WordPress Backup Strategies Before, During, and After Site Migration

Having a solid WordPress backup strategy is essential for protecting your website’s data, especially before, during, and after a site migration. Whether you’re moving to a new WordPress Hosting provider, changing domains, or making changes to your site, having proper backup procedures in place can mean the difference between a smooth transition and a potential disaster. This guide will walk you through how to back up your WordPress site before, during, and after your migration to help you avoid any risks and make sure your website gets up and running as quickly as possible.

Why Perform WordPress Backups When Migrating

A WordPress backup is a copy of your entire site, including its files, database, content themes, and plugins. This copy can be used to restore your website in case of human error, security breaches, or other unforeseen issues like server crashes, giving you peace of mind. 

Migrating a WordPress site involves multiple complex processes that can potentially go wrong, from database transfer errors to file corruption. Without full backups on hand, a failed migration could result in website data loss, extended downtime, or even a complete site crash.

Regular backups serve as a safety net in case the worst happens, letting you roll back to a working previous version if problems occur. They also provide a reference point for confirming that all your site’s content and functionality are transferred correctly to its new location while minizing downtime during migrations.

Types of WordPress Backup

By understanding the different types of backups, you can use a combination to protect your site during and after migration.

Full

A full backup is a complete copy of your entire WordPress site, including:

• All website files (WordPress themes, plugins, uploads, and core files)
• Complete database (posts, pages, comments, settings)
• Media Library
• Custom code
• Settings and configurations

While they require more storage space, they offer the most comprehensive protection and are usually the easiest way to restore. Keep in mind that they can take longer to create and may impact server performance during backup. They should always be done before major changes, updates, and migrations.

Incremental

Incremental or partial backups store only the changes made since the last backup of your WordPress site, regardless of the type. This means only new or modified files, changes to the WordPress database, new media, and plugin and theme updates are backed up.

They use less storage space and fewer resources compared to full backups. They also tend to be faster and can be done more frequently.

However, they can be more complex to restore with a risk of backup chain corruption. They also require the initial full backup and all subsequent incremental backups.

Differential

Differential backups save all changes made since the last full backup. This includes all file and database modifications and accumulates over time giving a balance between storage usage and simplicity.

They are usually simpler to restore than incremental ones and only need the full backup plus the latest differential backup.

This version requires more storage than incremental backups and can take longer. It’s also worth mentioning there is a chance they may duplicate unchanged data.

Manual vs. WordPress Plugin Backups

You have two main options to backup your WordPress site when migrating to a new host, manually or using WordPress plugins.

Manual backups give you complete control over the backup process and are ideal for one-time events like migrations. They require technical knowledge but allow for customization of what gets backed up.

You have direct access to all files and database components giving you full control over the backup process with no need for extra tools or services, reducing server load. There is no cost involved, making it a budget-friendly option.

Additionally, you get a better understanding of your site’s structure and dependencies and can selectively back up specific components, reducing storage usage when you back up your entire site this way.

This method requires more technical knowledge and an understanding of File Transfer Protocols and FTP clients. They can be time-consuming, especially for large websites and there is the risk of human error during the process. Similarly, the restore process can be more complex compared to using a plugin.

Using plugins to create backups, on the other hand, are designed to be easy to use with intuitive interfaces to schedule backups and single-click options to restore your WordPress site. There are a range of paid and free plugins available in the WordPress library with migration plugins also offering backup features.

The best WordPress backup plugins often come with additional features like built-in site file compression and optimization to reduce storage usage with options to store backups locally, on a hard drive, or through a cloud service like Amazon S3.

Depending on the one you choose, they can send notifications about backup status and potential issues with error checking to ensure data integrity. You can also selectively back up specific elements with version control for easy rollback.

Free versions can have limited features and storage compared to premium versions requiring payment. There is also the risk of potential compatibility issues with other plugins or themes and the WordPress core version. They can consume server resources and there is the possibility of security vulnerabilities if not updated regularly.

Many WordPress hosting plans offer free automated backups as part of their packages stored in a secure location with one-click restores.

