{"id":12196,"date":"2020-03-23T15:59:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T19:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/?p=12196"},"modified":"2020-03-31T11:42:09","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T15:42:09","slug":"wordpress-backup-and-restore-best-practices-how-to-protect-your-website-from-unexpected-downtime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wordpress-backup-and-restore-best-practices-how-to-protect-your-website-from-unexpected-downtime\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress Backup and Restore Best Practices: How to Protect Your Website from Unexpected Downtime"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We\u2019ll break down some of the backup and restoration methods for your\nWordPress site that can help you recover from the schmucks of the digital world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s never just a matter of <em>if<\/em> but rather <em>when<\/em>\nsomething goes wrong with your WordPress website. That\u2019s not a dig against\nWordPress, it\u2019s just the reality of running websites. Getting your site back up\nand running is not just time consuming but it\u2019s also expensive. Of course, the\nfastest way to fix any issues and to get it back up and running is to use a\nWordPress backup and restore solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of why your site is down \u2014 whether a hacker\ndecided to compromise your website or something happened to your servers \u2014 if\nyou have a WordPress backup and restore solution in place, this snafu won\u2019t cause\nmuch of an issue. Just restore your website right away, and you can get things\nback up and running pretty quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what if you\u2019re one of those who never took the time to\nmake a WordPress backup? Then you, my friend, are traveling up an infamous brown\ncreek without a paddle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if you\u2019re wondering \u201cwhat is a WordPress backup and do I\nreally need it?\u201d we\u2019ll answer that and share some solutions, tips, and best\npractices that can help you to protect the future of your organization and\nwebsite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s hash it out.<span id=\"newline\"><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WordPress Backup and Restore: The Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without trying to sound overly negative or critical,\nsomething is always going to go wrong at one point or another. Whether it\u2019s a cyber\nattack, a server failure, or an electrical overload, data can get destroyed in\nany number of ways. And having a WordPress backup and restoration tool (or web\nhosting backup or database backup for those of you who use web hosting\nsolutions other than WordPress) in place can help you restore your website\nquickly and easily when it does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s because a website backup, in a nutshell, is like a snapshot\nin time of your website\u2019s most essential components \u2014 your databases, files,\netc. This is true of any website, including WordPress sites. And I\u2019m sure that\nyou\u2019d agree that all of those things are worth protecting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some WordPress backup best practices we can share include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Backing up site code files, databases, and images\nand other media.<\/li><li>Backing up any plugins, add-ons, and templates\nor themes.<\/li><li>Ensuring your WordPress backup is <em>recent<\/em>\nand up to date.<\/li><li>Using a solution that makes backup and\nrestoration tasks easy.<\/li><li>Using off-site storage, preferably cloud storage.<\/li><li>Encrypting and protecting your onsite and cloud backup\nstorage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A WordPress backup and restore tool is what you\u2019d use to replace\nyour database, files, and other pertinent information in the event that\nsomething goes wrong. And, as Murphy\u2019s Law would indicate, \u201cwhatever can go\nwrong, will go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s like keeping an insurance policy on your business: While it may not stop bad things from happening, a reliable WordPress backup and restore plan helps you to ensure that you get back on your feet when they do. It\u2019s also like having a handy save point in a video game \u2014 this way, you don\u2019t have to start all the way back at the beginning! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Do I Need to Worry About Having WordPress Backup and Restore\nCapabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did you know that 59% of survey respondents report human error as the leading cause of unplanned downtime? That data is according to research from Information Technology Intelligence Consulting\u2019s (ITIC) <a href=\"https:\/\/en.resources.lenovo.com\/analyst-reports\/itic-2019-global-server-hardware-server-os-reliability-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">2019 Global Server Hardware, Server OS Reliability Survey<\/a> of 1,000 global businesses between October 2018 and January 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the survey: \u201cHuman error (59%) and security\n(51%) are the top external causes of downtime and unanticipated reasons for\ntaking servers offline.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other causes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Software bugs and flaws (29%)<\/li><li>Inadequate server hardware (22%), and <\/li><li>Challenges in provisioning new applications\n(21%)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, downtime is a costly problem for organizations of all sizes, including enterprises. