How to Backup Your WordPress Website: 3 Effective Methods
Regular backups are essential to ensure your WordPress website is safe from data loss, hacks, or errors during updates. Below are the most reliable methods to back up your WordPress site.
1. Recommended: Backup via Softaculous or WordPress Manager
If your hosting provider includes Softaculous or a WordPress Manager, this is the fastest and most secure way to create a full backup.
Steps:
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Log into your hosting cPanel.
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Open Softaculous Apps Installer or WordPress Manager.
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Find your WordPress installation.
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Click on the Backup icon.
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Confirm and wait for the process to complete.
Includes full site files + database
Can be restored directly from Softaculous
Fast and reliable
2. Backup via UpdraftPlus Plugin
If you prefer to manage backups from the WordPress dashboard, UpdraftPlus is the most popular free plugin.
Steps:
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Go to Plugins > Add New.
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Search for UpdraftPlus and install it.
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Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups.
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Click Backup Now.
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Choose to include files and database.
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You can also connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc. for remote storage.
Free and user-friendly
Schedule automatic backups
One-click restore
3. Manual Backup (Not Recommended for Beginners)
You can manually back up your site, but it’s a longer and more technical process.
Files Backup:
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Use FTP (e.g., FileZilla) or File Manager in cPanel.
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Download the entire
/public_html/or WordPress root folder.
Database Backup:
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Go to phpMyAdmin from cPanel.
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Select your WordPress database.
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Click Export and save the
.sqlfile.
Risk of missing critical files or corrupt exports
No quick restore option
Only for advanced users
Final Tip
Always keep at least one local backup (on your computer) and one remote backup (cloud storage or external server). For regular users, Softaculous or UpdraftPlus offer the best balance of safety and simplicity.
