How to Back Up Your Website

"Internet security is a fast moving challenge and ever present threat." 

Source: The Official Joomla! Security Checklist.

You are advised to regularly back up your Wynchcote website built on the Joomla! platform.

You should always back up your website before making significant changes such as:

1. installing Joomla! extensions (example: an image gallery), or
2. installing Joomla! upgrades following the announcement by the Joomla! Developer Community of a security release.

Performing regular routine backups will offer you peace of mind and 

1. reduce the risk of losing data from hacker attack, user error or server malfunction, and
2. minimise the inconvenience caused by a hacker attack, user error or server malfunction.

Wynchcote Web Hosting Terms of Service clearly state:

"It is the Customer's responsibility to maintain appropriate and up-to-date back-up copies of any data, information or other Material the Customer uploads (or permits to be uploaded) onto the Company's servers as part of the Customer's use of the Company's Web Hosting Services."

For this reason alone, we strongly advise that you regularly perform a routine backup of your website.

We can perform routine backups and upgrades on your behalf, but only when you purchase a Maintenance Plan.

DIY Backing Up

This guide is intended to help you perform routine backups yourself.

If having read it you are not sure about anything, give us a call.

There are TWO key elements to consider when Backing Up

There are two elements to consider when performing a backup of a Joomla! website:

1. directories and files stored on the web server (example: images you have uploaded to your website),
2. a database (containing all your website text and links to resources, including images, stored on the server.

First lets consider how Joomla! website content is organised:

In Summary

If you have regularly performed a FULL backup of the httpdocs directory (see above) and of your database, then you will be able to replace your complete website in the event of your website becoming corrupted or malfunctioning.

A partial backup (i.e. only some of the directories / files, or only the database) will not however enable you to easily preform a recovery of your website.

Always back up BOTH the directories and files and the database!

Plesk Control Panel Help and Support

Whatever task you are undertaking, your Plesk Hosting Plan Control Panel offers a useful contextual guide to assist you.

If you still are not sure what to do then you can contact Wynchcote Support.

View online Plesk Domain Administrator Guide.