Glossary Term

BACKUP

A copy of your site's files and database, kept somewhere else, so you can restore after an incident.

Definition

A backup is a stored copy of a website's files and database, kept somewhere other than the live server, that lets you restore the site if it is lost, hacked, broken by a bad deploy or accidentally deleted. A complete backup covers the file tree (themes, plugins and uploads on WordPress, or the build artefact on Jamstack) plus a current database dump, since files without data cannot rebuild a working site. Snapshot systems capture the whole disk at once, good for full-server recovery but harder to restore selectively. Production hosting plans should run automated backups at least daily, keep 7 to 30 days of retention, and store copies off the production server, ideally in a different region, so a provider-wide outage cannot take out both the site and its backups. Managed hosts and major cloud platforms include this as standard. On unmanaged VPS or dedicated servers, setting it up yourself, with BorgBackup, restic, Duplicati or a host snapshot tool, is your responsibility and the most important task.

How it works

A complete backup includes the website files (themes, plugins, uploads on WordPress; the deployment artefact on Jamstack) and a current database dump. Snapshot-based backups capture the whole disk state at a point in time; file-and-DB backups are smaller and easier to restore selectively.

Why it matters

Sites are lost to hacks, bad updates, mistyped commands and provider outages every day. A working backup, regularly tested by actually restoring it somewhere, is the difference between a few hours of disruption and losing the site. Untested backups are not backups.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I back up?

Production sites should back up at least daily, with frequent backups before any deploy. Sites that change all day (e-commerce, forums) want hourly or continuous.

Where should backups live?

Anywhere that is not the production server. Off-host (different provider, different region) protects you against the provider-wide failure scenario.

What does a backup setup typically cost?

Managed WordPress hosts and major cloud platforms bundle daily backups into the plan price at no extra charge. On unmanaged VPS, expect to pay only for storage, often 1 to 5 USD a month for a small site using restic, BorgBackup or a similar tool, more for larger sites or longer retention.

What is the most common backup mistake?

Keeping the only backup on the same server or hosting account as the live site, so one hack, billing lapse or provider outage destroys both copies. The second most common mistake is never restoring a backup to check it, so a corrupted or partial backup only gets discovered during an actual emergency.

How do I check a backup actually works?

Restore it somewhere separate: a staging environment or a local copy. Load the site and confirm the database, uploads and file dates match what you expect. Do this after any major migration or plugin update, and at minimum every few months as routine practice.

Related Terms

Managed Hosting
Hosting where the provider handles the operating system, updates, security and backups for you.
Uptime
The percentage of time a site or service is reachable; 99.9% is the common production minimum.
WordPress
The open-source CMS that powers roughly 40% of the web, with managed-hosting specialists built around it.
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