How to Back Up Your WordPress Website Automatically (Step-by-Step Guide)
Protect Your WordPress Site Before It’s Too Late
When it comes to running a WordPress website, nothing is more terrifying than waking up one day to discover it’s gone—whether due to a hack, server crash, plugin conflict, or human error. Your site holds valuable content, customer data, and countless hours of work. Losing it without a backup can be devastating.
The good news? You can prevent this nightmare with an automatic WordPress backup. In this guide, we’ll break down what automatic backups are, why they matter, and how to set them up step by step—so your site is always protected without you lifting a finger.
Why Backups Are Non-Negotiable
Imagine your site getting hacked, a plugin update going wrong, or your hosting provider experiencing downtime. Without a backup, recovery can be slow, costly, or even impossible. With automated WordPress backups, you ensure your website can be restored quickly and with minimal disruption.
Benefits of Automatic WordPress Backups:
- Peace of Mind – Your data is always protected.
- Time-Saving – No need to run manual backups every week.
- Disaster Recovery – Restore your site in minutes after a crash.
- Scalability – As your site grows, backups grow with you.
Types of WordPress Backups
Before automating, it’s important to understand the main types of backups:
- Full Backups – A complete copy of your entire site (files + database).
- Database Backups – Only your content, pages, posts, and settings.
- Incremental Backups – Only changes since the last backup, saving storage space.
For most website owners, setting up full automated backups is the safest option.
Choosing the Right Backup Method
You have several ways to set up an automatic WordPress backup:
1. Backup Plugins (Beginner-Friendly)
Plugins are the most popular way to automate backups. Popular options include:
- UpdraftPlus – Schedule backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.
- BlogVault – Real-time backups and one-click restores.
- Jetpack Backup – Automated daily or real-time cloud backups.
These plugins allow you to:
- Schedule backups daily, weekly, or in real-time.
- Store backups offsite (important for safety).
- Restore your site with one click.
2. Hosting Provider Backups
Many managed WordPress hosting companies like Inwebify, SiteGround, WP Engine, or Bluehost provide built-in automated backups. What sets Inwebify apart, however, is that we don’t just stop at daily server-side backups—we also include free offsite backups for added protection.
On top of that, every Inwebify hosting plan comes with the JetBackup plugin for WordPress at no extra cost, giving you full control to create, store, and restore your own backups whenever you need. This means you’re not relying solely on the host’s backups—you have the flexibility to maintain additional copies on your terms, ensuring maximum peace of mind.
3. Manual Backups (Not Recommended for Daily Use)
You can manually back up your site via cPanel or FTP, but this is time-consuming and prone to mistakes. Automation is the way to go.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Automatic Backups with a Plugin
Let’s walk through setting up UpdraftPlus, one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins:
1. Install & Activate UpdraftPlus
- Go to Plugins → Add New → Search for “UpdraftPlus” → Install → Activate.
2. Choose Backup Storage
- Pick a remote storage option (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, OneDrive, etc.).
3. Set a Backup Schedule
- Select how often backups should run (daily, weekly, or real-time for busy sites).
4. Configure File & Database Backups
- Choose whether to back up files, database, or both (full backups recommended).
5. Save & Test
- Run your first backup manually and confirm it saves to your chosen storage.
That’s it—you’ve now automated your WordPress site backups.
Best Practices for Automatic WordPress Backups
- Always Store Offsite – Don’t rely only on your hosting provider; use cloud storage.
- Test Restores Regularly – A backup is useless if it can’t be restored.
- Use Incremental Backups for Large Sites – Saves space and time.
- Update Plugins & Themes – Backups protect you, but prevention is just as important.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Only backing up occasionally (set it and forget it).
- Keeping backups only on your hosting server.
- Ignoring backup file size (large sites may require incremental backups).
- Not encrypting backups with sensitive customer data.
Sleep Easy Knowing Your WordPress Site Is Safe
Your WordPress website is one of your most valuable digital assets. By setting up an automatic WordPress backup, you eliminate the risk of losing everything due to accidents, hacks, or server failures.
Whether you use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or rely on your host’s built-in tools, the key is automation. Don’t wait until disaster strikes—protect your hard work now, and you’ll thank yourself later.
