How to Backup WordPress Site Manually to Safeguard Website Data

Creating regular backups of your WordPress website is one of the smartest ways to protect your hard work, data, and digital presence. While automated backup plugins offer convenience, knowing how to backup WordPress site manually gives you full control over your website’s files and database. It acts as a crucial safety net, especially during unexpected events like website crashes, hacking attempts, or plugin conflicts. Manual backups ensure you always have a clean version of your site ready for restoration without relying solely on third-party tools.

In this blog, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the process of Backup WordPress Site Manually. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced website owner, this guide will help you understand the manual backup process in detail and empower you to take website security into your own hands. Let’s dive in and start safeguarding your WordPress data effectively.

Why to Backup WordPress Site Manually?

Backing up WordPress site manually may seem technical or time-consuming at first, but it offers several important advantages that automated solutions sometimes miss. Here’s why manual backups are crucial:

1. Complete Control: Manual backups allow you to decide exactly what to back up and when. You’re not dependent on plugin schedules or third-party services, giving you full control over the process.
2. Avoid Plugin or Hosting Failures: If your backup plugin malfunctions or your hosting provider’s backup system fails, having a manual backup ensures your data is still safe.
3. Data Integrity and Security: With manual backups, you store your files and database securely in your chosen location (such as your computer or cloud storage), reducing the risk of data breaches or loss due to platform vulnerabilities.
4. Cleaner Restorations: Manual backups can help you avoid restoring unnecessary plugin data or corrupted files, allowing for a cleaner, more accurate site recovery.
5. Learning and Confidence: Understanding how your website works by handling its files and database increases your confidence in managing and troubleshooting future issues.

In short, manual backups are a reliable fallback and a smart practice for every WordPress site owner.

Steps to Backup WordPress Site Manually

Backing up your WordPress website is an essential task that every website owner should perform regularly. Although automated backup plugins are popular for their convenience, backup WordPress site manually offers a more controlled, reliable, and insightful approach to safeguard your data. Manual backups allow you to directly handle your website files and database, ensuring that you have full control over your site's security and recovery process. Let’s walk through the detailed steps to backup WordPress site manually, covering all aspects from downloading your files to exporting your database.

Understanding What to Backup in WordPress

Before you begin the actual process to backup WordPress site manually, it's essential to understand the structure of a WordPress website and identify what exactly needs to be backed up. This foundational knowledge ensures that your manual backup is complete and effective, covering all the crucial elements needed for a successful restoration.

WordPress websites are made up of two core components website files and the database. Both play a vital role in keeping your site functional and presentable to your visitors.

1. Website Files
   These are the physical files stored on your web server. They include:
• Core WordPress files that form the backbone of your website.
• Theme files that control your site’s design and layout.
• Plugin files that extend your website’s features.
• Media uploads such as images, videos, PDFs, and audio files.
• Configuration files like .htaccess and wp-config.php, which contain critical settings related to your hosting environment and database access. 

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2. Database
   The database holds the dynamic content and settings of your site. It includes:
• Posts, pages, categories, and tags
• Comments and user accounts
• Website settings, widget data, and plugin configurations

Both components are equally critical. If you back up only the files or only the database, your backup will be incomplete. In the event of a crash or hack, a full restoration is only possible when both files and the database are properly backed up and stored.

Step 1: Backup WordPress Site Files Manually

The first and most fundamental step when you backup WordPress site manually is downloading all your website’s files. These files include everything from the WordPress core files to your custom themes, plugins, and media uploads. Without these files, your site cannot run properly even if the database is intact. There are two reliable methods to manually back up your site files using your hosting provider’s file manager or using an FTP/SFTP client. Each method has its own advantages based on your comfort level and the size of your site. The best eCommerce theme for WordPress combines stunning design, fast performance, and powerful features to help you create a high-converting online store.

Using Hosting Control Panel File Manager

One of the easiest and most accessible ways to backup WordPress site manually is through the built-in File Manager tool provided by your web hosting control panel. Hosting platforms like cPanel, Plesk, or DirectAdmin typically offer a user-friendly graphical interface that allows you to navigate your website’s directory, manage files, and create backups without the need for additional software like FTP clients. This approach is especially useful for beginners or those who want a quick, browser-based method to save their site files.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you manually back up your WordPress files using the File Manager:

