How to Backup WordPress for Beginners (Tools & Plugins)

In managing a website, there are many aspects that you need to pay attention to. The most important thing is the security of the website itself.

You need to protect the website from all forms of attack because a website that is damaged by an attack can reduce the credibility of your brand.

Of course, this is a big risk for those of you who use the website for business. One way to secure your website is to back it up.

For those of you who are configuring a website with WordPress, you must refer to this guide, which will discuss how to backup WordPress using tools or plugins for beginners. Check out the discussion below!

What is WordPress Backup?

Basically, a website consists of many databases and files. Therefore, all files and databases on the website should be maintained properly.

Backup WordPress itself means copying all the data on a website, which is done with the aim of securing this data.

In general, website files consist of core installation files and content, such as themes and plugins, both of which are essential for your website to run properly.

By default, these files will be stored in a large directory named 'public_html'.

Likewise with databases, website data such as links, tags, posts, comments, and others also need to be kept safe.

Usually, this backup will be done when a website is going to be maintained.

If the appearance and contents of the website are not backed up first, it will appear empty or blank after the maintenance.

You don't want this to happen, right? Therefore, learning how to backup WordPress is very important, especially if you're planning to do some website maintenance in the near future.

The Importance of WordPress Backup

So, why is it important to back up WordPress?

Broadly speaking, this backup is necessary to maintain the security and performance of a website.

Backups can provide additional security in case your website is attacked by unexpected parties such as malware, hackers, and others.

If your website is damaged by these various attacks, this will affect its credibility.

Some web hosting companies offer automatic backups as part of their service packages. However, you still need to store files in several different locations, such as the cloud, external drives, and your PC.

This allows you to have another copy in case important files get corrupted or lost.

Usually, backups are done depending on how much you are going to maintain the website. You can take the backup via phpMyAdmin, FTP, or plugins.

How to Backup WordPress for Beginners

After knowing the meaning and importance of backing up WordPress for your website, now is the time for you to know how to backup WordPress for beginners.

The following methods are also quite simple, so follow each step carefully!

1. How to Backup WordPress with phpMyAdmin

The first WordPress backup method is to use phpMyAdmin.

Before that, you need to prepare the phpMyAdmin tools first to carry out this backup process.

To perform a backup, you can follow these steps:

1. Open cPanel and find phpMyAdmin in the Database section.
2. In the 'List of Current Databases' section, click 'Enter phpMyAdmin' on your website database.
3. To select all tables, check the 'Check All' box at the bottom. Then, click the 'Export' tab on the menu at the top.
4. Next, choose the SQL format, then click 'Go' to start downloading your backup results.
5. The backup process is complete. You can restore it at any time when needed.

2. How to Backup WordPress with FTP

The next way to backup WordPress is to use FTP. In order to carry out this process, you first need to download FileZilla on your device.

If FileZilla is installed, you can follow the steps to backup WordPress with FTP by following these steps:

1. Go to your FTP account in cPanel to find the required credentials in the FileZilla configuration.
2. If you haven't set a password, click 'Change account password' to do so first.
3. Go to 'File' > 'Site Manager' > 'New Site'. After that, fill in some of the required information, such as the username, password, hostname, and so on. If so, click 'Connect'.
4. Right-click the 'public_html' folder, then click 'Download' to start downloading the backup results.
5. When the backup process is complete, FileZilla will notify you.

3. How to Backup WordPress with Plugins

Some of the backup methods listed above use tools. So, can't the data in WordPress be backed up using only a plugin?

The answer is yes. Here are some examples of WordPress backup plugins and how to backup them that you can easily follow.

UpdraftPlus

This backup plugin is one of the most widely used for backups.

Interestingly, this plugin allows you to schedule backups automatically.

This plugin is also available in a free version, but you can also try the premium service, which retails for around $70.

Here's how to backup WordPress, which you can do using this UpdraftPlus plugin:

1. Install and activate the UpdraftPlus plugin first. If so, open the plugin.
2. To make a backup, click 'Backup Now'. Choose any files you want to back up. However, you are advised to follow the default, which will backup the entire site's content.
3. To start the backup process, click 'Backup Now'.
4. The backup process is complete. If you want to restore it, all you have to do is click 'Restore' in the 'Existing backups' section.

BackWPup

Apart from UpdraftPlus, another backup plugin that has no fewer users is BackWPup.

This plugin is provided in the free version. However, you can try the BackWPup Pro service to enjoy more features, which costs around $69 per year.

This plugin has advanced multisite support for cloud-based backup storage. In addition, BackWPup allows you to schedule backups automatically.

You can find out how to backup WordPress using this plugin in the following steps:

1. Install and activate the BackWPup plugin first.
2. On the left menu, click 'BackWPup', then 'Add New Job'.
3. In the 'Job Name' section, name your backup file. After that, select the data to back up in the 'Job Tasks' section.
4. In the 'Job Destination' section, select the location where you want to save the backup file.
5. Enter the email address in the 'Log Files' to get information regarding the backup process. After that, click 'Save Changes'.
6. Click 'Run Now' to start the backup process.

Thus, the guide discusses how to backup WordPress, starting from using backup tools to using plugins.

You can do the methods above easily, and they will definitely work if you follow each step properly.

Apart from doing backups, you also need to use SEO services to support website performance, especially if the website can be used for business purposes.

Achieve maximum business results through your website with SEO services from cmlabs!