Short answer: back up your website's files and databases regularly, keep at least one copy off the server, and test that you can restore it. In cPanel, use Backup or Backup Wizard to download a full or partial backup. For automatic daily restore points, add Daily Backups (₦1,500/month) or CodeGuard Daily Backups with one-click restore (₦2,500/month) to your SiloLobby hosting.
Websites break. A plugin update goes wrong, a hacker gets in, a staff member deletes the wrong folder, or a payment is missed and a service is closed. With a recent backup, you are back online in minutes. Without one, you may have to rebuild from nothing. This guide shows you how to back up properly.
The 3-2-1 backup rule
The simplest rule for safe backups:
- 3 copies of your data,
- on 2 different types of storage,
- with 1 copy off-site.
For a website, that usually means:
| Copy | Where | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The live website | Your hosting account |
| 2 | A backup service or the server | Daily Backups or CodeGuard |
| 3 | Off-site | A copy on your computer or cloud storage |
If your only backup is on the same server as your website, a serious problem with that server or account can take both.
What to back up
- Website files: your theme, plugins, uploads, images and any custom code.
- Databases: WordPress stores your posts, pages, products, orders and settings in a MySQL database. A backup of files without the database is not a full backup.
- Email: if your email is hosted with your website, your mailboxes live in your account too.
- DNS and settings: note your DNS records and important settings, so you can rebuild them.
How often to back up
| Website type | How often |
|---|---|
| Online store with daily orders | Daily (or more) |
| Blog or news site | Daily |
| Business website that changes monthly | Weekly |
| Any website before an update or big change | Every time |
How to back up your website in cPanel
On SiloLobby Tubor and WordPress hosting:
- Log in to cPanel from your client area.
- Open Backup (or Backup Wizard for a guided version).
- To back up everything, choose Download a Full Account Backup and follow the steps. You will get an email when it is ready to download.
- To back up parts, use Download a Home Directory Backup for files and Download a MySQL Database Backup for each database.
- Download the files to your computer and copy them to a second place, such as an external drive or cloud storage.
Restoring in cPanel
In Backup, use Restore a Home Directory Backup or Restore a MySQL Database Backup and upload the file. For a full account restore, contact our support team.
How to back up a WordPress website
You can back up WordPress with the cPanel steps above, or with a backup plugin:
- Install a reputable WordPress backup plugin.
- Choose to back up files and database.
- Set a schedule, such as daily for a shop or weekly for a business site.
- Send the backups to remote storage, such as a cloud storage account, not only to your hosting.
- Run the first backup and check it completes without errors.
Always take a backup before updating WordPress, your theme or plugins, and before changing your PHP version.
Automatic backups with SiloLobby
Manual backups depend on you remembering. Automatic backups run every day without you:
| Add-on | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Backups | Automatic daily backups of your cPanel account, kept for 7 days | ₦1,500/month |
| CodeGuard Daily Backups | Automatic daily cloud backups of your website, with one-click restore | ₦2,500/month |
Both can be added to your hosting from the client area or the hosting add-ons page.
How long to keep backups
Keep more than one restore point. Problems such as malware are often discovered days after they start, so the newest backup may already be affected. A good pattern is:
- daily backups kept for at least 7 days,
- one weekly backup kept for a month,
- a monthly copy kept off-site for several months.
Delete very old copies you will never need, but always keep at least one backup from before any major change to your website.
How to test your backups
A backup you have never tested may fail when you need it. Every few months:
- open the backup archive and check that your files and database file are inside,
- restore it to a subdomain or test folder and check the site loads,
- confirm the date of your newest backup is recent.
Common backup mistakes
- Keeping backups only on the server. If the account is hacked or closed, the backups go with it.
- Backing up files but not the database. Your content and orders are in the database.
- Never testing a restore. Corrupt or incomplete backups are only discovered when it is too late.
- Keeping only one old backup. If a hack went unnoticed for a week, yesterday's backup may also be infected. Keep several days of restore points.
- Letting hosting or domains expire. Expired services can be removed after a grace period. Keep your wallet funded so renewals go through. See what happens when your domain expires.
Backing up your email
If your email is hosted with your website, your mailboxes are part of your hosting account:
- A full account backup in cPanel includes your email.
- Email apps set up with IMAP keep mail on the server, so a copy on your phone is not a backup.
- To keep your own copy, export mailboxes from your email app occasionally, or download a full account backup.
What to do after a hack or a bad update
If your website is hacked or an update breaks it:
- Do not panic-delete files. You may remove evidence of how the attacker got in.
- Change your passwords for cPanel, WordPress admin accounts, FTP and databases.
- Restore from a clean backup, from a date before the problem started.
- Update everything: WordPress, themes and plugins, and remove any you do not use.
- Scan the restored site for malware.
- Find the cause, such as an outdated plugin or a reused password, so it does not happen again.
Our support team can help you restore your site and check your account.
Backups are part of website security
Backups do not stop attacks, but they make recovery possible. Combine them with:
- strong, unique passwords and two-factor sign-in,
- updates for WordPress, plugins and themes,
- malware scanning such as SiteLock (₦3,000/month),
- free SSL on every domain.
See our website security checklist for the full list.
Summary
Follow the 3-2-1 rule, back up both files and databases, keep one copy off the server and test your restores. Take a manual backup in cPanel today, and add automatic daily backups so you never have to remember.