• Log in to your hosting account: Start by logging into your hosting control panel provided by your hosting provider. This could be cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard. Once logged in, locate the File Manager tool, which is usually found under the "Files" section.
• Open the File Manager tool: Click to launch the File Manager. This interface allows you to view, edit, and manage the files hosted on your server.
• Navigate to the root directory: In the left-hand navigation panel, find the root directory of your WordPress site. This is often named public_html, www, or it could be named after your domain if you're hosting multiple websites. Open this directory to view all of your WordPress site files.
• Select all necessary files and folders: Once inside the root directory, select all the essential folders and files. These typically include:
• wp-content (stores themes, plugins, and media uploads)
• wp-admin (admin dashboard functionalities)
• wp-includes (WordPress core files)
• Other important files such as wp-config.php, .htaccess, index.php, and more.
• Compress the files into a ZIP archive: After selecting all the files and folders, look for the option to compress or archive them. Most File Managers allow you to right-click and choose “Compress” or “Archive.” Choose the ZIP format for compatibility and ease of use. This step reduces the total number of files into one manageable download.
• Download the compressed archive: Once the compression is complete, locate the newly created ZIP file in the directory. Click to download the ZIP archive to your local computer, USB drive, or cloud storage for safekeeping.

This method is straightforward and doesn’t require any technical knowledge or external tools. However, it may be limited by your hosting provider’s file size restrictions or download timeout settings. For smaller sites or quick backups, this is one of the most efficient ways to backup WordPress site manually using just your browser.

Using FTP or SFTP Clients    

When you want to backup WordPress site manually, using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or SFTP (Secure FTP) clients is another reliable and flexible methods to download your website files. FTP and SFTP allow you to remotely connect to your web server and access the entire WordPress file system. This method is especially useful for larger websites where web hosting control panels might limit file size or download capabilities.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to backup your WordPress site files manually using FTP or SFTP clients:

• Download and Install an FTP Client: The first step is to install an FTP client software on your computer. Popular FTP clients include FileZilla, Cyberduck, and WinSCP. These applications provide user-friendly interfaces to connect to your server and manage your files efficiently.
• Obtain FTP Credentials from Your Hosting Provider: To establish a connection between your FTP client and the web server, you need specific credentials from your hosting provider. These include:
• Hostname (often your domain name or server IP)
• Username
• Password
• Port number (typically 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP)These details are usually available in your hosting control panel or welcome email.
• Connect to Your Server Using the FTP Client: Open your FTP client and enter the credentials to connect to your hosting server. Once connected, you’ll see a file directory similar to what you would find in a file manager.
• Navigate to the WordPress Root Directory: Locate the root folder of your WordPress installation. This is commonly named public_html, www, or after your domain name. This directory contains all your WordPress files and folders.
• Select All Files and Folders to Download: Highlight all files and directories inside the root folder, including key folders like wp-content, wp-admin, and wp-includes, as well as important files such as .htaccess and wp-config.php.
  It’s critical to download everything because each part plays a role in your website’s functionality.
• Download Files to a Safe Location: Initiate the download process to transfer all the selected files from your server to a secure location on your local computer or external storage device. Make sure there is enough storage space as WordPress sites can be large, especially with media uploads.
• Preserve the Exact Folder Structure: When downloading, maintain the original folder hierarchy. Preserving the folder structure ensures that, during restoration, your website files will be placed correctly and function without issues.

Using FTP/SFTP to backup WordPress site manually gives you more control over your data compared to automated plugins. It allows you to selectively download files and is particularly helpful for troubleshooting and handling large websites. However, it does require a bit of technical knowledge and comfort with file management and server connections. Once you master this process, it becomes a powerful tool in your website maintenance toolkit. Integrating Google Analytics with WordPress allows you to track visitor behavior, measure performance, and make data-driven decisions to grow your website.

Step 2: Backup WordPress Database Manually

Backing up your WordPress database is a crucial step in the process to backup WordPress site manually, as it contains all the dynamic data and settings that power your website. From posts and pages to user information, comments, and plugin configurations everything that changes and updates on your site lives in the database. Without a proper database backup, your content, structure, and functionality could be lost during a crash, hack, or server issue.

The most straightforward way to back up your WordPress database is through phpMyAdmin, a web-based database management tool provided by most hosting providers.

