so you can pick the approach that suits your skill level and budget.

Before starting, know what a full backup needs to include so you do not miss anything critical. A complete copy must contain the WordPress core files, theme and plugin files, the uploads folder with your images and media, plus the MySQL database that holds posts, pages and settings. It is also a good idea to preserve configuration files such as wp-config.php and .htaccess. The short checklist below shows the main components to capture.

• WordPress files and folders including wp-content, themes and plugins.
• The uploads directory with media files and any custom directories you use.
• The MySQL database export that contains posts, users and settings.
• Configuration files such as wp-config.php and .htaccess for settings and rewrites.
• Any custom cron jobs or server-side scripts that affect your site behaviour.

Manual backups are a useful way to learn what is happening behind the scenes and they work anywhere hosting allows access. To back up files, use your host's file manager or an FTP/SFTP client to download the site files into a single compressed archive, such as a zip file. To back up the database, open phpMyAdmin or your host's database tool, select your WordPress database, choose Export and download an SQL file. Keep both the archive and SQL file in at least two safe locations, for example an encrypted folder on your computer and an external hard drive.

For most beginner users a backup plugin simplifies the process and adds scheduling and remote storage options. Popular plugins allow automatic backups to cloud services and give an easy restore mechanism in the WordPress admin area. Install a reputable plugin, follow its setup wizard to connect a remote destination such as a cloud account, and configure a schedule that matches how often your site changes. Remember to test the plugin by performing a manual backup and then checking that the backup files can be downloaded and opened.

Scheduling, retention and off-site storage are the three factors that make backups reliable in practice. Schedule daily or weekly backups depending on how often you publish, and keep several older versions in case a recent backup contains an unwanted change. Store backups off the server in a separate location to avoid losing both the site and its backups if the server fails. Regularly test a restore on a staging site or local environment so you are confident a backup is usable when needed.

Restoring a site usually involves uploading the files, importing the SQL database and adjusting configuration values such as database connection details. If you use a plugin, follow its restore process and check that permalinks, media and plugins load correctly. If your host provides snapshots or managed backups, learn their restore options and any limits on how far back you can go. For more practical tutorials and step-by-step guides on related maintenance tasks, see other guides in this category on the blog for additional explanations and examples. For more builds and experiments, visit my main RC projects page.