Website Backups: What to Back Up, How Often, and How Restores Work
A backup is your safety net when an update goes wrong, a file gets deleted, or a site is hacked. But a backup only helps if it's complete, recent, and actually restores. Here's what to know.
What a full backup includes
A website has two parts, and you need both:
- Files: the CMS itself, your theme or template, add-ons, and uploaded images and documents.
- Database: your pages, posts, articles, settings, users, and form entries.
A files-only or database-only backup won't bring your site back on its own.
Also keep a record of your domain, DNS, and email settings somewhere safe. They aren't part of a site backup, but you'll need them if something goes wrong with your hosting.
How often to back up
It depends on how often the site changes:
- Sites that change often (stores, sites with frequent posts or form entries): daily, or more often.
- Sites that rarely change: weekly may be enough.
- Always: right before updates, big edits, or design changes.
Ask yourself how much work you'd be OK losing. That's your answer.
Where to keep backups
- Keep at least one copy off the server, like cloud storage. If the server fails or the site is hacked, backups stored only on the same server can be lost too.
- Keep several older copies, not just the latest. If a problem went unnoticed for a while, you may need to go back further.
- Protect backup files. They contain your whole site, including user data.
Who's backing up your site?
Many hosts include backups, but check:
- How often they run
- How long they're kept
- Whether they include files and the database
- How you restore one, and whether there's a fee
If you use a backup add-on, check that it's actually running and storing copies where you expect.
How restores work
- Pick the right backup. Choose one from before the problem started.
- Restore files and database together so they match.
- Test first if you can. Restoring to a staging (test) copy lets you check it before replacing the live site.
- Check the site: pages, forms, logins, and anything that changed since the backup.
- Redo recent changes. Anything added after the backup date, like new orders or form entries, may need to be re-entered.
If you're restoring after a hack, fix how the attacker got in first. See My Website Was Hacked: What to Do Right Now.
Test your backups
The only way to know a backup works is to restore it. Test a restore on a staging copy now and then.
Related
- How to Update Joomla Safely (Back Up First)
- How to Update WordPress Safely (Back Up First)
- Website Security Basics for Small Business Owners
How 3by400 can help
Our boutique hosting includes nightly backups, kept for one week. It's available to our clients, whether we built your site or you moved it to us from another host. If you're moving, we handle the whole move, including DNS. If you need to restore from one, contact us. Start a project or move your site.
Start a project
Ready to talk about your website? Start a project or reach us at 678-379-9321 or