Using phpMyAdmin

One of the most crucial aspects when you backup WordPress site manually is securing your website’s database. The database stores all the dynamic content and configuration of your site, such as blog posts, pages, user accounts, comments, settings, and more. Backing it up ensures that you don’t lose the vital core of your website’s information during server crashes, updates, or cyber-attacks. One of the most accessible tools for backing up your WordPress database is phpMyAdmin, which is offered by almost all major hosting providers.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown to manually back up your WordPress database using phpMyAdmin:

• Log in to your hosting control panel: Begin by logging in to your web hosting control panel (such as cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard provided by your host). Once logged in, look for the section labeled “Databases.” This is where you’ll find phpMyAdmin.
• Locate and open phpMyAdmin: Click on the phpMyAdmin icon to launch the tool. This opens a new interface where you can manage all your MySQL databases.
• Select the correct WordPress database: On the left sidebar, phpMyAdmin will list all available databases. If you're unsure which one belongs to your WordPress site, open your site's wp-config.php file via File Manager or FTP and look for the line:
  define( 'DB_NAME', 'your_database_name' ); This will tell you the exact name of the database in use. Once identified, click on that database name in phpMyAdmin.
• Click on the Export tab: After selecting your database, click the Export tab on the top navigation bar. This section allows you to configure how the database should be exported.
• Choose Quick or Custom export method
• Quick Export: Ideal for most users. It exports the entire database in one step with default settings.
• Custom Export: Allows advanced users to select specific tables or adjust settings like output format, compatibility, and data structure.
• Select format as SQL: Ensure that the export format is set to SQL this is the most commonly used and widely compatible format for database restoration.
• Click Go to start download: Hit the Go button to generate and download the .sql file to your computer. This file contains all the content and structural data of your WordPress site.

This .sql file is your complete database backup. It can later be imported via phpMyAdmin to restore your site or moved to another server if needed. Taking this step regularly is a critical part of backing up your WordPress site manually and ensures your site content is never lost.

Using Command Line (Advanced)

For users comfortable with command-line interfaces and who have SSH access to their web hosting server, backing up the WordPress database manually via command line is a fast and efficient method. This approach provides direct control over the database export process without relying on graphical tools like phpMyAdmin.

Here’s how to backup WordPress site manually using the command line:

• Access Your Server via SSH:
  First, connect to your web server using an SSH client such as Terminal (macOS/Linux) or PuTTY (Windows). You will need your server’s IP address, SSH username, and password or private key.
• Locate Your Database Credentials:
  To correctly export your database, you need your database name, username, and password. These details can be found in the wp-config.php file within your WordPress root directory. Look for the following lines:

sql
CopyEdit
define('DB_NAME', 'your_db_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_db_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_db_password');

• Run the mysqldump Command: Use the mysqldump utility to export the database. The general syntax is:

mysqldump -u your_db_user -p your_db_name > backup.sql

Replace your_db_user and your_db_name with your actual database username and database name. After running this command, you will be prompted to enter your database password securely.

• Backup File Creation: Once authenticated, mysqldump exports the entire database into a single .sql file named backup.sql. This file contains all the SQL commands needed to recreate your database.
• Secure Your Backup: Download this backup.sql file to your local machine or move it to a secure location on your server. This manual backup is now ready for use in restoring your WordPress site if needed.

Using this command-line method for backup WordPress site manually is highly efficient and preferred for large databases or when GUI access is limited.

Step 3: Store Your Backup Securely

Once you've successfully completed the process to backup WordPress site manually including downloading your website files and exporting your database the next vital step is to ensure that these backups are stored securely. Backing up your data is only half the job; protecting those backups from loss, theft, or corruption is equally important. Here’s how you can do it effectively:

• Multiple Locations: Never rely on a single storage location for your backups. Always keep multiple copies in different locations to safeguard against hardware failures or accidental deletion. Store one copy on your local computer, another on an external hard drive, and an additional one on a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3. This diversified storage strategy ensures that even if one medium fails, your backup is still safe elsewhere.
• Organize and Date Your Backups: Clearly label your backup files with descriptive names and dates. For example, use filenames like site-backup-2025-07-27.zip for files and db-backup-2025-07-27.sql for your database. This organization makes it easier to locate and restore the right version when needed, especially if you're maintaining weekly or monthly backups.
• Encrypt Sensitive Data: If your site contains sensitive information such as user data or payment details it’s highly recommended to encrypt your backup files before storing them. Use tools like 7-Zip or VeraCrypt to add an additional layer of security. This protects your data from unauthorized access even if the storage medium gets compromised.

Securing your backups ensures the integrity and availability of your data when you need it most.

