How to Manually Backup Your WordPress Site

Creating a backup of your WordPress site is simple and doesn’t require a plugin, but if you prefer using one, Updraft is my recommendation.

Step1 – Backup Website Files

Navigate to your WordPress root directory, typically the public_html folder, using FileZilla or your hosting file manager. The public_html folder includes wp-content (themes, plugins, uploads), wp-admin, wp-includes, and wp-config.php. As long as you have this, you have all of your website files.

Step 2 – Backup your Database

You’ll need to know the name of your database. The easiest way to find this is to open your wp-config.php file and look for this line:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');

Now that you know the name of your database, go to phpMyAdmin in your hosting panel. Select your database (the one listed in your wp-config.php file), click Export, choose Quick, set the format to SQL, and then click Go.

Step 3 – Store Your Files Somewhere Secure

Just in case something happens to your hosting account, you don’t want your backup files stored there. So upload these files to Google Drive or Dropbox. Be sure to back up regularly!