With the increasing popularity of WordPress, it’s important to make sure you have a reliable backup strategy in place. That’s where a WordPress backup plugin comes in handy. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best ways to use a plugin to create safe and effective backups of your website.
Before we get started, it’s important to understand that backups are not only for peace of mind – they can also help you resolve issues should something go wrong. So make sure you have a solid backup strategy in place before you start using a WordPress backup plugin.
First, let’s take a look at the different types of backups you can make with a plugin.
Types of WordPress Backup Plugin
1. Full Backup: This is the most comprehensive backup and includes all of your website’s files and settings.
2. Snapshot Backup: This type of backup captures a specific point in time, usually when your website is up and running. It can be helpful if you need to restore a specific page or post.
3. Difference Backup: This type of backup captures the changes made to your website since the last full or snapshot backup. It can be helpful if you want to compare older versions with the current version.
4. Rollback Backup: This type of backup allows you to go back to a specific point in time and restore your website to its previous state. This can be handy if you experience a website issue and need to restore your site to its previous state.
Now that you understand the different types of backups available with a WordPress backup plugin let’s take a look at some of the best plugins for creating backups.
Best WordPress Backup Plugins
1. WPBackup: This plugin is the most popular WordPress backup plugin and has support for several different backup types. It also includes an easy-to-use interface and supports multiple websites.
2. Back Buddy: This plugin offers support for full, snapshot, difference, and rollback backups. It also has an easy-to-use interface and supports multiple websites.
3. Backup Buddy Pro: This premium version of Backup Buddy offers enhanced features, including support for scheduled backups and automatic email notification when a backup is completed or failed.
4. VaultPress: This plugin offers support for full, snapshot, difference, and rollback backups. It also has an easy-to-use interface and supports multiple websites.
5. Duplicate Content & Backup: This plugin allows you to duplicate content on your website and create a backup of the duplicated content. This can be helpful if you need to restore a specific post or page.
Once you have selected the plugin that best suits your needs, its time to set up a basic backup strategy.
How to Set Up a Basic WordPress Backup Strategy
1. Make sure you have a full backup of your website every time you make any changes to your site. This will help avoid any issues should something go wrong during a restore later on.
2. Make sure you have at least one snapshot backup of your website every week. This will help you capture changes made to your website since the last snapshot backup.
3. Make sure you have a difference backup of your website every month. This will help you capture changes made to your website since the last full or snapshot backup.
4. Make sure you have a rollback backup of your website every 6 to 12 months. This will help you go back to a specific point in time and restore your website to its previous state if you experience an issue.
Now that you know how to set up a basic WordPress backup strategy, it’s time to get started using a plugin to create backups of your website.
How to Use a WordPress Backup Plugin To Create Safe and Effective Backups
1. Download and install the plugin onto your WordPress site.
2. Click on the configuration button located under the plugin’s main banner.
3. Under the Backup Type section, select the type of backup you would like to create.
4. Under the Schedule section, select a time frame for your backup to run.
5. Click on the Create Backup button to begin creating your backup.
6. You will now be presented with a summary of the backup that was created. Click on the Download button to download the backup file to your computer.
7. If you would like to restore a specific post or page from your backup, click on the Restore button and select the post or page you would like to restore.
8. You will now be presented with the content of the selected post or page. If you would like to make any changes to the content, simply click on the Edit button and make your changes.
9. Once you have made all of your desired changes, click on the Save button to complete the restore process.
10. You can now delete the backup file from your computer if you no longer need it.
Now that you know how to set up a basic WordPress backup strategy and use a plug to create backups of your website, it’s time to learn some tips for avoiding common backup mistakes.
Tips for Avoiding Common Backup Mistakes
1. Always make sure you have a full backup before making any changes to your website. This will help ensure that you can restore your website to its previous state should something go wrong during a restore later on.
2. Make sure you have at least one snapshot backup every week to capture changes made to your website since the last snapshot backup.
3. Ensure you have a different backup every month to capture changes made to your website since the last full or snapshot backup.
4. Have a rollback backup every 6 to 12 months to help you go back to a specific point in time and restore your website to its previous state if you experience an issue.
5. Be sure to store your backups securely, so that you can access them in case of an emergency.
6. Preserve your data by utilizing email notifications so that you are promptly alerted of the completion or failure of a backup.
7. If you experience any issues with your website backup, contact your hosting provider or plugin author for assistance.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned how to set up a basic WordPress backup strategy and use a plugin to create backups of your website. You also learned tips for avoiding common backup mistakes. However, if you have any questions or would like assistance with setting up your WordPress backup, please don’t hesitate to contact SecurItPress. Or signup for one of our Site Care Plans and we can take care of the backups for you!
