Create a WordPress backup: Back up your website regularly

In today’s digital world, a website is often the heart of a business or personal brand. Therefore, it is crucial to regularly back up your WordPress website. Backups protect against data loss, whether due to server failures, hacker attacks or human error. There are various methods to perform backups, including manual backups and automated solutions using plugins such as UpdraftPlus, BackWPup, and Jetpack VaultPress. In this article, you’ll learn why regular backups are important and what tools and methods you can use to do so. Do you need help with this or would you like to use your limited time differently? Then we would be happy to support you with ours Maintenance service, Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

What is a backup?

A backup is a copy of your data stored in a safe location for restoring in the event of data loss. For a WordPress website, a backup typically includes the database, WordPress core files, your themes, plugins, and any other custom files required to run your website. There are various methods for creating backups, including manual backups performed via an FTP program and a database management tool, as well as automated backups performed by special plugins or services.

Full backup

A full backup, also known as a full backup, involves backing up all data in a specific storage area. This method backs up all files and databases in their entirety, regardless of whether they have changed since the last backup or not.

Benefits of a full backup:

• Comprehensive Backup: All data is completely backed up, allowing complete recovery of all information.
• Easy Recovery: In the event of data loss, recovery is straightforward as all data is contained in a backup.
• Clarity and Overview: Because each backup represents a complete snapshot, it is easy to identify and restore specific versions.

Disadvantages of a full backup:

• High storage requirements: Full backups require a lot of storage space because each backup contains all data, even if it has not changed.
• Long Duration: Creating a full backup can be time-consuming, especially for large amounts of data.
• High Load: Performing a full backup may impact system performance as it requires a lot of resources.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup only backs up the data that has changed since the last backup - be it a full or an incremental backup. This means that each backup process only saves the new or changed data.

Advantages of an incremental backup

• Low storage requirements: Since only the changes since the last backup are backed up, this method requires significantly less storage space.
• Fast Backup: Backup time is shorter because less data needs to be backed up.
• Efficient use of resources: Incremental backups place less strain on system resources and can therefore be performed more frequently.

Disadvantages of an incremental backup

• More complex recovery: Recovery requires multiple backup sets - the most recent full backup and any subsequent incremental backups - which can make the process more complicated and time-consuming.
• Multiple file dependency: If one of the incremental backups is corrupted, it may affect the recovery of the entire data chain.
• Higher risk with long chains: The longer the chain of incremental backups, the higher the risk of recovery failures.

How often should backups be performed?

The frequency of backups depends on the currentness and dynamics of your website. A static website that is updated infrequently may require less frequent backups than an active blog or online store that receives orders daily. As a general rule, you should back up your website at least weekly. If there are frequent changes or high activity, it may be advisable to perform daily backups.

Why are backups important?

• Data Loss Protection: Unforeseen events such as server failures, hacker attacks, or human error can result in the loss of important data. A backup ensures that you can quickly restore your website without losing important information.
• Security during updates: Regular updates of WordPress, themes and plugins are necessary to close security vulnerabilities and improve the performance of your website. However, updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues or other errors. A current backup allows you to quickly roll back to a working version of your website in the event of a problem.
• Protection against malware and hacks: WordPress websites are common targets of hacker attacks. Malware can damage your website or even make it unusable. With a backup, you can minimize the damage by restoring your website to a previous, secure state.
• Easy Recovery: If your website goes offline for any reason, it’s crucial that you can get it back online as quickly as possible. A backup makes this process much easier and reduces your website downtime, which is especially important if you run an online business.
• Conflict Resolution: Sometimes changes to your website or new plugins can cause unexpected problems. A backup allows you to quickly resolve these conflicts by undoing the changes and restoring your website to a stable state.

Create manual backup

Creating a backup of your WordPress website manually is a valuable skill that gives you more control and understanding over your website. Although it is more time-consuming and potentially more error-prone than using backup plugins, it gives you the flexibility to customize the process according to your needs.

Preparation and requirements

Before you begin the backup process, you will need access to your web server. This can be done via an FTP client (e.g. FileZilla). Make sure you have your server and database login details handy. You can view this under the FTP menu item in the customer area of ​​your web host.

