How to backup your (WordPress) site

If you didn’t know yet, backing up your site is very important. Something can always go wrong. For example, when updating your site, installing a new plugin or adding some custom code. At such times it is useful to have a recent backup of your (WordPress) site at hand. You can even save this backup in different places for extra security.  It makes sure that if something goes wrong you have a fresh copy of your site you can restore and move on like nothing ever happened.

Why are backups of your site important?

Backups of your site are essential when you update your site. When you update your site to improve security, bug fixes, and new features, something may go wrong. In that case, you want to revert to an earlier version on your site.

How to create a backup through your host

Most good hosting companies will offer a backup tool or automated service for their customers. They usually allow users to set automated backups from within their control panel. We have a list available with popular WordPress hosting partners vetted by Yoast. If you want to know more about creating backups trough your host, we’d suggest you contact your hosting company.

How to create a backup by using a WordPress plugin

A benefit of using WordPress is that there are several plugins that offer a great backup solution. At Yoast, we recommend and have good experiences with BlogVault as this tool offers many great features. Such as creating staging sites and easy migrations.

Some other great backup plugins for WordPress are:

• BackupBuddy
• UpdraftPlus
• BackupWPUp
• Duplicator
• VaultPress

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