A recent backup is your best insurance against a failed update, human error or a hack. A WordPress backup has two parts: the files (in public_html) and the database.
Option 1: backups from your client area
If your plan has an active backup plan:
- In your client area, open your hosting service and go to Actions → Backups.
- Click Back up now for a full copy (files and databases). Automatic copies also run by themselves according to your plan.
- To go back, choose a copy and click Restore. You can restore only the files, only the database or both.
Copies are stored off the server, so they are safe even if the server has a problem. If your plan does not include backups yet, you can turn them on in the same section.
Option 2: with a plugin
Plugins like UpdraftPlus schedule backups and can send them to Google Drive or Dropbox. Set at least a weekly file backup and a daily database backup if you publish often.
Option 3: manual copy from cPanel
- In cPanel open File Manager, select
public_htmland click Compress. Download the.zip. - In phpMyAdmin, choose your database and click Export → Go.
- Keep both files on your computer.
Good practice
- Back up before updating WordPress, plugins or the theme.
- Keep copies in two different places.
- Now and then, test that a copy can be restored.
Need to recover your site and not sure how? Open a ticket and we will help you restore it.
