January is a perfect month for establishing a routine of backing up the important digital pieces of life – pieces like the websites and blogs you manage. Back it up – once, twice, three times, in three different locations and/or types (CD, Hard drive, Website/network). With WordPress 2.9 having just come out prior to Christmas it is also clear reminder that backing up your WordPress website is an essential skill to possess. Where to start?
1. Understand the Objective
- If the upgrade of your WordPress site should fail due to server config/timeout, spotty network connection or various other conditions what would you fall back on? Did you back it up??
2. Define what you will precisely have after backing up
Compressed backup of files and MySQL on web server
A WordPress website consists of a variety of file types: php, images, css and other media that you have uploaded or added to your core WordPress install. The first piece of your resulting backup will be either a compressed file or a folder with all these file types together together.
- sql files on hard drive
Part two of the WordPress website is the data – your actual post and page content, theme and associated settings of your install – including timezone, widgets and all the other options you have setup in the Dashboard of your site. A backup of this type comes from the MySQL database. The backup will be a single .sql or .zip file containing all the website data.
Once the backup is created, you have what you need to do a “restore” should the need arise – 1. All the files & 2. All the data. The subject of restoring your website involves replacing the files and data on the server with the backup. A little about this process a little further on.
3. Performing the Backup
Option 1 – Web Hosting Control Panel
Various hosting environments provide a system for backing up the files and data on your web server. Here is the simple step by step process available for websites hosted on the Mission: Communicate Hosting service.
- Login to your Dashboard
- Navigate to the “Backup” page of your control panel
Select the backup icon on second row
- Select the “MySQL 5″ and “files” options for the backup
Select the type of backup you need
- Select “Backup” and wait. The server is now backing up the files and data – which can be downloaded via FTP
The backup takes some time - progress will be displayed here
Tip – follow the “FAQ” link within the backup control panel. Many more details specific to this function of backing up are available here – you can download the files directly by FTP connection through your browser – or through your favorite FTP client.
Note: Now you can proceed to upgrading your WordPress website utilizing the automatic upgrade option. Before doing so – be sure to update any and all plugins you have installed and active on your website! This will ensure that any updates available have been applied – and out of date plugins are the first place to look if you have problems upgrading your WordPress website!
WordPress Upgrade Process in a nutshell:
- Backup Website (Files and Data)
- Upgrade all plugins with updates available
- Proceed to Automatic Update
- Test, ensure plugins that need to be active are active
- Enjoy your newly updated WordPress powered website!
Backing up is a general function that all hosting solutions provide in one form or another. Backing up instructions for a couple other popular website control panels:
Backing up with Cpanel
If nothing else you would be able to make a complete backup of the files by downloading them through FTP. The database should be accessible through phpMyAdmin – through which the database can be both exported and imported.
Restoring Your Backup
This in theory is simple: overwrite the files on your server with the files you have downloaded. Follow the specific instructions on your hosting control panel if they are provided. An overview is available here:
- Upload and overwrite files on your server with the backup of your files
- Import the MySQL backup through phpMyAdmin
For further details and instructions see the WordPress Backups page on the WordPress Codex. Optionally you can install a helpful plugin that creates a backup of your data to be downloaded or emailed to you.
