Want backups and updates handled
Checking that backups run, are stored off the server, and can be restored, plus regular updates. $149 / $249 / $399 a month.
TN 423-888-0252 · NC 828-484-1257
Backups · would yours actually restore
WordPress backups: how to tell if yours would actually restore
Most site owners can say they have backups. Far fewer can say they have restored one. A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a plan, and the day you find out it does not work is usually the day you need it.
Avery Parker · principal
Support since the early 1990s
Networks & security since the late 1990s
Linux since ~2000
Johnson City office · you talk to the same person
What a usable backup includes
- Files and database. WordPress needs both: the files (themes, plugins, uploads, configuration) and the database (posts, pages, users, settings). One without the other will not bring the site back.
- Stored off the server. A backup kept only on the same server can be lost or encrypted along with the site. Keep at least one copy somewhere else. The 3-2-1 backup rule is a good starting point.
- Several dates, not just last night. If only the newest copy exists, a problem that started last week is already in it.
How to test a restore
- Restore to a copy, never over the live site: a staging site or a spare hosting account.
- Confirm the site loads, you can sign in, pages and images show, and forms or checkout work.
- Check that recent posts, orders, or form entries are present.
- Write down how long it took and who did it, so the next time is not a first time.
Do this a couple of times a year and after any big change to the site.
Why an old backup can carry the infection
If a site was compromised before the backup ran, the backup contains the planted files too. Restoring it brings the problem back. Before you restore after a hack, find out when the problem began and read why not to wipe the host first. A restore after a hack should be followed by a cleanup check, not treated as the finish line.
Common ways backups fail
- The backup plugin stopped running months ago and nobody noticed.
- Only the files were saved, or only the database.
- The backup is stored on the same server as the site.
- Nobody knows the login for the storage account.
- The archive is incomplete because of a size or time limit.
Keeping it in order
Checking that backups run, are stored off the server, and can be restored is part of regular upkeep. Our WordPress Care plans are $149 / $249 / $399 a month depending on tier. If a restore did not clean up a hacked site, cleanup packages start around $2,500 on the incident response page.
Work with us
Work is remote nationwide; Tri-Cities and Western NC onsite is by appointment. Call TN 423-888-0252 or NC 828-484-1257.
Want backups handled vs still need cleanup
Hacked and need cleanup
Published cleanup packages with a written report. A restore is not the finish line if the backup already carried the infection.
First day and want to move carefully
Download the printable first-24-hours compromise checklist. Evidence, access hygiene, and stop-lines. Not a full clean by itself.
Backup restore questions
How often should I test a restore?
A couple of times a year, and after major changes to the site.
Is my host's backup enough?
Maybe, but check what it covers, how far back it goes, and whether you can restore it yourself.
Will restoring a backup remove a hack?
Not if the backup was made after the site was compromised. Find out when it started first.
Want backups and updates handled? See WordPress Care plans.
Tri-Cities 423-888-0252 · Western NC 828-484-1257