🛡 How to Back Up Your Website Database Using UpdraftPlus

📘 Backing up your WordPress site regularly is one of the most important habits you can develop. This is especially crucial before making major updates. It is also vital before running bulk changes (like with search and replace tools). The UpdraftPlus plugin makes it easy to back up your site’s database and/or files with just a few clicks.

This guide will show you how to create a database-only backup using UpdraftPlus. This way, you can safely preserve your content, settings, and configurations.

✅ Step-by-Step: Backing Up Your WordPress Database with UpdraftPlus

1. Install and Activate UpdraftPlus

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin.
4. Click Install Now, then Activate.

2. Access the UpdraftPlus Settings

• From your dashboard, go to:
  Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups

Here, you need to set up the settings for your backup plan. Choose either weekly or monthly, don’t forget to save. Connect to any backup method that you like and find easy. For me, I choose my backup to Google Drive for free. To connect your backup with Google Drive, click on it. Enter your Email to Google Drive. Then, create a folder in Google Drive.

3. Initiate a Manual Backup

1. Click the “Backup Now” button at the top.
2. In the popup window, you’ll see two checkboxes:
   • Include your database in the backup
   • Include your files in the backup
3. Uncheck the “Include your files” box if you only want to back up the database.
4. Make sure “Include your database in the backup” is checked.
5. Click “Backup Now” to begin.

4. Wait for the Backup to Complete

• The process may take a few moments depending on the size of your database.
• Once complete, the backup will appear under the Existing Backups tab.

5. Download the Database Backup (Optional but Recommended)

1. Under the Existing Backups tab, locate the new backup.
2. Click Database to download it to your local computer for safekeeping.

🎉 Wrapping Up

And that’s it! You’ve just backed up your website’s database using UpdraftPlus. This is a smart step before making changes with plugins like Better Search Replace or editing core site content. Restoring your site later (if needed) is just as easy, thanks to the backup you now have.

💡 Pro Tip:

For ongoing protection, consider setting up automated backups in UpdraftPlus. Connect to a remote storage option like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.