The right backup frequency is determined by potential data loss. Ask: “If the website failed now, how much recent information could we afford to recreate?” The answer is very different for a static company profile and a store receiving orders throughout the day.
Match the schedule to the rate of change
- Mostly static brochure site: daily database backups and weekly files may be reasonable, with an extra backup before every update.
- Frequently updated blog or lead-generation site: daily protection for both database and recent uploads is a safer starting point.
- Ecommerce, bookings or membership: consider backups several times per day or a suitable real-time system so transactions are not lost.
These are starting points, not universal rules. Legal, contractual or operational requirements may call for a different retention plan.
Use the 3-2-1 principle
Keep at least three copies of important data, on two types of storage, with one copy off-site. For a website, that means not treating a backup stored only on the same web server as the complete plan. A server failure or compromised hosting account can affect both the live site and local backup files.
Set sensible retention
Keeping only the latest copy is risky because corruption or malware may not be discovered immediately. Maintain several recent recovery points plus selected older copies. Balance retention with storage costs and your organisation’s data-handling obligations.
Create event-based backups
Run a fresh backup before WordPress core, theme or plugin updates; before a redesign; before importing data; and before changing hosting or domain settings. Verify that the backup completed before making the change.
Monitor and test
Backup jobs can fail because storage is full, authentication expires or a site process times out. Send failure notices to an actively monitored address. Test a restore in a safe environment at planned intervals, and document the recovery steps so the process does not depend on one person’s memory.
Stardetha offers setup options through our UpdraftPlus service page. If you need a backup and maintenance policy for a business-critical site, request a consultation.