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How to Back Up Your WordPress Website: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

How to Back Up Your WordPress Website
Your WordPress website is one of your most valuable business assets. It contains your content, customer information, images, settings, and countless hours of work. Whether you’re updating plugins, changing your hosting provider, or simply protecting your site from unexpected issues, having a reliable backup is essential.
A backup acts as a safety net. If your website is hacked, experiences a server failure, or breaks after an update, you can restore it quickly and minimise downtime.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to back up your WordPress website, the different backup methods available, and best practices to keep your website protected.

Quick Summary: How to Back Up Your WordPress Website

  • 1. Understand why backups are important
  • 2. Know what should be included in a backup
  • 3. Choose between manual and automatic backups
  • 4. Create a full website backup
  • 5. Store backups securely
  • 6. Test your backups regularly
  • 7. Schedule automatic backups
  • 8. Keep multiple backup copies
  • 9. Learn how to restore your website
  • 10. Make backups part of your maintenance routine

Why Backing Up Your WordPress Website Is Important

Many website owners only think about backups after something goes wrong. However, regular backups can save your business from costly downtime and data loss.
A backup protects you against:
  • Hacking attempts
  • Malware infections
  • Accidental file deletion
  • Plugin or theme conflicts
  • Failed updates
  • Hosting issues
  • Human error
  • Server crashes
With a recent backup, you can restore your website quickly and get back online with minimal disruption.

What Should a WordPress Backup Include?

A complete WordPress backup should include both your files and your database.

Website Files

These include:

  • WordPress core files
  • Themes
  • Plugins
  • Images
  • Videos
  • Documents
  • Media uploads

Database

Your database stores:

  • Pages
  • Blog posts
  • User accounts
  • Comments
  • Website settings
  • Menus
  • WooCommerce products and orders
Without both files and the database, your website cannot be fully restored.

Types of WordPress Backups

There are several ways to back up your website.

Manual Backup

A manual backup involves downloading your website files and exporting your database yourself.

Advantages:

  • Full control
  • No additional plugins required
  • Suitable for experienced users

Disadvantages:

  • Time-consuming
  • Easier to make mistakes
  • Requires technical knowledge

Automatic Backup

Automatic backups are created on a schedule using your hosting provider or a WordPress backup plugin.

Advantages:

  • Saves time
  • Consistent protection
  • Ideal for business websites
  • Less chance of forgetting

Automatic backups are the preferred option for most website owners.

How to Back Up Your WordPress Website

Step 1: Back Up Your Website Files

Download a copy of your website files, including:

  • wp-content
  • Themes
  • Plugins
  • Uploads
  • Configuration files

These files contain your website’s design and functionality.

Step 2: Export Your Database

The database contains all your website content and settings.

Export it before:

  • Updating WordPress
  • Changing hosting providers
  • Installing major plugins
  • Making significant website changes

Keep the exported file alongside your website files.

Step 3: Store Your Backup Safely

Never keep your only backup on the same server as your website.

Store copies in secure locations such as:

  • Cloud storage
  • External hard drives
  • Secure company storage
  • Your hosting provider's backup system

Having multiple backup locations reduces the risk of data loss.

Step 4: Schedule Automatic Backups

Most websites benefit from regular automated backups.

A suggested schedule:

Daily

  • Online shops
  • Membership websites
  • Frequently updated blogs

Weekly

  • Business websites
  • Portfolio websites
  • Service websites

Monthly

  • Websites updated infrequently

Choose a schedule based on how often your website changes.

Step 5: Test Your Backups

A backup is only useful if it works.

Regularly test by restoring your backup to a staging environment or test server.

Check that:

  • Pages load correctly
  • Images appear
  • Forms work
  • User accounts are intact
  • Database content is complete

Testing gives you confidence that your backup can be relied upon in an emergency.

When Should You Back Up Your Website?

Always create a backup before:

  • Updating WordPress
  • Updating plugins
  • Updating themes
  • Installing new plugins
  • Changing your theme
  • Migrating to a new host
  • Editing important files
  • Making design changes

Regular backups should also be part of your ongoing maintenance schedule.

Best Practices for WordPress Backups

Follow these best practices:

  • Automate your backups
  • Keep multiple backup copies
  • Store backups off-site
  • Test restores regularly
  • Use secure storage
  • Delete outdated backups when appropriate
  • Back up before every major change

A good backup strategy can save hours of recovery work.

Common Backup Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common errors:

  • Never creating backups
  • Keeping only one backup copy
  • Storing backups on the same server
  • Forgetting to back up the database
  • Not testing backups
  • Relying solely on your hosting provider
  • Ignoring backup failures

Planning ahead helps avoid unnecessary downtime.

Backup Frequency Guide

Website Type

Recommended Backup Frequency

Online Store

Daily

News Website

Daily

Membership Website

Daily

Business Website

Weekly

Portfolio Website

Weekly

Personal Blog

Weekly

Static Website

Monthly

WordPress Backup Checklist

  • Full website backup created
  • Database exported
  • Website files copied
  • Media library included
  • Backup stored securely
  • Off-site copy available
  • Automatic backups enabled
  • Restore process tested
  • Backup schedule reviewed
  • Backup before major updates

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I back up my WordPress website?
It depends on how often your website changes. Business websites are typically backed up weekly, while eCommerce stores and frequently updated websites should be backed up daily.

Many hosting providers include backups, but you shouldn’t rely on them alone. Maintaining your own independent backups provides an extra layer of protection.

Yes. A complete backup allows you to restore your files and database if your website experiences data loss, security issues, or technical problems.

Absolutely. Always create a backup before updating WordPress core, themes, plugins, or making significant changes to your website.

A full backup includes both your website files and database, allowing you to restore your entire website. A database backup only contains your content and settings, not your themes, plugins, or uploaded files.

Protect Your Website with Professional WordPress Maintenance

Regular backups are one of the most important parts of maintaining a secure and reliable WordPress website. At GetWebsite.io, we provide professional WordPress maintenance services for UK businesses, including automated backups, safe updates, security monitoring, performance optimisation, and ongoing technical support. Whether you need help creating a backup strategy or managing your entire website, our team is here to keep your website protected and running smoothly.

Book a Free Consultation

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