WordPress backup strategy: protect your website against data loss

Your WordPress website can be hit by data loss at any moment. Whether it's a hack, a server crash, human error, or a failed update - without good backups, you can lose everything. A solid backup strategy is therefore not an option, but a requirement.

Why is a backup strategy crucial?

Think about what's at stake:

• years of content and blog articles
• customer data and orders
• your complete website design and settings
• SEO rankings you've built up
• hours of work and customizations

A hack, server crash, or human error can destroy all this in an instant. With good backups, you'll restore your website within minutes to hours. Without backups, you're spending weeks or months rebuilding - if that's even possible.

The 3-2-1 backup rule

The gold standard for backups is the 3-2-1 rule:

• 3 copies of your data (original + 2 backups)
• 2 different media (for example, server + cloud storage)
• 1 offsite copy (not in the same location as your website)

This rule protects you against virtually all data loss scenarios.

What exactly should you back up?

A complete WordPress backup consists of two parts:

1. Files

All files in your WordPress installation:

• wp-content folder (plugins, themes, uploads)
• wp-config.php (configuration)
• .htaccess file
• other custom files

2. Database

The MySQL database contains:

• all posts and pages
• users and passwords
• comments and metadata
• plugin settings
• theme options

Both parts are essential - you need both to fully restore your website.

Types of backups

Full backups

A complete copy of all files and database. This is the most reliable but requires more storage space and time.

When to use:

• for your first backup
• weekly or monthly as a baseline
• before major changes

Incremental backups

Only files that have changed since the last backup. Faster and less storage space.

When to use:

• daily backups
• with frequent content updates
• for automatic backups

Database-only backups

Only the database, no files. Super fast and small.

When to use:

• multiple times a day for active sites
• for webshops with orders
• supplementary to full backups

Backup frequency: how often to back up?

The ideal frequency depends on how active your website is:

Daily backups:

• webshops with daily orders
• news sites with lots of new content
• membership sites with user data
• active blogs with daily posts

Weekly backups:

• business websites with few changes
• portfolio sites
• informational websites
• blogs with weekly posts

Monthly backups:

• static websites without updates
• brochure sites
• minimally active websites

Extra backup moments:

• right before major updates (WordPress, plugins, themes)
• before major design changes
• before installing new plugins
• before database modifications

Automatic vs manual backups

Automatic backups (recommended)

Advantages:

• you never forget
• consistent schedule
• no manual work
• backups even when you don't think about it

Disadvantages:

• costs server resources
• possible additional costs
• requires good configuration

Best tools:

• hosting provider backup (often free)
• UpdraftPlus (free + premium)
• BackWPup (free)
• VaultPress/Jetpack Backup (premium)

Manual backups

Advantages:

• complete control
• no extra costs
• choose the moment yourself

Disadvantages:

• easy to forget
• time-consuming
• less consistent

When useful:

• as extra backup before major changes
• with hosting without automatic backups
• as fallback alongside automatic backups

Backup storage locations

On the same server (not recommended as only option)

Advantages:

• super fast recovery
• free
• easily accessible

Disadvantages:

• if server crashes, you lose everything
• if hacked, backups can also be compromised
• counts toward your storage limit

Use only as:

• temporary extra copy
• supplement to offsite backups
• for quick restore option

Cloud storage (recommended)

Google Drive:

• 15GB free
• affordable for more space (€1.99/month for 100GB)
• well integrated with backup plugins

Dropbox:

• 2GB free
• reliable
• easy to share with team

Amazon S3:

• very reliable
• pay-per-use model
• professional option
• slightly more complex to set up

Backblaze B2:

• cheaper than Amazon S3
• unlimited storage
• good for large websites

At your hosting provider

Many hosting providers offer automatic backups:

TransIP:

• daily backups included free
• 7-day retention
• easy restore via control panel
• with WordPress hosting from €6.95/month

Antagonist:

• real-time backups (every 4 hours)
• 30-day retention
• one-click restore
• with managed WordPress from €14.95/month

SiteGround:

• daily backups free
• 30 days retained
• restore via control panel
• from €14.99/month

Kinsta:

• daily automatic backups
• 14-30 days retained (depending on package)
• downloadable backups
• manual backup option
• from €30/month

ONE.com:

• weekly backups
• limited restore options
• basic backup functionality

Looking for hosting with good backup provisions? Check our WordPress hosting comparison for a complete overview.

Best WordPress backup plugins

UpdraftPlus (free + premium)

Free version:

• manual and scheduled backups
• storage to Dropbox, Google Drive, S3
• database and files backup
• restore function

Premium version (€70/year):

• incremental backups
• automatic updates
• database encryption
• multisite support

Perfect for: most WordPress sites

BackWPup (free + premium)

Free version:

• full and database backups
• multiple storage options
• scheduling possible
• logs of backup processes

Premium version (€75/year):

• Google Drive support
• priority support
• BackWPup Pro Destinations

Perfect for: technical users who want lots of control

VaultPress / Jetpack Backup (premium)

VaultPress Backup (€89/year):

• real-time backups
• unlimited storage at Automattic
• 30-day archives
• one-click restore
• malware scanning

Perfect for: professional sites with many transactions

BlogVault (premium)

From €89/year:

• daily automatic backups
• 90-365 days retention
• staging environment included
• site migration tools

Perfect for: agencies and professionals

WP Time Capsule (freemium)

Free version:

• incremental backups
• storage to Dropbox, Google Drive
• version management

Premium from €49/year:

• more cloud options
• staging environment
• priority support

Perfect for: sites with many content changes

Backup configuration step-by-step plan

Step 1: Choose your backup method

First determine how you want to back up:

• via hosting provider backups (if available)
• with a WordPress plugin
• or a combination

Step 2: Install backup plugin (if applicable)

For example, for UpdraftPlus:

1. go to Plugins > Add New
2. search for "UpdraftPlus"
3. click install and activate
4. go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups

Step 3: Connect cloud storage

1. choose your preferred storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
2. go through the authorization steps
3. test the connection

Step 4: Configure backup schedule

Set how often you want to back up:

• files: weekly
• database: daily (or more often for active sites)

Step 5: Determine retention period

How many backups do you want to keep?