Back up your WordPress website files

• Connect to your server: Use your FTP client to connect to your web server.
• Backing up data: Once the connection to the server is established, the FTP client on the right will show all the files of your WordPress website stored on the server. You can now simply drag and drop these files into the desired folder on the left side of the FTP client and save them on your hard drive. Depending on the file size, this process may take some time.
• What data should be stored: wp-content: This is where your own data (uploads, plugins and themes are located. wp-config.php: Access to the database, security settings and configuration files. .htaccess: Individual settings and server instructions. The other folders and files only contain the standard WordPress files (WordPress Core) and do not necessarily have to be backed up with every backup. For a first complete copy of the website However, it is still a good idea to back up all of your data.

Review and save backup

Check the downloaded files and database to make sure everything was backed up correctly. Store the backup files in a safe location, preferably an external hard drive or a cloud storage service**.

Backup database

The database is the heart of your website and is often even more important than your images and other files. The database stores all settings, links and content that are essential for the functionality of your website. If the database becomes corrupted, your website will be unusable. Even if you have backed up all files and folders, your website cannot function properly without the database intact. WordPress needs the information from the database to know how to process and display the data. Therefore, it is crucial to create regular backups of your database to fully protect your website.

• Access phpMyAdmin: Most web hosting providers provide access to phpMyAdmin, a tool for managing MySQL databases. First open phpMyAdmin and enter your username and password. You can find this either in the database management area of ​​your hosting provider, or in the wp-config.php file.
• Select Database: Select the database your WordPress installation uses. The name of the database can be found in the wp-config.php file of your WordPress installation.
• Export the database: Click Export and select the export format (usually SQL). Save the exported database file to your local computer.

Advantages and disadvantages of manual backups

Advantages:

• Control: You have complete control over the backup process and can ensure that all relevant files and data are backed up.
• Understanding: Manual backup gives you a better understanding of the structure and functioning of your WordPress website.
• Flexibility: You can decide which files and databases to back up and customize the process as needed.

Disadvantages:

• Time Consuming: The manual backup process can be time consuming, especially for large websites with many files and large databases.
• Error Prone: Without the automation of backup plugins, there is a higher risk of files or databases being overlooked or incompletely backed up.
• Complexity: For less experienced users, the manual backup process can be complicated and confusing.

Our maintenance service

The maintenance and upkeep of a website is a critical factor for business success. We at Bajorat Media ensure that you can concentrate on your core business without having to worry about the technical details of your WordPress website. We have made it our mission to give you the Maintenance work to take off. Contact us We would be happy if we could help you.

A comprehensive maintenance concept for your website

Our services go far beyond simple updates. We offer you a comprehensive maintenance concept that covers various essential aspects.

Daily cloud backups

Your data is in safe hands with us. Through daily cloud backups, we ensure that your valuable information is always backed up and can be quickly restored in an emergency.

Security

Security gaps and threats on the Internet are constantly increasing. We monitor your website continuously for potential threats and take proactive measures to protect your website.

Performance and uptime monitoring

A fast and always available website is essential to the success of your business. Our performance and uptime monitoring ensures that your website runs optimally and is accessible to your customers at all times.

Tailored maintenance packages for individual needs

Every website is unique and has specific requirements. That’s why we offer tailor-made maintenance packages that are tailored exactly to your needs. Our services include, among others:

• Theme adjustments: We adapt the design of your website to your ideas and current trends.
• Setting up additional plugins: We integrate new features by installing and configuring appropriate plugins.
• Custom plugin development: If necessary, we develop customized plugins that perfectly fit your needs.
• Performance optimization: We optimize the speed and efficiency of your website to improve user experience and shorten loading times.

Professional expertise for your data security

We have specialized knowledge and extensive experience in the area of ​​data backup. We are always familiar with the latest technologies and best practices to securely store your data and restore it when needed.

Fast recovery in an emergency

In the event of data loss or an outage of your website, we are able to ensure quick and efficient recovery. This minimizes downtime and allows you to get your website back online quickly so your business operations can continue running smoothly.

Backup plugins

Using plugins to create backups in WordPress provides a convenient and often automated way to secure your website. To reduce the effort involved in a manual backup, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, appropriate plugins are a good alternative.

