How to Backup WordPress: Complete Guide (2026)

How to Backup Your WordPress Site

A backup is your insurance policy. Without one, a hack, failed update, or server issue could mean losing everything. Here's how to do it right.

What to Back Up

A complete WordPress backup includes:

Database: All your posts, pages, comments, settings, and user data
wp-content folder: Themes, plugins, uploads (images, media)
wp-config.php: Database credentials and configuration constants
.htaccess / Caddyfile: Server-level redirect and rewrite rules

Step 1: Choose a Backup Method

Hosting-level backups are the most reliable because they capture everything including server configuration. SiteICO creates automated daily backups of your entire container — database, files, and configuration — with one-click restore from the dashboard.

Plugin-based backups work well as a secondary layer. UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and BlogVault are popular choices that can push backups to cloud storage.

Step 2: Set Up Automated Schedules

Manual backups are unreliable because humans forget. Configure automated daily backups at minimum. For active sites with frequent content changes, consider twice-daily or real-time backup solutions.

Step 3: Store Backups Off-Site

Backups stored on the same server as your site aren't safe from server failures. Use off-site storage:

Amazon S3 or Cloudflare R2 (cost-effective object storage)
Google Drive or Dropbox (simple but limited)
A separate server or NAS

SiteICO supports automated off-site backup to S3-compatible storage with AES-256 encryption.

Step 4: Test Your Restores

A backup you can't restore is useless. Test the restore process quarterly on a staging environment. Verify that the restored site works correctly — check pages, forms, ecommerce, and functionality.

Step 5: Retention Policy

Keep daily backups for 7 days, weekly backups for 4 weeks, and monthly backups for 6 months. This balances storage costs with the ability to recover from problems discovered days or weeks later.

Emergency Recovery

If your site is compromised, restore from the last known clean backup. On SiteICO, open your site dashboard, go to Backups, select a clean date, and click Restore. The process takes a few minutes and replaces all files and database content.