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Site Management

Take a Backup using UpdraftPlus

Instructions:

Taking regular backups is a good way to protect your website, especially if you are making bigger changes or testing new layouts. A backup allows you to restore your website if something goes wrong.

Create a backup

  1. Log in to your WordPress website.
  2. From the dashboard, go to Settings.
  3. Click UpdraftPlus Backups.
  4. Click Backup Now.
  5. Make sure both Files and Database are selected.
  6. Open each section and check that all options are ticked and there are no errors.
  7. Click Backup Now again to start the backup.
  8. Wait for the backup process to complete.

You will see a log showing what the server is doing while the backup is being created. This can also be useful if there are any issues during the backup process.

Download your backup

  1. Once the backup is complete, you will see the backup files listed.
  2. Click on each backup file to download it.
  3. Download each file into a folder on your computer.

The files are split into smaller sections to make them easier for servers to handle.

Once downloaded, your backup is stored safely on your computer and can be used if you need to restore your website.

Restore a backup

  1. If you need to restore your website, go to UpdraftPlus Backups.
  2. Find the backup you would like to use.
  3. Click Restore.
  4. Select the backup files you would like to restore.
  5. Click Restore again to begin the process.
  6. Wait for the restore process to finish.

Once all sections are completed successfully, your website will be restored back to that backup point.

Please note that restoring a backup will remove changes made after that backup was created.

Clean up old backups

  1. Once you are happy that your backups are working correctly, remove old backup files you no longer need.
  2. Keep only a few recent backups to avoid using too much server storage.

For most websites, keeping around two to four backups is usually enough. Larger websites may need more space depending on how often changes are made.

Keeping your backups organised helps your website run smoothly and prevents unnecessary storage usage.

You now have a backup of your website saved and ready to use if needed.