Website backups: how often and where
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Back up daily if your website sells, receives orders, or publishes content; weekly if a company website changes little; always before updates or changes. Store backups outside the website server, because copies in the same place die with the original. Test them: an unrestored copy is hope rather than a backup.
The rule: frequency equals how much work you accept losing. If losing one day of orders is unacceptable, back up daily. If losing a quiet week changes nothing, weekly suffices.
What must backups contain?
Websites have two parts, and backups need both. Files: themes, plugins, images, uploaded documents. Database: page text, orders, records, settings. File-only backups restore empty websites. Database-only backups restore text without images.
Online stores also need external information: payment-platform order histories, product records (if in separate spreadsheets), integrations. Avila Ops stores these by default; on your own platform, check where everything lives.
Email backups are separate. Professional mailboxes need periodic exports or services retaining deleted messages for a period.
Where should you store them, and how long?
The long-established technology rule 3-2-1: three data copies, in two different types of location, one outside the primary location. For small-business websites:
| Copy | Where | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | On the server, automated by hosting | Quick restoration after small errors |
| 2 | Separate cloud storage, automatic | Compromised server, vanished hosting provider |
| 3 | Disk or account only you access, monthly | Compromised account, departed provider, cloud human error |
Keep multiple versions rather than only the latest. An attack may have occurred two weeks ago; yesterday’s only copy already contains it. Thirty days of daily copies and 12 months of monthly copies is a good small-business reference.
With cheap hosting, confirm promised copies exist and you can restore without support tickets. See where this fails in cheap hosting: what your savings cost.
How do you know backups work?
Restore them. Quarterly, take the newest copy and deploy at a test address. If the whole website appears with images and text, it works. If errors appear, better discover now than on attack day.
Backups are inadequate when files are much smaller than the website, the latest is weeks old instead of yesterday, or restoration depends on support without deadlines.
Backups and monitoring go together: one reports downtime, the other restores service. See what website monitoring is. If the site stores customer information, backups are personal data too; protect them and define disposal periods as the LGPD requires. Principles also covered in avilaops.com/guias/como-usar-ia-no-atendimento-sem-violar-a-lgpd.
What to do now
Ask your website provider: last backup date, location, restoration time. If any answer takes over a day, you have a promise rather than a backup. Assess exposure in one conversation: avilaops.com/contato or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
How frequently should I back up a website?
Daily for sales, scheduling, or publishing. Weekly for rarely changed company websites. Always before platform, theme, or plugin updates. The right frequency equals work you accept losing.
Does hosting already back up my website?
Many do, but verify both database and files, off-server storage, and self-service dashboard restoration. Same-server copies requiring tickets are half a backup.
Do backups protect against website attacks?
They do not prevent attacks; they restore the earlier state. That requires multiple dates rather than only the latest copy. Prevention is separate: updates, strong passwords, restricted access.
Connections, made clear
From idea to published page, with a review.
An editorial workflow to keep content clear and organised.
- GoalDefine who the page is for and what it should communicate.
- ContentPrepare the copy, images and information.
- PreviewCheck the presentation before publishing.
- ReviewValidate content, links and next steps.
- PublicationPublish and keep the information up to date.
- Goal. Define who the page is for and what it should communicate.
- Content. Prepare the copy, images and information.
- Preview. Check the presentation before publishing.
- Review. Validate content, links and next steps.
- Publication. Publish and keep the information up to date.
Goal
Define who the page is for and what it should communicate.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.