Before The Migration

Before starting the migration process, it’s important to have a comprehensive backup plan in place. It is recommended to use a reliable plugin like UpdraftPlus Backups or Jetpack Backup to automate this process as well as compress them into a zip file and store them in a secure, off-site location to prevent potential data loss. This is an especially important thing for ecommerce stores handling sensitive customer information. Here is a step-by-step guide to back up your WordPress website before the move.

Create Multiple Backup Options

Create at least two complete backups of your existing WordPress site and store them in different locations. The first should include the entire WordPress installation, including all your site’s files, databases, themes, plugins, and content. The second acts as redundancy in case the initial backup becomes corrupted or inaccessible during migration. Ideally, store one backup copy locally and another in cloud storage for maximum security.

File System Backup

A comprehensive file backup must include all essential components of your WordPress installation. This includes the wp-admin directory for the WordPress dashboard and administrative functions and the wp-content for your themes, plugins, and uploaded media files.

Pay special attention to the root directory files, particularly wp-config.php, which contains important database and FTP credentials, and .htaccess, which manages URL redirects and security settings. Maintain the exact folder structure and file permissions for your WordPress website users during backup to ensure they function correctly after the migration.

Database Export

The next step is to export a complete copy of your WordPress database backup using phpMyAdmin in your hosting service’s control panel or similar tools. This should include all MySQL database tables, custom fields, post data, and user information. Create a separate backup of your wp-config.php file, which contains important database connection details, and make a note of any custom database modifications or specific configurations you’ve implemented.

For large databases, or if you are migrating a WordPress Multisite network, you can right-click on the folder to compress the SQL file to reduce its size and improve transfer speed.

Theme and Plugin Management

Download copies of all your active theme files, and make sure you have access to any license keys and documentation (if applicable). Have a detailed list of your active plugins and their versions as well as premium or customized plugins that may need special handling during migration.

Content and Media

Next, export and download your WordPress content using the dashboard’s built-in tool or your host’s file manager. This provides an extra layer of safety in addition to the database backup. Download your entire media library, ensuring all images, videos, and documents are properly preserved. Document any custom post types, blog posts, or taxonomies your site uses.

Document Settings

Record your current hosting environment configuration, including the PHP and MySQL versions and server specifications along with any custom .htaccess rules, URL redirects, or security settings. Additionally, make a note of your DNS (Domain Name System) settings, including any custom domains and subdomains.

Testing Area Setup

Create a staging site to test the migration process without risking your live site. Check that your backup restoration process works in this staging environment before proceeding with the actual migration. Develop a rollback plan and download backups in case the migration encounters critical issues.

During The Migration

While the migration is underway, maintaining regular backups of your current site is equally important. This helps in case of any issues or errors that may happen during the actual transfer process. You can continue using your chosen plugin to schedule automated backups or manually create them at critical stages of the migration.

If possible, the best way is to implement real-time backups that capture changes to your website as they happen. This creates multiple recovery points and helps ensure data corruption or loss is kept to a minimum in case of unexpected disruptions.

Continuously monitor the migration process and check the integrity of your transferred data. Keep an eye out for any discrepancies or errors that might require immediate attention.

Have an emergency recovery plan in place in case of a major issue or data loss. This plan should include procedures for restoring from backups, recovery tools, contacting support, and reducing downtime as much as possible.

After The Migration

Post-migration tasks ensure your WordPress site maintains functionality and data integrity in the new environment. This includes best practices for long-term backup and recovery procedures for ongoing site maintenance.

Website Check

Start with an audit to confirm all content and site data transferred successfully. This involves checking the functionality of your website, including its pages, posts, new plugins, and themes. Check your media to confirm all images and files display correctly and that all permalinks and internal links direct to the correct pages. If any issues arise, you can restore from a backup.

Schedule Automatic Backups

Implement a regular backup schedule. For example, set incremental local backups to run daily, for new content and changes without straining server resources with full site backups weekly. As mentioned earlier, store them in multiple locations, including cloud storage and local servers.

