A complete backup, restoration, migration, and deployment solution. Requires an iThemes paid subscription.

More Info on BackupBuddy

https://ithemes.com/backupbuddy/
https://help.ithemes.com/hc/en-us/categories/200062300-BackupBuddy

Initial Configuration

Settings > iThemes Licensing

Enter your iThemes login information to authorize this plugin.

BackupBuddy > Settings

The settings below are just recommendations. Feel free to customize according to your needs.

• ImportBuddy password: enter a secure password and write it down. Never change this password since previous backups depend on it for potential restoration.
• Send notification after period of no backups: 10.
• Error notification recipient(s): enter your email address.
• Age limit of local backups: 0 (no limit).
• Limit number of backups to keep by type: 10, 30, 10 (this is really up to you and the storage space you have on your server).
• Limit total number of local backups to keep: 0 (no limit).
• Size limit of all local backups combined: 0 (no limit).
• Default base database tables to backup: All tables (including non-WordPress).
• Default excluded files & directories (relative to WordPress root): click to exclude files and folders as needed from the left-hand area. Some recommended files and folders to exclude (actual folder and file names depend on your host provider):
  /.ftpquota
  /cgi-bin/
  /error_log
  /php_mail.log

BackupBuddy > Schedules

Create 3 types of backups (daily database, weekly full, and monthly full remote backups) as instructed below. If you make frequent changes to your website, you should make complete backups more frequently.

Click Add Schedule.

Daily Database Backup

• Schedule name: Daily Database.
• Backup profile: Database Only (Database Only).
• Backup interval: Once Daily.
• Date/time of next run: choose the next day at 12:00 am.
• Remote backup destination(s): N/A.
• Delete local backup file after remote send success: N/A.
• Schedule enabled? Enable schedule to run.
• Click + Add Schedule.

Click Add Schedule.

Weekly Full Backup

• Schedule name: Weekly Full.
• Backup profile: Complete Backup (Full).
• Backup interval: Once Weekly.
• Date/time of next run: choose the next day at 1:00 am.
• Remote backup destination(s): N/A.
• Delete local backup file after remote send success: N/A.
• Schedule enabled? Enable schedule to run.
• Click + Add Schedule.

Monthly Full Remote Backup

First, you need to set up a remote destination (BackupBuddy > Destinations). Documentation on various remote destinations: https://help.ithemes.com/hc/en-us/articles/211127127-Introduction

Now it’s time to schedule the remote backup. Click back to BackupBuddy > Schedules and then click Add Schedule.

• Schedule name: Monthly Full Remote.
• Backup profile: Complete Backup (Full).
• Backup interval: Once Monthly.
• Date/time of next run: choose 4 days later at 3:00 am.
• Remote backup destination(s): click + Add Remote Destination and choose the remote destination you set up earlier.
• Delete local backup file after remote send success: enable this option.
• Schedule enabled? Enable schedule to run.
• Click + Add Schedule.

Usage

BackupBuddy > Backups

Click Create Backup.

Depending on what type of backup you need, click either Complete Backup (which includes all files + database), Database Only, Themes Only, Plugins Only, or Media Only. Note that any files you excluded in BackupBuddy > Settings will not be backed up.

Once you start a backup, allow it to complete before you do any other action such as WordPress updates. When the backup is complete, it will appear in the list of previous backups. Click on a backup name to download it. Or click the three horizontal dots to the right of a backup name for options like details about the backup.

Click Restore Backups for options on restoring files and/or the database.

• Click the Restore Files button if you want to choose specific files to restore.
• Click the Restore button if you want to restore all files and/or database.

The importbuddy.php file is used in one method of restoring a site and it’s always a good idea to download once to keep with your backups.

1. Click ImportBuddy near the top right corner, then choose Download importbuddy.php.
   
2. Leave the password field blank if you want to use the one from the BackupBuddy > Settings (recommended) or enter a new password (make sure you write it down; it’s needed for any future restoration of this specific backup).
3. Save the file to your computer in the same folder where you saved downloaded backups.

Need assistance with this plugin or backup solutions in general? Contact us. We’d love to help!