Here’s how to backup (and restore) your WordPress blogs to and from: Web File Transfer, File Upload, Cloud Storage, FTP, Amazon S3, Dropbox, and Google Drive using Backup Creator.
We recommend you use the Backup Creator WordPress plugin to move your sites from one web host to another.
1. Backup “source” website and make multiple copies (important): WordPress + Backup Creator
2. Buy account on web host (important: don’t transfer nameservers yet) — we recommend Double Agent Hosting.
3. Get temporary URL from new web host: Install WordPress, Backup Creator on the “destination”
4. Run “test restore” on destination, make sure it’s all there
4. THEN edit nameservers, run the “real” restore
Get and install the Backup Creator WordPress plugin and install it by going to Plugins, Add New, Upload Plugin, then browse and activate the plugin. You can run backups there or go to the “Settings” tab to set automatic storage to offsite locations.
1. To backup your WordPress site to Dropbox:
A. Get a dropbox account at https://dropbox.com
B. Go to Backup Creator Settings, Dropbox
C. Click Connect, and Allow Backup Creator to use Dropbox. You’re done!
2. To backup WordPress to Amazon S3:
A. Get an Amazon account at: https://aws.amazon.com
B. Create an S3 “bucket” or folder by going to S3, Create Bucket, type the name of the bucket and choose US Standard for the bucket location.
C. Name the new user, go to Security Credentials, User, Create New User, and name it something like “robertplankbackup.”
D. Show User Security Credentials and copy the access key ID nad secret access key into your Backup Creator Settings.
3. To backup WordPress to Google Drive:
A. Login to the Google Developer Console at https://console.developers.google.com
B. Create a project named Backup Creator, click APIs and enable it access to the Google Drive API.
C. Click Add Credentials, set it to Web Application.
D. Copy the authorized URL from your Backup Creator settings onto Google’s settings.
E. Copy Google’s client ID and client secret onto your Backup Creator page.
Here’s how to backup and then either copy, move, migrate, clone, or restore your WP sites:
- Backup the site using the Backup Creator Plugin (get your copy from the member’s area, right click and download to your desktop)
- 2. Install the Backup Creator plugin on your existing WordPress site (login to the wp-admin, go to Plugins, Add New, Upload, browse for the plugin on your hard drive, then Upload)
- Activate the plugin once it’s uploaded, and click Backup Now.
- Save a copy of the backup to your desktop, and click the button to “Send to Cloud” if you want an offsite backup.
- Install a new WordPress site. In this video, we go to example.com/cpanel, QuickInstall, then clicked Install WordPress to create the new (blank and empty) WordPress site.
- Install the Backup Creator plugin on the new site where you will be restoring. Plugins, Add New, Upload Plugin, then browse to that Backup Creator file again.
- This time, choose Restore option. You can restore from your desktop, from the cloud, or in this video, I right clicked the backup file on the “source” site, chose Copy Link Address, and pasted that into the destination site to quickly copy it from one website to another.
Seeing as how we’ve been bombarded lately with all sorts of dire news regarding attacks on WordPress Security, it’s only natural that people are taking a look at making WordPress backups of their site in case something drastic occurs.
In reality, this is something that should be a regular part of our WordPress security regimen, and not a once in a while occurrence.
So how best to generate WordPress backups?
In my opinion, the fastest, easiest and most comprehensive way to perform WordPress backups is through the use of a plugin. There are a lot of working parts within your WordPress install, and should you miss even a widget, your site may not work as you want it to.
Many depend on their web host to back up for them, and while most do make backups, for me, it’s more a matter of who I want being responsible for my site. After all, the reason you are making a backup in the first place is for the eventuality of a problem with your host’s servers. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable having a copy emailed to you or Amazon S3 monthly?
What to look for in a plugin for WordPress backups
There are a few features you want to make sure you are getting when you purchase a plugin for this purpose.
– Your plugin needs to be compatible with the most recent version of WordPress. Regular updates to the plugin are a must, to keep up with the frequent changes within the WordPress platform itself.
– A site restore feature. Don’t laugh, many lack this ability.
– A scheduling capability so that you can have a hands-off backup created for you whether you remember to do it or not. Strive to make a complete backup at least once per month.