Recovery

Create a detailed disaster recovery plan outlining the steps with clear roles and responsibilities assigned. Set up emergency access protocols for on-demand backup storage locations. Always have updated contact information, including contact numbers and email addresses for your hosting provider’s technical support.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Implement regular monitoring to ensure continued functionality and review activity logs weekly for potential issues or failures. Monitor file sizes, optimize storage space with compression, and clean up old versions. Document any custom settings or changes for future reference and update them when you add new features and content types.

Security and Testing Restorations

Encrypt your website’s files to protect sensitive information and implement secure file transfer methods. Restrict access to storage locations to essential people only and check for unauthorized access attempts. Regularly update backup software and security features.

Test backup integrity by creating a staging site for regular restoration tests without affecting your live site. Document the process, including database imports and file transfers, and check the restored content displays and functions as expected.

Restoring From a WordPress Website Backup and Troubleshooting

Restoring your WordPress site from a backup in case something goes wrong during migration can be a relatively straightforward process if you’ve used a backup plugin. Here’s a general overview of the steps involved:

1. Choose the backup you want to restore, this could be a full-site, specific database, or file backup.
2. Use your plugin’s restoration feature to start the process by selecting the backup and confirming the restoration in the interface.
3. Keep an eye on the restoration process to ensure it is completed successfully. This may take some time, depending on your website’s size complexity, and server speed.
4. Once the restoration is complete, check that all files and data have been restored correctly and test all functionalities, including plugins, themes, and custom code.

If you’re restoring a backup of your WordPress website manually, you’ll need to follow more specific steps based on your backup type and method. Even with WordPress tutorials available, this takes more technical knowledge.

Restoring Files via FTP

1. Connect to your server using FTP credentials and upload the backed-up wp-content folder to your WordPress installation.
2. Ensure you have proper permissions in place and that the file structure matches your original installation so your site can function properly.

Restoring the Database via phpMyAdmin

1. Access phpMyAdmin through your hosting control panel.
2. Follow the instructions to create a new database or clean the existing one.
3. Import your backup SQL file.
4. Update wp-config.php with new database credentials (if necessary).
5. Test database connections and site functionality.

Always test the restoration process in a staging environment to minimize risks to your live site. If you’re unsure about any of the steps, it’s recommended to get help from your hosting provider. Here are some common backup issues:

Backup File Too Large

Split large backup files into smaller, more manageable pieces and use compression like GZIP to reduce file size. Perform incremental backups to capture only changes since the last full backup and use backup plugins with built-in chunking capabilities.

Incomplete Backups

Adjust server timeout settings to prevent interruptions during the process and make sure you have enough disk space available. Monitor server resource usage to avoid performance bottlenecks and perform progressive backups to transfer your site’s data in smaller sections.

Restore Failures

Check the integrity of the backup file to ensure it’s not corrupted or incomplete and with PHP memory limits and timeout settings. Confirm that the database credentials used during restoration are correct and that file permissions are set correctly to prevent access issues.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• WordPress Backups are your insurance policy against migration failures, ensuring you can always recover your site to a working state.
• While backup plugins offer convenience and automation, manual backups provide deeper control and understanding of the process.
• Thorough preparation and multiple backups are the foundation of successful migrations and help avoid complications during the transfer while maintaining the integrity and functionality of your site.
• Real-time backups during migration provide immediate recovery options if issues arise.
• Post-migration backup strategies should focus on long-term sustainability and reliable recovery procedures.
• Thorough post-migration backup testing ensures your site functions properly and maintains its security in the new environment.
• Understanding different restoration methods and common issues helps ensure successful recovery while minimizing downtime.

FAQs

Other Articles of Interest

– The Role of Backups in WordPress Hosting Security

– WordPress Migration and Hosting: Tips and Best Practices

– Disaster Recovery Hosting for Your WordPress Website

– WordPress Recovery Mode: Everything You Need to Know

– Website Migration Costs Associated With WordPress Websites