A WordPress backup is useful only if it contains everything needed to restore the site and someone knows how to use it. A database export alone will not recover uploaded photos or theme files. A copy of the files alone will not recover posts, settings, orders, or form data stored in the database.
What should the backup contain?
Keep the database, uploaded media, themes, plugins, and any custom configuration together. Record where the domain points and which third-party services the site uses. For an online store, confirm how orders placed between backups would be handled during a restore.
Choose a schedule based on changes
A site that changes once a month has different needs from a store taking orders daily. Decide how much recent work you could afford to lose, then choose a backup schedule that matches. Keep a copy away from the same server so a server failure or compromised account cannot take out both the site and its only backup. Review retention and storage access, especially if customer information is included.
Test the restore
Periodically restore a backup to a safe staging environment. Check that pages, images, forms, logins, and checkout, where applicable, still work. Write down who can initiate a restore and how long it usually takes. A backup notification is not proof that the resulting site is usable.
Ask a prospective web hosting provider what backups are included, how often they run, how long they are retained, and whether restoration is part of the service. If your site changes frequently, use a separate backup plan that meets your recovery needs.
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