Automated Backups
Automating WordPress Backups So You Stop Doing It by Hand
A backup you have to remember to run is a backup that eventually doesn't happen — scheduling and offsite storage close that gap for good.
1-click
WordPress installer to get a fresh site running fast
Daily
Backups also included automatically on your hosting account
Free
Managed migration if you're moving to a backed-up host
24/7
Human support if a scheduled backup fails
In short
To back up a WordPress site automatically, install a plugin such as UpdraftPlus, set a schedule for files and database backups (daily is standard for an active site), and connect an offsite destination like Google Drive or Dropbox so copies leave the server on their own. Retention settings control how many past backups are kept before older ones are automatically deleted.
Checking the plugin's backup log every so often confirms schedules are actually running, not just sitting configured and untested.
An active WordPress site changes constantly — new posts, comments, orders, and plugin updates mean a backup taken once is stale within days. UpdraftPlus is the most widely used plugin for automating this because it handles files and database on one schedule and pushes copies straight to cloud storage, without you manually downloading anything after the initial setup.
Hosting Cheap runs daily backups automatically at the account level as a baseline, layers a 1-click WordPress installer for setting up new sites, and offers managed WordPress hosting from $4.19/mo tuned specifically for this kind of workflow. If a scheduled plugin backup fails silently, 24/7 human support can help confirm what happened at the server level.
Installing and Configuring UpdraftPlus
Install UpdraftPlus from Plugins, then Add New, activate it, and open its settings page. The plugin's interface separates a Backup and Restore area from a Settings area where schedules and storage destinations live. Run one manual backup first to confirm the plugin actually works on your setup before trusting it to a schedule running unattended.
Because the 1-click installer in a cPanel-style panel gets a fresh WordPress install running in minutes, this setup step looks the same whether you're configuring backups on a brand-new site or one that's been live for years.
Setting a Schedule That Matches How Often Your Site Changes
Files and database can run on different schedules, since they change at different rates. Theme and plugin files update less often than the database does, so a blog might reasonably run weekly file backups alongside daily database backups, while an e-commerce store processing orders every day needs the database backed up daily or even more frequently, since losing a day of orders is a real financial cost, not just an inconvenience.
Retention settings decide how many past backups to keep, such as the last seven daily copies and the last four weekly copies. Balance that against available storage space and how far back you'd realistically ever need to recover from.
Sending Backups Offsite to Cloud Storage
Connect UpdraftPlus to a cloud storage destination such as Google Drive or Dropbox through its Settings tab — a one-time authorization step after which every scheduled backup uploads automatically. This matters even though the host already keeps daily backups of its own, because an offsite copy is one you control independently, useful if you ever need to move hosts or recover from an account-level issue.
Turn on email notifications for backup completion and failure so a broken backup shows up in your inbox the same day, rather than staying unnoticed for months until the moment you actually need to restore from it.
Verifying Backups Actually Run
Check the plugin's backup log for a timestamp matching the scheduled time, and periodically download a recent backup to confirm its file size looks reasonable — a suspiciously small backup usually means the job failed partway through rather than completing. Set a recurring monthly reminder to actually look at the log instead of assuming silence means everything's fine.
Layering this on top of the host's own daily backups means a failure in one system doesn't leave you with zero recovery options, and 24/7 human support can help confirm the server-side backup independently of what the plugin reports.
Backups on Top of Backups: Why the Hosting Account Still Matters
UpdraftPlus protects the WordPress layer, but it depends on the server underneath it — slow storage or resource limits can cause a scheduled backup to silently fail during a traffic spike. Hosting Cheap runs managed WordPress on pure NVMe SSD with LiteSpeed, so scheduled backup jobs have the resources to actually finish.
The 1-click installer gets a fresh WordPress site, and UpdraftPlus alongside it, running in minutes, free managed migration brings an existing site and its backup history over, and 24/7 human support is there if a scheduled job stalls for a reason the plugin dashboard doesn't explain.
- Daily server-level backups running independently of the plugin schedule
- 1-click WordPress installer to get UpdraftPlus running on a fresh site fast
- NVMe SSD + LiteSpeed keep scheduled backup jobs from timing out
- 24/7 human support if an automated backup fails silently
Why Hosting Cheap
What you get
Daily account-level backups
A baseline safety net running independently of whatever schedule you set in the plugin.
1-click WordPress installer
Get a fresh site, and an automated backup plugin, running in minutes.
NVMe SSD + LiteSpeed
Scheduled backup jobs have the speed to actually finish instead of timing out.
Free managed migration
Bring an existing site, and its backup setup, over without doing the transfer yourself.
Managed WordPress from $4.19/mo
Hosting tuned for WordPress workloads, including scheduled backup jobs.
24/7 human support
Help confirming whether a failed automated backup is a plugin or server issue.
How It Works
Get set up in a few steps
Install UpdraftPlus and run a manual test backup
Confirm the plugin works on your site before trusting it to an unattended schedule.
Schedule files and database backups separately
Match frequency to how often each actually changes on your site.
Connect offsite cloud storage and confirm backups land there
Authorize Google Drive or Dropbox, then check the log to verify uploads are completing.
Included
Everything you need, on every plan
- UpdraftPlus installed and a manual test backup completed
- Files backup schedule set to match theme and plugin update frequency
- Database backup schedule set to daily or more for active stores
- Retention limits configured so storage doesn't fill up
- Offsite cloud storage destination connected and authorized
- Email notifications enabled for backup success and failure
- Backup log checked monthly to confirm the schedule is running
- Host's own daily backups confirmed as an additional layer
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is UpdraftPlus the only way to automate WordPress backups?
No, it's simply the most widely used option because it handles files and database on one schedule and pushes to cloud storage automatically. Other backup plugins offer similar functionality with different interfaces.
How often should UpdraftPlus back up my WordPress site?
Daily is standard for most active sites. An e-commerce store processing orders may want the database backed up more than once a day, while a rarely updated site can run weekly.
Where should automated WordPress backups be stored?
Offsite, in a cloud storage account such as Google Drive or Dropbox, separate from the daily backups your host already keeps at the server level. That way one system failing doesn't leave you without any recovery option.
How do I know if a scheduled backup actually ran?
Check the plugin's backup log for a timestamp matching the schedule, and periodically download a backup to confirm the file size looks reasonable rather than assuming a scheduled job always completes.
Do I still need a backup plugin if my host backs up daily?
It's worth having both. The host's daily backups are a strong baseline, but an independent, offsite copy through a plugin gives you a version you control directly, useful when migrating or recovering from an account-level issue.
Will automated backups slow down my live site?
A well-scheduled backup running on capable hosting shouldn't be noticeable to visitors. Running heavy backup jobs during peak traffic hours on constrained resources is what tends to cause slowdowns.
Automate Backups on Hosting Built for WordPress
Managed WordPress from $4.19/mo, with daily backups and 24/7 human support included.
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