– The ability to have files emailed to your destination of choice, whether to your local computer, Amazon S3 or any other storage.
– The ability to do WordPress cloning, where you make a copy of your site for other purposes, such as site redesign offline, site migration to a new web host, or other reasons.
– A scanner to look for malware while you are backing up. This can provide another level of WordPress security.
I hope you see the importance of doing regular WordPress backups and are ready to start securing your sites right away, starting today, while it’s still fresh on your mind.
If so, go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.
What exactly is WordPress cloning and why is it an extremely useful tool to have in your webmaster’s bag? Most people think that this is a black hat technique for duplicating sites to garner more link love and rankings, and while that may have been true (and useful!) at one time, this is an entirely different endeavor.
WordPress cloning, as it applies to WordPress security, is the act of making an exact copy of your WordPress install. What’s great is that with the right software, you can do it in just a few clicks. There are a number of reasons why you might want to do this. Here are just a few.
– An emergency copy should the unthinkable happen and your site disappear from your web host’s server. You could be back up in minutes (or whenever the platform is again secure.)
– Having another hard copy of your site in another location should you need it is always a good virtual insurance policy.
– Say you wanted to redesign your site, and you wanted to have the luxury to test and take your time, without having to manage this task while your site is live. Simply clone your site, and make your changes locally, and then upload when you’re ready!
– Should you ever want to migrate your site elsewhere, such as a new web host, you’d be able to pull this off without a hitch, and also without having to disturb your old site until the new one was in place and ready to roll.
So what’s the best way to accomplish WordPress cloning? Out of all the possible choices that are available right now, which one is right for you personally and which path should you choose?
There are numerous ways to pull this off, and many of them involve copying and FTPing files, exporting and re-establishing databases and more. Some of these are very complicated, so it’s important that you go for the right one. If you are not of the technical persuasion, then you might want to look into using a plugin for WordPress backups.
This is my favorite method of WordPress cloning, and can get the job done with a few clicks. Restoring your site is also drop dead easy.
Just make sure you choose a plugin that is up to date with the current version and release of WordPress, and that you can schedule, restore and clone.
My favorite plugin for this can be found by going to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.
You may well have heard all the buzz online about the attacks on WordPress security. Unfortunately this is no joke, and it needs to be taken very seriously, or all you’ve built could be hijacked or worse, lost to you.
Beginning in the first week of April of this year, “botnets” have launched attacks against scantily protected WordPress sites, targeting some 90,000 at last count. This can result in many lousy consequences, such as denial of service, spam and more
We’re going to talk about how you can ensure your WordPress security, and give you and your business peace of mind. Let’s look at 7 critical steps to make sure your WordPress install doesn’t suffer the same fate.
1. Keep your WordPress Installation up to date – One of the easiest and most valuable tasks you can do yourself is to make sure your WordPress installation is updated. WordPress gives you a notice on your dashboard, so there’s really no reason to not do this.
2. Employ better usernames – The thrust of this latest WordPress attack was aimed at sites that had not changed their usernames from “admin”. Once they found these sites, these botnets went to work with software, guessing logical passwords—and many times hit the jackpot. Using almost anything, (except your email address) is better than “admin.”
3. Use strong passwords – Do your best to use a strong password, alpha-numeric, with upper and lower case and special characters. Easy to remember passwords are also easy to guess!
4. Protect your login credentials – Don’t keep your login credentials where a hacker might find them. Store them offsite, and even offline. Roboform is good for protecting them, too. Food for thought!
5. Don’t depend on your Web host – Many people depend on their web host to “do all that technical stuff for me”, not realizing that sometimes, they don’t! Far better to have the responsibility lie with you, instead of out of your control.
6. Make a clone of your website – A WordPress clone of your site can be a very useful thing to have, particularly if you want to migrate your site or do some redesign work without having to do it live for all the world to see as you go along.
7. Perform regular backups – Make WordPress backups regularly, at least once a month. The easiest way to do this is with a plugin that you can schedule, that is updated to the current version of WordPress, and has restore capabilities.
Go to www.backupcreator.com to back up, clone, and secure your WordPress site right now before anything happens to it.