Ways to back up WordPress
There are several ways to keep your WordPress files backed up, and the best approach may depend on your specific needs and preferences. Here are a few options to consider:
Manual backups: You can manually create backups of your WordPress files by downloading copies of your site’s files and database. This approach can be time-consuming and may not be practical for large sites or frequent backups.
Backup plugins: There are several WordPress plugins available that can automate the backup process for you. These plugins can be configured to run on a schedule and can back up your files and database to various locations such as cloud storage services or email.
Managed WordPress hosting: Many managed WordPress hosting providers offer automatic backups as part of their service. This approach can be convenient but may come at an additional cost.
Breakdown of available plugins
UpdraftPlus: UpdraftPlus has a free version available that allows you to manually create backups of your site and database. The premium version offers additional features, including scheduled backups, cloud storage integration, and incremental backups. The premium version starts at $70 per year for two sites.
Jetpack Backup: Jetpack Backup is a premium backup and security plugin that’s part of the Jetpack subscription. The Jetpack subscription includes various features, including backups, security scans, and performance enhancements. The subscription starts at $9 per month.
BackupBuddy: BackupBuddy is a premium backup plugin that offers various features, including scheduled backups, cloud storage integration, and website migration. The plugin starts at $80 per year for one site.
WP Time Capsule: WP Time Capsule has a free version available that allows you to manually create backups of your site and database. The premium version offers additional features, including scheduled backups, incremental backups, and cloud storage integration. The premium version starts at $49 per year for one site.
All-in-One WP Migration: All-in-One WP Migration has a free version available that allows you to export your site and database as a single file. The premium version offers additional features, including cloud storage integration, incremental backups, and website migration. The premium version starts at $69 for unlimited sites.
So, while these plugins offer free versions with limited features, the premium versions offer more advanced features and typically require a subscription or one-time payment.
Creating a custom wordpress backup solution
Creating a custom backup solution can give you more control and flexibility over the backup process.
Here are some general steps you can follow to create your own custom solution:
Choose a scripting language: You can use a scripting language like Python, PHP, or Bash to create your custom backup solution. Choose a language that you’re familiar with and that can interact with the server’s file system and databases.
Write a script to backup the files and database: Write a script that will backup the files and database of each WordPress site. The script should connect to each site’s database and use a command like mysqldump to create a backup of the database. It should also copy the site’s files to a backup location using a tool like rsync.
Schedule the script to run automatically: Use a tool like cron to schedule the backup script to run automatically at a specific time interval. For example, you could schedule the script to run daily or weekly.
Store the backups in a secure location: Store the backups in a secure location that’s separate from the server, such as a cloud storage service or an external hard drive. This will help to ensure that the backups are safe in the event of a server failure or hack.
Test the backup and restore process: Make sure to test the backup and restore process to ensure that it works as expected. This includes restoring the backups to a test server to ensure that the site functions properly.
Features
Back Up Files:
To back up the files, the script first defines the directories to be backed up using the backup_directories variable. It then creates a backup directory using the backup_directory variable if it doesn’t exist. The script uses tarfile to create a compressed backup of the files and calculates the SHA256 checksum of the backup file. To reduce the size of the backup files, the script adds compression to the backup process. Finally, the script encrypts the backup file using GnuPG to ensure that the backup files are secure.
Back Up Database:
To back up the database, the script reads the MySQL database credentials from mysql_user and mysql_password variables. It gets the database name from the WordPress configuration file and uses mysqldump to create a backup of the database. The script calculates the SHA256 checksum of the backup file and encrypts it using GnuPG to ensure that the backup files are secure.
Error handling:
The script uses a try-except block to handle errors that may occur during the backup process. If an error occurs during the backup process, the script logs the error using the logging module and sends an email notification to the admin user. This helps to ensure that the admin user is alerted to any errors and can take action to resolve them. The script also logs the success of the backup process using the logging module to keep track of when backups were created and other relevant information.
Logging:
The script uses the logging module to keep track of when backups were created, any errors that occurred, and other relevant information. It creates a log file using the basicConfig method and specifies the filename, logging level, and log message format. The log file includes timestamps, the logging level (INFO, ERROR), and a message describing the event. This helps with troubleshooting and ensures that backups are being created on schedule.
Compression:
You could add compression to the script to reduce the size of the backup files. This can help to save storage space and reduce backup times.
Encryption:
You could add encryption to the script to ensure that backups are secure. This can help to protect sensitive data in case the backups are accessed by unauthorized users.
Verification:
You could add verification to the script to ensure that backups are complete and accurate. This can help to identify any issues with the backup process early on.
Code Example
Coming soon!
Pre-requisites (Packages)
Here are the packages you need to install to run the script:
- gnupg: You can install the gnupg package using pip install gnupg.
- python-gnupg: If the gnupg package doesn’t work, you can try installing the python-gnupg package using pip install python-gnupg.
- tarfile: The tarfile module is included in the Python standard library, so no additional installation is required.
- hashlib: The hashlib module is included in the Python standard library, so no additional installation is required.
You shouldn’t need to install any additional packages to run the script.
However, if you’re running the script on a Linux system and mysqldump is not already installed, you will need to install the mysql-client package to get the mysqldump command-line tool. You can install it on Ubuntu using sudo apt-get install mysql-client.
Things to keep in mind
- Ensure that the server or machine where the backup script is running has sufficient disk space to store the backups.
- Set up a regular schedule to run the backup script to ensure that your backups are up-to-date.
- Store your backups in a secure location, either on a different server or in the cloud, to protect against data loss in case of a hardware failure or other disaster.
- Test your backups regularly to ensure that they are complete and accurate and can be used to restore your site if necessary.
Additionally, if you plan to run the backup script on a remote server, you may need to set up SSH key-based authentication to allow the script to access the server without a password. You may also need to set up port forwarding or VPN access to allow the script to access the server’s database.