Choosing a suitable plugin

There are many backup plugins for WordPress that offer a variety of features. Some of the most popular and reliable plugins are:

• UpdraftPlus
• BackWPup
• Jetpack VaultPress

 

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is one of the most popular and commonly used backup plugins for WordPress. It offers a variety of features that make it an excellent choice for securing your website. UpdraftPlus is a powerful and versatile backup plugin for WordPress that offers many useful features in both the free and premium versions. The free version is great for most basic backup needs, while the premium version offers additional benefits and advanced features that are particularly useful for larger websites or users with specific needs.

Advantages

• Easy to Use: UpdraftPlus’ interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, so even non-technical users can easily create and manage backups.
• Automatic backups:
• UpdraftPlus allows you to set up automatic backups at regular intervals. You can adjust the frequency of backups according to your needs (daily, weekly, etc.).
• Flexible Storage Options: The plugin supports a variety of storage locations for your backups including Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Rackspace, FTP, SFTP, Email and many more. This gives you flexibility in choosing the backup location.
• Easy Restore: UpdraftPlus offers an easy restore feature that allows you to restore your website from a backup in just a few clicks. This is particularly useful in the event of a website outage or data loss.

Differences between the free and the premium version

While the free version of UpdraftPlus already offers many useful features, there are some additional benefits and advanced features in the premium version.

• Advanced Storage Options: The Premium version offers additional storage options such as Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Storage, SFTP and WebDAV.
• Clone and Migrate: With the premium version you can easily clone or migrate your website. This is particularly useful if you want to move your website to a new server or domain.
• Additional Database Encryption: The Premium version provides additional security by encrypting your database backups to better protect your sensitive data.
• More locations per backup: The Premium version allows you to set multiple locations for each backup, providing additional security for your data.
• Premium Support: The Premium version provides access to prioritized support that can help you with any issues or questions more quickly and efficiently.
• Developer Tools: For advanced users and developers, the premium version offers additional tools and options to customize and optimize the backup process.

 

Prices

The premium version of UpdraftPlus is offered in different pricing models:

• Staff: $70 per year for up to 2 sites
• Business: $95 per year for up to 10 websites
• Agency: $145 per year for up to 35 websites
• Enterprise: $195 per year for unlimited sites
• Gold: $399 per year for unlimited websites and expanded storage options

Disadvantages

Despite the many advantages that UpdraftPlus offers as a backup plugin for WordPress, there are some disadvantages that users should be aware of.

• Limited real-time backups: UpdraftPlus does not offer true real-time backups, which can be a disadvantage, especially for highly active e-commerce sites or sites with frequent updates. Real-time backups are important to ensure no data is lost, especially for websites that are constantly updated
• Limited real-time backups: UpdraftPlus does not offer true real-time backups, which can be a disadvantage primarily for highly active e-commerce websites or websites with frequent updates. Real-time backups are important to ensure no data is lost, especially for websites that are constantly updated
• Cost for Advanced Features: Although the free version of UpdraftPlus offers many basic features, some advanced features such as backup encryption, migration, and cloning service are only available in the paid premium version. This can be particularly problematic for users on a tight budget​
• Settings Complexity: The variety of settings and options available may be overwhelming for some users, particularly those without prior technical knowledge. This can make setting up and managing the plugin more complicated than simpler alternatives
• Lack of built-in migration tools: While UpdraftPlus does offer a migration feature, it is not as seamlessly integrated as some other backup plugins. Users may need to take additional steps or use external tools to migrate their website to a new server or domain

 

BackWPup

BackWPup is a widely used WordPress backup plugin that offers many useful features to safely store your website data. BackWPup is an excellent choice for website owners looking for a reliable and easy-to-use backup solution that offers both basic and advanced features.

Advantages

• Easy to Use: BackWPup’s interface is intuitive and allows users to set up automatic backups with just a few clicks.
• Versatile storage options: BackWPup supports a variety of backup locations including Dropbox, Amazon S3, Rackspace, FTP, email, and local storage.
• Automatic Backups: You can schedule automatic backups according to your website update frequency.
• Comprehensive Backups: The plugin allows full backups of your WordPress installation, including database, files and wp-content directory.
• Free and Premium Versions: BackWPup offers a free version with basic features and a premium version with advanced features like encrypted backups and prioritized support.

