Backup with Duplicator: Secure your website

A functioning website is crucial for any operator. But what happens if the design is not displayed correctly after a change or if a faulty configuration has been made? In such cases, a backup is the lifeblood of the website. With the WordPress plugin Duplicator, you have a powerful tool at your disposal that allows you to easily and reliably create backups of your entire website and restore them when needed. This guide will walk you through the process of creating and restoring a backup with Duplicator step by step.

Key Insights

• Duplicator allows for easy backup creation and restoration of your website.
• You can back up both the complete WordPress installation and the database.
• It is important to store regular backups in different locations (e.g., locally and in the cloud).

Step-by-Step Guide

Install and Activate Duplicator

Before you start the backup process, you need to make sure that the Duplicator plugin is installed and activated. Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to “Plugins.” Click on “Install” and search for “Duplicator.” Once you find the plugin, install and activate it.

Start the Backup Process

After activating the plugin, you will find Duplicator in the dashboard. Click on it and choose the option to create a new package. In the first step, you don't need to change anything here, but it can be helpful to check any notices or errors that the plugin displays.

Create Backup

Now that you are sure everything is fine, you can create the backup. You will see how the process goes, and within a few minutes, the backup will be completed.

Download Backup Files

Once the backup files are created, you will be redirected to a screen where you can see the installer and the archive. You can download both files. It is advisable to save these files on your computer so that you can use them later for restoring the website. I recommend downloading the files one at a time.

Use FTP Client

Now comes the part where you upload the files to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla. Make sure that you log into the directory of your website before uploading the files. Simply drag the two files into your web hosting directory.

Perform Website Restoration

If you have a problem with your website, you can now perform the restoration. Simply go to your browser and enter the path to the installer file, which usually looks like this: “yourwebsite.com/installer.php.”

Enter Archive Name

You need to enter the archive name that you downloaded earlier. Copy the name and paste it into the corresponding field before clicking “Submit” to restore the entire site.

Confirmations and Settings

Before the restoration begins, a message will appear stating that the database will be overwritten. Confirm that you have read and accepted the terms of use. Here, you can ensure that everything is configured correctly before proceeding.

Wait for Restoration

Now let the process run. This usually doesn't take long. During this time, the database will be overwritten and all installation files will be cleaned up. You can check in your hosting whether everything has been correctly deleted.

Check Restoration

After the process is completed, you can access your website again and check if everything is functioning as desired. If everything went well, your website should look exactly as it did when you created the backup.

Create Redundant Backups

To be on the safe side, I recommend that you create regular backups and store them in different locations. It's reasonable to have a copy locally on your computer and another copy in the cloud or on an external medium like a USB stick or hard drive. This minimizes the risk of losing your data.

Summary - Create and Restore Backup with Duplicator

In this detailed guide, you have learned how to create backups of your WordPress website using the Duplicator plugin and how to restore them in case of an emergency. Regular backups are essential to ensure that your website can be brought back to its original form after errors or disasters.