Worried about losing your WordPress site after a hack, failed update, hosting issue, or accidental deletion? It happens more often than most site owners think. The good news is that backing up your WordPress website is easier than it sounds, and there are several reliable ways to do it.
Most people don’t even think about backups until it’s too late. One day, your site’s humming along. The next, you’re staring at a blank screen, wondering where everything went. Maybe it was a bad plugin update. Maybe your host had a server problem. Maybe you just made a mistake. Doesn’t matter. If you don’t have a backup, you’re stuck rebuilding from scratch. That’s time, money, and energy you’ll never get back.
If your website matters, your backup strategy matters too. Every WordPress site owner needs a safety net. In this guide, you’ll learn how to back up your WordPress website, what a full backup should include, and which method makes the most sense for your site.
Why You Need to Backup Your WordPress Website?
WordPress sites get targeted all the time. Updates can break things. Hosts make mistakes. And people accidentally delete files more often than you’d think. Backups are your safety net. They let you roll back to a working version, save hours of stress, and keep your online presence running. No backup means risking all your hard work. With a backup, you’re in control, no matter what goes wrong.
Common reasons you’ll need a backup:
Your site gets hacked or infected with malware: Hackers target WordPress sites every day, and a backup lets you restore your site to a clean version before the attack. A security plugin is recommended to protect your website from hackers.
Updates break your theme or plugins: Sometimes, a new plugin or theme update can crash your site or cause weird errors – having a backup means you can roll back instantly.
Hosting issues or server failures: Servers can fail, hosts can make mistakes, and hardware can crash. Backups help you recover quickly if your hosting provider has a problem.
You’re migrating to a new host or domain: Moving your site is risky. A backup protects you from data loss during migration or domain changes.
Accidental file deletions or database wipes: One wrong click and you could delete something critical. A backup makes it easy to recover lost files or data.
What Does a WordPress Backup Actually Include?
A complete WordPress backup should include two main parts:
Your website files: themes, plugins, media uploads, and core WordPress files
Your database: posts, pages, comments, users, and site settings
Miss one, and you risk losing important content or functionality. Always grab both.
How to Backup Your WordPress Website: 3 Methods
There’s no single best way to back up a WordPress site. The right method depends on your experience level, hosting setup, and how often your website changes. The three most common options are using a WordPress backup plugin, relying on your hosting provider’s backup tools, or creating a manual backup with FTP and phpMyAdmin.
Method 1: Backup with a WordPress Plugin
Plugins like UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, Jetpack VaultPress, and Duplicator make backing up your WordPress website simple – even for beginners. These tools are popular because they automate the process, offer flexibility, and let you store backups offsite for extra safety.
In this example, we’ll use UpdraftPlus to create a backup of a WordPress website. Here’s what you get with a plugin like UpdraftPlus:
Scheduled automatic backups: Set it and forget it – UpdraftPlus can run backups on your schedule.
One-click restores: Bring your site back to life with a single click if disaster strikes.
Offsite storage: Save backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, or other remote locations.
Full or incremental backups: Choose to back up everything or just what’s changed since the last backup.
How to Backup a WordPress Site Using UpdraftPlus
Step 1: Go to your WordPress dashboard, then navigate to Plugins > Add New. Search for UpdraftPlus, click Install Now, and then click Activate.
Step 2: Open UpdraftPlus Settings
In the left menu, go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups. This opens the main dashboard for all your backup options.
Step 3: Set Up Initial Backup
Click Backup Now. In the popup window, make sure both your files and database are included, then click Backup Now again to start the backup.
Wait a few minutes – UpdraftPlus will let you know when the backup is done. You’ll see your new backup listed and ready for download or restore.
Step 4: Schedule Your Backups
In the Settings tab, set how often you want backups for your files and database. Pick your frequency – hourly, daily, weekly, etc. – based on how often your site changes. Select how many backups to keep before older ones are deleted. Save your changes so UpdraftPlus knows when and what to back up.
Step 5: Download and Store a Copy
After the backup finishes, download a copy to your computer or another secure storage location. Keeping an extra copy gives you more control if you ever lose access to your hosting account or cloud storage.
Don’t rely on just one backup location. If your cloud storage fails, you want another copy handy. Test your backups by restoring them on a staging site or checking the files. Review your backup schedule every few months to make sure it still fits your needs.
