How to back up a WordPress website (all real methods, step by step)
Backing up a WordPress site is one of those things you ignore until the day everything goes sideways. Plugin update breaks the site. Hosting hiccup. Someone clicks the wrong thing. Then suddenly backups feel very important.
The good news? You’ve got options. Lots of them. You only need one solid method, not all of them stacked on top of each other.
I’ll go through all the normal ways people actually back up WordPress, step by step, without pretending any of this is exciting.
Method 1: Hosting backups (most people already have this)
Most hosting companies include backups, even the cheaper ones.
Steps:
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Log into your hosting account
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Open your hosting control panel
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Look for Backups or Restore
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Check how often backups are taken (daily, weekly)
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Check how far back they go
Some hosts back up daily but only keep 7 days. Others keep 30 days.
Cost:
Usually included in hosting
Restores may cost extra (€10–€30 on some hosts)
Honest truth:
Hosting backups are fine as a safety net, but I wouldn’t rely on them alone.
Method 2: Backup plugin (most popular method)
This is what most WordPress users end up using.
Steps:
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Go to Plugins → Add New
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Install a backup plugin
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Activate it
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Choose what to back up (files + database)
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Set backup schedule (daily or weekly)
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Choose storage location (cloud or download)
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Run your first backup
Once set, it runs quietly in the background.
Cost:
Free versions exist
Paid versions usually €40–€80 per year
Worth paying for if the site matters.
Method 3: Manual backup via hosting panel (DIY approach)
If you like knowing exactly what’s happening, this works.
Steps for files:
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Log into hosting panel
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Open File Manager
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Select all WordPress files
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Compress into a zip
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Download to your computer
Steps for database:
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Open phpMyAdmin
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Select your WordPress database
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Click Export
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Download the file
You now have a full backup.
Cost:
€0
Reality check:
Works fine, but you won’t do this regularly. People say they will. They don’t.
Method 4: Backup via FTP + database export
Same idea as above, just using FTP software.
Steps:
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Connect to site via FTP
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Download all WordPress files
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Export database via phpMyAdmin
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Store both safely
Cost:
€0
Why people use this:
Good if hosting panel is limited or broken.
Why people don’t:
Slow. Boring. Easy to forget.
Method 5: Cloud backups (off-site, safer)
This usually goes hand in hand with a plugin.
Steps:
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Choose cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
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Connect it inside your backup plugin
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Schedule automatic backups
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Let them run
If hosting dies completely, your backup is still safe.
Cost:
Often included in paid plugin plans
Cloud storage usually free up to a limit
This is what I trust most.
Method 6: Staging site backups (for updates)
If your host offers staging, use it.
Steps:
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Create a staging copy of your site
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Test updates there
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Push changes live once confirmed
This isn’t a backup on its own, but it prevents disasters.
Cost:
Usually included with better hosting
Sometimes paid add-on
Method 7: Before major changes (manual quick backup)
This is the habit that saves people.
Before you:
• update plugins
• change themes
• add custom code
Do this:
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Run a manual backup
-
Confirm it completed
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Then make changes
Cost:
€0
Takes two minutes. Saves hours.
How often should you back up?
Small site, few updates:
Weekly is fine
Active site, blog, business site:
Daily
Online store:
Daily or even more often
Storage is cheap. Lost sites aren’t.
What people in Ireland usually get wrong
• Assuming hosting backups are enough
• Never testing a restore
• Backing up but not storing it off-site
• Forgetting backups exist until it’s too late
A backup you can’t restore is just a false sense of security.
What I’d actually do on a normal site
Hosting backups turned on
One backup plugin
Daily backups
Stored off-site
Manual backup before updates
That’s it. Simple. Boring. Reliable.
Backups aren’t about being clever. They’re about sleeping better. When something breaks, you don’t panic. You restore, make a cup of tea, and carry on like it never happened.