Backing Up Your WordPress Site
There are two parts to backing up your WordPress site: Database and Files. You need to back up the entire site, and you need to back up your WordPress database. Below are instructions for backing up your WordPress database for various server programs. We will start with backing up the rest of your WordPress site.
Your WordPress site consists of the following:
- WordPress Core installation
- WordPress plugins
- WordPress themes
- Images and files
- JavaScript, PHP, and other code files
- Additional files and static web pages
All of these are used in various combinations to generate your website. The database contains your posts and a lot of data generated on your site, but it does not include the above elements that all come together to create the look and information on your site. These need to be saved.
Most hosts back up the entire server, including your site, but it takes time to request a copy of your site from their backups, and a speedy recovery is critical. You need to learn how to back up your own site files and restore them.
Here are some methods to backup your site files:
Website Host Provided Backup Software
Most website hosts provide software to back up your site. Check with your host to find out what services and programs they provide.
Create Sync With Your Site
WinSCP and other programs allow you to sync with your website to keep a mirror copy of the content on your server and hard drive updated. It saves time and makes sure you have the latest files in both places.
Copy Your Files to Your Desktop
Using FTP Clients or UNIX Shell Skills you can copy the files to a folder on your computer. Once there, you can compress them into a zip file to save space, allowing you to keep several versions.
Remember, keep at least three backups on file, just in case one is corrupted or lost, and store them in different places and on different mediums (such as CD’s, DVDs or hard drives).