Method 2: Backup Using Your Hosting Provider
Many managed WordPress hosts offer built-in backup tools that automate the process for you. Depending on your hosting plan, backups may run daily, be stored offsite, and allow one-click restores from your dashboard.
Here’s how a typical hosting backup tool works:
Log in to your hosting dashboard:
Log in to your hosting dashboard or cPanel account.
Find the backup section:
Look for the JetBackup tool in your cPanel dashboard. This is where all your backups live and where you control everything.
Check your backup schedule:
Many hosts run automatic daily backups that include your website files, databases, and sometimes email accounts, depending on your plan.
Restore or download backups as needed:
JetBackup lets you restore your entire website or just specific parts (like files or databases) with a few clicks. You can also download backup copies to your computer for extra peace of mind.
Method 3: Manual WordPress Backup via FTP and phpMyAdmin
A manual WordPress backup gives you full control over your files and database. This method is useful if you want to avoid plugins, create an extra backup before major changes, or keep your own local copy. Since it isn’t automatic, you’ll need to remember to do it regularly.
Here’s how to manually back up your WordPress site using FTP and phpMyAdmin:
Install an FTP client:
Download and install a free FTP client like FileZilla. This tool lets you connect directly to your website’s server and manage files easily.
Get your FTP credentials:
You’ll need your host name (or server IP), username, password, and port number. These details are usually found in your hosting account dashboard, under FTP accounts. If you’re not sure, contact your hosting support for help.
Connect to your site:
Open your FTP client, enter the credentials, and hit “Quickconnect.” Once connected, you’ll see your local files on the left and your website’s files on the right.
Navigate to the root directory:
On the right panel, find your site’s root directory – usually named public_html or www. This folder contains all your WordPress files, including wp-content, wp-admin, and important configuration files like wp-config.php and .htaccess.
Download your files:
Select all files and folders in the root directory (Ctrl+A), right-click, and choose “Download.” This saves a full copy of your website files to your computer. The bigger your site, the longer this will take.
Backup your database:
Files alone aren’t enough. Log in to your hosting control panel and open Databases > phpMyAdmin.
Select your WordPress database, click “Export,” choose the SQL format, and save the file to your computer. This step captures your posts, pages, settings, and users.
That’s the manual backup method: download your WordPress files with FTP and export your database with phpMyAdmin.
Best Practices for WordPress Backups
Don’t just back up and hope for the best. If you want your backups to actually save your site when disaster hits, you need a real strategy – not just random copies sitting somewhere. Here’s how to make sure your WordPress backups are actually useful, reliable, and ready when you need them most.
Store backups in multiple locations:
Keep at least three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, and at least one offsite (like cloud storage). Use a mix of cloud, local, and even external drives. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Encrypt sensitive backups:
If your backups include customer data, payment info, or anything private, always encrypt those files. This keeps your data safe even if someone gets their hands on your backup.
Test your backups:
A backup is worthless if it doesn’t restore. Regularly test your backups in a staging environment or use your plugin’s “test restore” feature. Don’t just trust the file – make sure it actually works by restoring it somewhere safe before you ever need it for real.
Keep several versions:
Don’t just keep the latest backup. Store multiple versions so you can roll back to a clean copy from before a hack, update, or mistake. This gives you options if you only spot a problem days later.
Automate when possible:
Life’s too short to remember manual backups every week. Use your host’s scheduler or a plugin to automate regular backups so you never miss one.
Backup before any change:
Before you update WordPress, install a new plugin, or change your theme, make a backup. Even small changes can cause big problems, and it’s always easier to restore than to troubleshoot a broken site.
Review your backup frequency:
If your site changes often, such as an eCommerce fashion store, membership site, news site, or travel blog, back it up daily or even in real time.
What About Restoring Your Site?
A backup is only useful if you can restore it successfully. Most backup plugins and hosting dashboards offer one-click restores. With a manual backup, you’ll need to upload your files and import your database through cPanel, FTP, or phpMyAdmin.
Test your restore process before disaster strikes. You don’t want your first restore to be in the middle of a crisis.
Final Thoughts on How to Backup Your WordPress Website
Backing up your WordPress website isn’t optional if you care about your content, traffic, and business. Whether you use a plugin, your host’s built-in tools, or a manual method, make backups part of your regular maintenance routine. Store copies in more than one location, test your restores, and review your schedule as your site grows.
