Backup Your WordPress Site and Update to the Newest Version

You see this type of alert at the top of your dashboard in WordPress. So you click on the link to update and it and it warns you: “Important: before upgrading, please backup your database and files.” Okay, sounds good, you think, but how do I do that?

Start by regularly backing up your site. Install a plugin like BackUpWordpress or WP-DB-Backup. To install a new plugin, go to Plugins > Add New, and type the name of the plugin you’re looking for into the search box. Once you see it, click on Install Now, then activate the plugin (or click here for instructions on manually installing a plugin via an FTP client).

Let’s say you’ve installed BackUpWordpress. Once it’s done, you’ll see it as a heading in the left-hand sidebar. Click on it to get started. It should automatically create a backup folder for you (if you have any issues with this, or see any warnings, it’s a good idea to delete this plugin and go with another). Then you can customize your Options settings. I, for example, have it do the “Basic Scheduling,” a full backup of my site once a week and a SQL update once a day.

Okay. So you’re set up and regularly backing up your site. But WordPress came out with a new version today and you’re not sure when the site was updated last. BackUpWordpress allows you to do an immediate backup with the click of a button. Pretty sweet, huh?

Now you can scroll up to the top of your screen, click that “Please update now” link and choose “Update automatically.” Within a minute or so, you’ll be good to go.

To be on the safe side, check your website and make sure it’s functioning properly (it always possible some of your plugins might not work the same way after an upgrade).

In the immortal words of Gwen Stefani: “Back it up, back it up, you got it, you got it.”