• minimum: 7 daily backups
• recommended: 30 days
• optimal: 90 days

Watch your storage space and costs.

Step 6: Do a test backup

1. click "Backup Now"
2. wait for the process to finish
3. check if the backup was successful
4. view the files in your cloud storage

Step 7: Test a restore

Crucial but often forgotten:

1. create a test staging environment
2. restore a backup there
3. check if everything works
4. only then you know your backups are usable

Backup testing: why and how?

A backup you can't restore is worthless. Therefore, regularly test if your backups work:

Monthly test routine

1. download a recent backup
2. open the backup file
3. check if all files are present
4. see if the database export is readable

Quarterly full test

1. set up a test environment (local or on staging subdomain)
2. restore the full backup
3. test if the website works
4. check if all pages load
5. test plugins and functionality
6. document any problems

This seems time-consuming, but experiencing one real restore crisis and not being able to recover is much worse.

What to do in case of data loss

Stay calm and follow these steps:

Step 1: Stop working

Don't make it worse by continuing with changes.

Step 2: Determine the scope

What exactly was lost?

• entire website offline?
• only certain data gone?
• database corrupt?

Step 3: Check hosting provider backups

Most hosts have automatic backups:

1. log in to your control panel
2. look for "backups" or "restore"
3. view available backups
4. start a restore

Step 4: Use plugin backup

If hosting isn't an option:

1. go to your backup plugin (if accessible)
2. choose a recent backup
3. start restore process
4. or download backup and upload manually

Step 5: Restore from cloud storage

If WordPress isn't accessible:

1. download your backup from cloud storage
2. unzip the files
3. upload via FTP to your server
4. import database via phpMyAdmin

Step 6: Ask for help

Not succeeding yourself?

• contact hosting support
• ask a WordPress professional
• seek help in WordPress forums

Common backup mistakes

1. Only backing up the database

Many beginners only back up the database. But without your plugins, theme, and uploads, you can't fully restore.

Solution: always back up the complete website (files + database)

2. Storing backups on the same server

If the server crashes or gets hacked, your backups are gone too.

Solution: always keep copies offsite (cloud storage)

3. Never testing backups

You only discover during a real crisis that your backups are corrupt or don't work.

Solution: test a restore at least every three months

4. Keeping too few backups

One backup isn't enough. You sometimes only notice later that something is wrong, and then your only backup has already been overwritten.

Solution: keep at least 7-30 daily backups

5. No backup before updates

A plugin update goes wrong and you don't have a recent backup.

Solution: always make a manual backup right before major changes

6. Not backing up upload folders

The wp-content/uploads folder can be gigantic and is sometimes skipped. But that's where all your images and media are.

Solution: make sure you make full backups including uploads

7. Forgetting backup password

Some backup solutions use encryption. If you lose the password, you can't use your backup.

Solution: store passwords safely in a password manager

8. Not setting up notifications

Your backup fails for days and you don't notice.

Solution: configure email notifications for both successful and failed backups

Backup checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate your backup strategy:

Basic:

• automatic backups set up
• both files and database are backed up
• backups are stored offsite
• backup frequency matches website activity
• at least 7 daily backups retained

Advanced:

• multiple storage locations (cloud + hosting)
• incremental backups for efficiency
• encryption for sensitive data
• version management
• automatic notifications

Professional:

• real-time backups for critical sites
• automated restore tests
• disaster recovery plan documented
• team training for restore procedures
• monitoring of backup success rates

Backup costs

What does a good backup solution cost?

Free options:

• hosting provider backups (often included)
• free plugins (UpdraftPlus, BackWPup)
• free cloud storage tier (15GB Google Drive)

Total: €0/month

Budget setup:

• basic hosting with backups (€6-10/month)
• free plugin
• paid cloud storage (€2/month for 100GB)

Total: €8-12/month

Professional setup:

• managed WordPress hosting (€15-30/month, backups included)
• premium backup plugin (€70/year = €6/month)
• cloud storage (€10/month for 2TB)

Total: €31-46/month

Enterprise setup:

• premium managed hosting (€30+/month)
• enterprise backup service (€89-300/year)
• multiple cloud storage locations

Total: €50-100+/month

For most websites, the budget setup (€8-12/month) is more than sufficient.

Conclusion

A good WordPress backup strategy is your insurance against data loss. The costs are minimal compared to the potential damage from data loss.

Start today with:

1. check if your hosting provider makes automatic backups
2. install a backup plugin as extra security
3. connect cloud storage for offsite backups
4. set automatic schedule
5. test a restore to verify it works

Your future self will thank you when things go wrong. Because it's not a question of if something goes wrong, but when.

Check our comparison of hosting providers with backup options to make the best choice for your website.