Could you restore your website? A practical WordPress backup check

If your website went wrong tomorrow, would you know which backup to use and who could restore it? A useful backup check starts with those two questions. You do not need to change your website to find the answers.

Use this short review with the person who manages your WordPress site. Keep the answers in one place, then agree what needs attention.

1. Check what the backup contains

A typical WordPress recovery needs both the site files and its database. Files include uploads, themes and plugins; the database holds content and settings. A folder of downloaded images is not a complete website backup. The official WordPress backup guide explains this distinction.

Ask your provider: “Does this backup include both parts, and were they captured as a matching set?” Record the answer in plain language. If nobody can confirm what is included, make that the first task to resolve.

2. Find the last successful copy

Look for a completed backup with a date and time. An enabled schedule shows what should happen; a completion record shows that a job actually ran. Check any failure messages with your provider.

Then compare that date with your latest work. For example, if you added a new service page on Thursday but the last copy is from Monday, that page may need to be recreated after a restore. An online shop will need to consider recent orders too. Agree a backup schedule around the amount of work your business can afford to lose.

3. Know where copies are kept

Write down the storage location and who can access it. Ask whether you can still retrieve a copy if your hosting account is unavailable. WordPress recommends keeping several recent backups in different locations. Check the retention period as well: a copy from before an unnoticed problem may be useful.

You do not need to put passwords in this review. Record who manages access and where your approved recovery instructions are stored.

4. Agree how a restore will be tested

Ask the person responsible for the site to arrange a restore test in a separate, protected test environment. Agree how they will prevent test emails, payments or other live actions before starting. Do not overwrite the live website simply to see whether a backup works.

Give the tester a small acceptance list: the homepage opens, an important service page is present, images load and the admin area works. If the site takes orders or bookings, include those functions in the agreed test scope. Record the backup date used, the result and any missing items.

After a recovery, our contact-form testing guide can help you check the enquiry journey.

5. Make the next check easy

Create a short recovery note with five entries: backup owner, latest successful copy, storage location, last restore test and next review date. Assign a person and a date to every unresolved question.

Also check your backup before planned changes. Learn WordPress recommends backing up before updates, new plugins or themes, and site moves, as well as after significant content changes.

The aim is a clear recovery process that someone can follow when needed. Start by finding your latest successful backup and asking who would restore it.

Want to discuss your business website? Contact Hobbit Web Design and tell us what you would like to improve.