What is a website backup?
This video and the information below it explain the importance of backing up your website and options for doing so.
A website backup is a snapshot of all your website's important components. Website backups should include all of the following elements of your website:
- Website code files
- Any website databases
- Images
- Any add-ons, plugins, or themes used by your website
Making backups of your website is an important part of regular site maintenance. You don't want to be left without a backup of your site should something happen - such as a security compromise, or if your billing accidentally lapses long enough to cancel your account. By keeping regular backups, you ensure that you have a way to bring your website back without having to rebuild it from scratch.
Making Backups
There are several ways you can create a backup of your website.
| Backup Option | When to use this option? |
|---|---|
| Manually create a backup with FTP | You simply want to back up your website files, and nothing more. This is also useful if you need to upload this backup to a different type of hosting account. |
| Use your hosting platform's built-in backup system (cPanel / Plesk / Managed WordPress) | You want a simple one-click option to make a backup your hosting account. This is the most useful if you do not plan to change platforms (i.e. cPanel backups can only be restored to cPanel hosting, Plesk backups to Plesk, etc.) |
| Use the GoDaddy paid website backup service | The best option if you simply want your site to always be backed up on time, without having to worry about creating backups yourself. |
More info
- Manual back up with What is FTP?
- cPanel: Back up my website in cPanel hosting
- Plesk: Where can I download my backups in Plesk hosting?
- Website Builder: Backup my website
- GoDaddy Backup Service: What is Website Backup?
