This is a topic I hammer on about a lot! Backups… Especially with data driven systems like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal etc, but in all honesty it does not matter what technology your website is based on, you HAVE to back up your data. Even if your web hosting provider has a backup system in place it is always a good idea to keep additional backups.
This might sound crude to some because the question “What do I pay you for then?” regularly pops up, but, you as a website owner is just as responsible for your data as your web hosting provider is. You can’t rely on one single source of data recovery, ideally you should at the very least have three sources.
I am a frequent WordPress user and also build all my websites using WordPress as well. WordPress itself is a very secure and stable platform, but, there are literally thousands upon thousands of third party themes and plugins available to further extend WordPress and this is sometimes where the problems arise and data gets lost, sites get hacked etc.
So today I am going to introduce two methods by which you can backup your entire WordPress site including the database.
First up we have WordPress Backup to Dropbox:
WordPress Backup to Dropbox is a free plugin that allows you to backup your WordPress website on a regular basis. The plugins simple interface lets you to setup your backup cycle in minutes giving you piece of mind that your precious blog posts, media files and template changes are backed up.
In order to use the plugin you will need a Dropbox account. Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily.
You can find detailed instructions on how to use this plugin here.
To install the plugin simply follow these steps:
- Go to your WordPress admin
- Go to the plugins section
- Click add new plugin
- Search for ‘Backup to Dropbox‘
- Click install
- Once done, click Activate
- Browse to the plugin settings and set up your backup schedule
Next up we have WordPress to Google Drive:
Backup is a plugin that provides backup capabilities for WordPress. Backups are zip archives that are created locally and uploaded to a folder of your choosing on Google Drive.
You are in total control of what gets backed up.
Features
- Schedule automatic backups.
- Back up the database.
- Back up files and directories.
- Fine grained control over what gets backed up.
- Store backups locally and/or on Google Drive.
- Interrupted uploads to Google Drive automatically resume.
- Get email notifications when something goes wrong.
- The settings page interface uses standard WordPress elements to fit right in.
- Extensive contextual help included.
- Advanced options are provided to control the inner workings of the plugin.
You can find detailed instructions on how to use this plugin here.
Find some more WordPress Tips and Advice here and have your Hosting questions answered here.
Alan Straton
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