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/753938\/worldwide-enterprise-server-hourly-downtime-cost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Statista<\/a> reports that downtime from critical server outages cost 34% of enterprises at least $1 million per hour on average according to its 2019 survey data. Another 25% of respondents globally reported an average hourly downtime cost of between $301,000 and $400,000.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When something goes wrong, 99% of the time restoring from a\nbackup (or at minimum have a backup to compare file differences) is going to be\nthe fastest (and easiest) way to fix the problem. So, if you value keeping your\nwebsite up and running, I\u2019d suggest implementing a WordPress backup of some\nkind immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Methods of Backing Up Your WordPress Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re someone who likes options, then you\u2019ll feel right\nat home when it comes to choosing a WordPress backup and restore solution for\nyour organization. That\u2019s because WordPress website backup tools typically fall\nwithin a few basic categories \u2014 and we\u2019ll talk about the pros and cons of each:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manual Backups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some people may opt to use manual backup methods for their\nWordPress websites (you know, because they\u2019re just gluttons for punishment). There\nare a few different ways you can manually backup your WordPress site,\nincluding: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Log in to your WordPress admin area to back up your\nsite database and files.<\/li><li>Use FTP to download your files and phpMyAdmin,\nan open source software, to back up your MySQL database. <\/li><li>Use the control panel (e.g. cPanel) through your\nweb hosting provider and manually create backups there.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But remembering to do that as frequently as you should for\nregular website backups is, frankly, a real hassle. And, if you\u2019re like me and\nyou must continuously set reminders for yourself to ensure you don\u2019t forget to\ndo something important, then a manual backup might not be for you. This is why\nmany people opt for using automatic backup options instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantages of Manual Backups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You have the ability to back up your website,\ndatabases, and files whenever you want.<\/li><li>You have full control (and responsibility) over\nyour website and database backup tasks.<\/li><li>There\u2019s no cost \u2014 you can use the tools you\u2019re\nalready using.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drawbacks of Manual Backups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It\u2019s not a time-efficient method for regularly backing\nup files and databases.<\/li><li>You need to know the processes for successfully\nperforming the backups and restorations.<\/li><li>You may accidentally miss one (or more) backups,\nresulting in downtime costs and issues. <\/li><li>May be less secure than automatic backups (after\nall, someone must manually back up everything and secure the backups).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automatic Backup Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can\u2019t emphasize enough the importance of running\nautomatic backups. What if you miss a day? Or, worse, a <em>week<\/em> of backups?\nWith an automatic website backup solution, you\u2019ll never again have to worry\nabout missing a day again. It\u2019ll automatically schedule and execute the backup task\nfor you to ensure your website always has a backup available. What\u2019s even\nbetter is that most automatic backup services connect to your website via FTP\nand\/or SSH, so you won\u2019t need to install anything on your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantages of Automatic Backups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ensure you never miss a day (let alone a week)\nof backups.<\/li><li>You can \u201cset it and forget it\u201d with regard to\nscheduling backups at regular intervals.<\/li><li>Saves you on time and labor costs of backing up\nyour site and databases.<\/li><li>Automatic backup tools often save to the cloud,\nwhich provides you with a secondary backup for your local storage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Disadvantages of Automatic Backups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you make major changes to your site, they\nwon\u2019t be recorded until the next scheduled backup.<\/li><li>This backup method may fail if improperly\nconfigured or your credentials change (but you should get an email notification\nso you can fix this).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet CodeGuard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Hashed Out, we don\u2019t really like to hawk our wares and push products to our readers. We take pride in simply being able to share our knowledge with you on a variety of subject matter. However, we\u2019d be remiss if we didn\u2019t at least mention <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/codeguard\/backup.aspx\">CodeGuard<\/a>. This solution automatically backs up your website files and database daily without you ever having to lift a finger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accidentally made the wrong change or deleted a file? No\nworries. CodeGuard offers a one-click restore option that allows you to revert\nyour site to a previous version to get it back into working order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worried that your backups are stored in the same location as all of the rest of your files? This isn\u2019t an issue with CodeGuard \u2014 it stores your backups on an Amazon Web Services Simple Storage System (AWS S3).