Step 4: Verify Backup Integrity

After completing the manual process to backup WordPress site manually, many users overlook a crucial step verifying the integrity of their backup. This step ensures that the backup files and database export are not only successfully saved but are also usable in case a restoration is required. A corrupted, incomplete, or unreadable backup is as good as no backup at all. Here’s how to confirm that your backup is reliable and complete:

• Check File Sizes: Start by reviewing the size of your downloaded ZIP file containing your website files. If the archive is unusually small compared to your site's total content, it may indicate missing or incomplete data. Similarly, your SQL database file should not be just a few kilobytes unless your site is extremely minimal.
• Test Archive Extraction: Extract the ZIP archive on your local machine. This will verify that the file isn’t corrupted and can be successfully unzipped. If the archive doesn’t open or returns errors, you’ll need to re-download or recompress the files.
• Inspect the SQL File: Open the .sql file in a plain text editor like Notepad or VS Code. A proper database export should contain SQL commands such as CREATE TABLE, INSERT INTO, and other schema definitions and data entries.
• Optional Local Import Test: If you have access to a local or staging server, try importing the database to ensure it's functional. This step adds extra assurance that your backup can be restored without issues.

Verifying your backup is the final yet essential step to backup WordPress site manually with confidence.

Step 5: Create a Backup Schedule and Documentation

Once you understand what to backup, the next crucial step in your backup WordPress site manually process is to establish a consistent backup schedule and maintain clear documentation. Manual backups require discipline and planning to ensure your website data remains safe and up-to-date. 

Create a Backup Schedule

Regular backups are key to minimizing data loss. How often you back up your site depends largely on how frequently your website content changes:

• Frequently Updated Sites: If you run a blog, an eCommerce store, or any site where new content is added or changed daily or multiple times a week, you should back up your website daily or at least weekly. This ensures that recent posts, new product data, user information, and comments are not lost.
• Static or Low-Update Sites: For websites that don’t change often, such as portfolios or business landing pages, a monthly backup might be sufficient. Since content updates are infrequent, less frequent backups still provide adequate protection.

Maintain Documentation

Keeping clear records of your backup routines and storage locations is vital. Your documentation should include:

• The dates and times when backups were performed.
• The methods used (FTP, cPanel, phpMyAdmin, etc.).
• Where the backups are stored (local computer, external drives, cloud storage).
• Any specific instructions or notes about the backup process.

This documentation helps ensure consistency over time, especially if someone else needs to assist during a recovery. It also simplifies troubleshooting and makes emergency restores more efficient.

In summary, establishing a reliable backup schedule and maintaining detailed documentation are essential steps to effectively backup WordPress site manually and keep your website secure.

Step 6: Restoring From Manual Backup (Bonus Step)

While learning how to backup WordPress site manually is crucial, knowing how to restore your website from those backups is equally important. A backup is only as good as your ability to use it effectively when things go wrong be it after a server crash, malware attack, or accidental file deletion. The restoration process involves both uploading your saved website files and importing your database backup.

1. Upload Website Files via FTP: Use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your web server. Navigate to the root directory where your WordPress installation exists. Upload all the manually backed-up files and folders, ensuring you replace the existing ones. This includes core files, themes, plugins, media uploads, and configuration files like .htaccess and wp-config.php.
2. Import the Database: Access phpMyAdmin via your hosting control panel. Choose the existing WordPress database (or create a new one), click on the Import tab, and upload the .sql file you backed up earlier. If you prefer command line, use the mysql command to restore the database.
3. Update wp-config.php: If you've changed database names, users, or passwords during restoration, update the wp-config.php file accordingly to match the new credentials. This ensures WordPress can properly connect to the database.
4. Test Your Website Thoroughly: After restoring, visit your website’s front-end and admin dashboard. Check key pages, forms, and functionality to ensure everything works smoothly.

By following these steps, you complete the cycle to backup WordPress site manually and restore it confidently when needed.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, learning how to backup WordPress site manually is an essential skill for every website owner who values data security and long-term stability. We have seen why manual backups are important they offer complete control, eliminate dependency on third-party tools, and provide a deeper understanding of your website’s structure. We’ve also explored the step-by-step process to backup WordPress site manually, including downloading site files, exporting the database, storing backups securely, and verifying their integrity.

By taking the time to perform manual backups regularly, you ensure your site can be restored quickly and efficiently in case of server failures, cyberattacks, or accidental deletions. Whether you run a small blog or a full-scale eCommerce website, this proactive approach helps safeguard your hard work and digital assets. Start implementing manual backups today and build a solid defense for your WordPress site’s future. Remember, prevention is always better than cure when it comes to website management. The Flex Pro WordPress Theme offers a sleek, responsive design with powerful customization options, perfect for building modern and professional websites.