 

Differences between the free and premium versions

The free version of BackWPup offers basic backup features that are sufficient for many small to medium-sized websites. The premium version, known as BackWPup Pro, significantly expands these features.

• Advanced Storage Options: The Pro version allows additional storage locations such as Google Drive.
• Encryption: BackWPup Pro offers AES encryption for backups to make your data even more secure.
• Advanced backup scheduling: The Pro version allows you to create detailed backup schedules and rules.
• Multisite Support: The Pro version supports WordPress multisite installations and allows multiple websites to be secured on a network.
• Web Cron Monitoring: BackWPup Pro monitors all scheduled cron jobs and notifies you of any issues to ensure backups are performed without failures.
• Prioritized Support: The Pro version provides access to prioritized customer support that can help you resolve issues more quickly.

Prices

The premium version of BackWPup is competitively priced and offers a good balance between cost and features:

• Standard: $59 per year for one website.
• Business: $99 per year for five websites.
• Developer: $169 per year for ten websites.
• Supreme: $199 per year for 25 sites.
• Agency: $299 per year for 100 websites.

 

Disadvantages

Although BackWPup offers many advantages, there are also some disadvantages that should be taken into account.

• Complex Settings: Some users find BackWPup’s multitude of settings and options overwhelming, especially if they have no prior technical knowledge. This can make setting up and managing the plugin more complicated.
• Lack of real-time backups: Compared to some other backup plugins, like Jetpack, BackWPup does not offer real-time backups. This can be a disadvantage for websites that are updated frequently or that require real-time backups​
• Performance issues with large websites: Users have reported that BackWPup may have performance issues with very large websites or sites with many files and databases. This can lead to longer backup times and a higher load on the server
• Pro Version Cost: While the free version offers many basic features, some advanced features and options are only available in the paid Pro version. For users on a tight budget, this can be a disadvantage

 

Jetpack VaultPress Backup

Jetpack VaultPress Backup, formerly known as VaultPress, is a backup plugin for WordPress developed by Automattic, the makers of WordPress.com. It offers a comprehensive solution for backing up and restoring WordPress websites.

Advantages

• Automatic Backups: Jetpack VaultPress Backup performs automatic backups of your website. For daily backup plans, a new backup is created approximately every 24 hours. With real-time backups, a backup is created every time a change is made to the WordPress core tables, WooCommerce database tables, or related files.
• Built-in Security: Jetpack VaultPress Backup monitors your website for suspicious activity and malware. If there are any issues, you will receive instant notifications so you can respond quickly
• Comprehensive Coverage: The plugin secures both database and file systems, ensuring all aspects of your website are protected.
• Ease of Use: Setting up Jetpack VaultPress Backup is easy and requires no technical knowledge. There is hardly any configuration and the plugin is ready to use immediately after installation.
• Cloud Storage: Backups are stored on Automattic’s servers and redundantly backed up in multiple locations worldwide. This ensures high availability and security of your data.

Prices

Jetpack VaultPress Backup offers different plans that can be chosen depending on the specific needs of your website.

• Security: €8.95 (current) per month
• Complete: €22.95 (current) per month

Compared to the other plugins, Jetpack makes it possible to purchase individual products/functions if you don’t need a complete package. Additional features can also be added to a package.

Disadvantages

• No Multisite Support: Jetpack VaultPress Backup does not currently support WordPress multisite installations, which may be a disadvantage for users with multiple websites on a network.
• Performance Impact: Some users report performance degradation when the plugin performs backups. This can be particularly problematic for large websites.
• Cost: Although there are different plans available, the cost can be higher compared to some other backup solutions, especially when advanced features and real-time backups are needed.

 

Conclusion

Regular backups of your WordPress website are essential to prevent loss of important data and ensure the security of your website. Manual backups provide control and flexibility, but are time-consuming and error-prone. Automated backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackWPup, and Jetpack VaultPress offer user-friendly and efficient solutions. While UpdraftPlus and BackWPup impress with their versatility and flexibility, Jetpack VaultPress scores with easy setup and comprehensive security. Choosing the right backup tool depends on your specific needs and budget. Invest in regular backups to protect the integrity and availability of your website. If we can help you with your website maintenance, feel free to contact us.