&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Made a bunch of major changes to your site and want to make\nsure they aren\u2019t lost if something goes wrong? You can choose to perform a\nmanual backup, too, right then and there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an additional bonus, CodeGuard also: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>monitors your website for changes or instances\nof malware, <\/li><li>alerts you of any issues or changes to your\nsite,<\/li><li>updates your plugins automatically,<\/li><li>offers email backup capabilities, and<\/li><li>makes website migrations easy. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background has-central-palette-1-background-color no-border-radius\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/codeguard\/backup.aspx\">Shop Now for CodeGuard<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WordPress Backup and Restore Plugins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some people choose to back up their website using a website\nplugin. Since most WordPress users are familiar with WP Admin, adding a backup\nfeature there is most comfortable for them. (Note: with CodeGuard, you can\nchoose from using FTP or the WordPress plugin to create your database and\nwebsite backups.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other plugins listed on <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/search\/backup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">WordPress.org<\/a> include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin<\/li><li>BackWPup \u2014 WordPress Backup Plugin<\/li><li>Jetpack by WordPress.com<\/li><li>Migrate &amp; Backup WordPress \u2014 WPvivid Backup\nPlugin <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantages of Using WordPress Backup Plugin:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Adds backup functionality to the WordPress Admin\npanel you\u2019re already using.<\/li><li>Some plugins have scheduling capabilities.<\/li><li>Many WordPress backup plugins are free or low\ncost.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Disadvantages of Using a WordPress Backup Plugin:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Many plugin backups aren\u2019t stored off-site\n(unless you connect or purchase a cloud storage account).<\/li><li>A hacker or disgruntled employee who gains\naccess to your site can delete your backups, too. <\/li><li>Many web hosts block backup plugins because they\ncan place a large load on the web server (an external service connecting to\nyour site via FTP will put a much smaller load on your server).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices for Restoring Your WordPress Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, we know that you\u2019ve got an important decision to make.\nRegardless of whichever backup method you choose, here are a few quick\nWordPress Site restoration tips to keep in mind: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Backup your current site files and databases\nbefore performing a restore (or an upgrade)<\/li><li>When in doubt, compare your databases first to\nensure you don\u2019t lose the most recent information \u2014 this is especially critical\nfor ecommerce and other websites that accept real-time user submissions<\/li><li>Always keep at least three backups available (in\ndifferent locations and formats) for ease of use and to ensure if one backup\nfails, you can rely on another<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts on Choosing a WordPress Backup Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you back up your WordPress site or database, you create\na safety net for your website, database, or digital files. As such, it\u2019s essential\nthat you not only choose the tools and methods, but that you also follow some industry\nbest practices as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weigh the benefits and costs of each backup method and tool\nto ensure you\u2019re choosing the right one for your organization. Rather than resorting\nto storing the backups of your digital files in just one location (depending on\nthe method you choose), you have the option of keeping them safe and readily\navailable through a trusted cloud backup solutions provider. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ll break down some of the backup and restoration methods for your WordPress site that can help you recover from the schmucks of the digital world It\u2019s never just a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":12204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"","tve_custom_css":"","tve_user_custom_css":"","tve_globals":{},"tcb2_ready":0,"tcb_editor_enabled":0,"tve_landing_page":"","_tve_header":"","_tve_footer":""},"categories":[16,10200],"tags":[12067,4327],"class_list":["post-12196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hashing-out-cyber-security","category-monthly-digest","tag-backup","tag-wordpress","post-with-tags"],"views":14126,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/wordpress-backup-and-restore.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}