How to Use Akeeba Backup for WordPress
The de facto standard for backing up a Joomla site is Akeeba Backup. The software is excellent, feature rich, and very reliable.
The developer of Akeeba Backup has now created Akeeba Backup for WordPress, which is now in Beta and available to subscribers for testing.
The following tutorial will walk you through creating and restoring a backup for WordPress.
- Go to your Your WordPress Admin area > Plugins
- Click Add New
- Click Upload
- Choose the file you downloaded
- Click Install Now
- Activate the plugin.
Configuration Wizard
After installing the plugin, you’ll want to run the Configuration Wizard before doing a backup. This won’t be necessary for subsequent backups.
The Configuration Wizard will then run and optimize your settings for your server environment. For example, it will change the minimum execution time to make the backup as fast as possible without getting restriction errors from the server.
Backup & Download
- Click Backup Now
- Enter a short description, an optional password that will be used when you restore the backup, and a backup comment if you need it. If you do choose to use a password, please remember to write it down and store it in a safe location.
- When ready, click Backup Now.
You’ll be taken to a progress screen that will automatically cycle through the different backup steps. If your site has a lot of files on it, especially large ones, you can take a break then come backup and check on it. However, do not go to another page in your browser window until the backup has completed, since this will disrupt the process.
- After the backup has successfully completed, go to Manage Backups.
- On the right hand side of your backup description, you’ll see the Part 00 download button. Click on it to begin the download.
Restore the Backup on a Testing Environment
One of the most vital things to do after creating a backup is to download it and attempt to restore it in a test location to make sure the backup works properly. An untested backup is an unreliable backup.
The following restore process is restoring a backup on a testing environment, but can also be used for transferring a site.
- Go to the AkeebaBackup Kickstart download page and download Kickstart.
- After downloading Kickstart, unzip the package and note the Kickstart.php file within it.
- Move a copy of your backup file and the kickstart.php file into your test directory.
- Please make sure the test directory is not publicly accessible and/or is password protected.
- In your browser, navigate to the test folder. Then click on kickstart.php.
- A list of information will pop up. Please read the information, then click the close button.
- Double check your settings, then start the extraction process.
This is a great demonstration of why to test your backup. In the above screenshot, my backup file was corrupted and I couldn’t restore it. It hung on a larger sized file. Thus, I needed begin the process over again.
Please note that I’m not sure whether the above issue was due to an AkeebaBackup bug or simply my browser corrupting the download. If you have a large site, use an FTP program to download the backup, rather than your browser. Also, note that AkeebaBackup is still in beta and once the stable version is released, issues like this should hopefully be nonexistent.
After redoing the previous steps, it worked successfully for me and I’m onto the next step:
- Click Run the installer.
- If you created a password in the backup step, enter your password, then click Unlock.
- Read the information on the page, then click Next when ready.
- Enter your test database’s information, as well as double check the rest of the settings:
- Read the information on the page, then click Next when ready.
- Once the database restores successfully, click Next step.
- Set your Site Parameters as you’d like them. Use the question mark tool tip to the right of each field if you’re unsure about any.
- When ready, click Next.
The restore is now done, however make sure to click the Remove the installation directory button. Double check your test directory to make sure there’s no installation folder in there. If there is, manually remove it.
Navigate to your site’s test URL. Check the site and make sure everything’s working, including logging in and checking the admin area.
If everything works, delete the kickstart.php file and you’re done.
Restoring a Live Site Backup
Restoring a backup on a live site is much easier, since it eliminates most of the manual steps and all you have to do is check the settings. Once you’ve tested the backup with the above process and made sure it works, go to the Manage Backups area in Akeeba Backup.
- Select your Backup and then click Restore.
- Click Start Restoration and follow the short steps on the screen, as you did with restoring the test backup.
- Once restored, double check your site to make sure everything’s working properly.
Advanced Settings
As mentioned at the start of the tutorial, Akeeba Backup is feature rich. It has a lot of advanced features, such as storing remotely to Amazon S3, excluding files and folders from the backup, and excluding database tables from the backup. For a full overview of all the feature, check out Akeeba Backup for WordPress’ comprehensive documentation.
Great… I have used Akeeba backup for Joomla since before it was called Akeeba and it is brilliant, never fails me and saved my bacon more than once. Nicholas’ support is first class. Thanks, as soon as I can I will check out the WordPress version. Philip
wow nice list bro, as per SEO i prefer “The All in one SEO Plugin” and as per anything new ama love to use , i would try WP SOCIAL SEO BOOSTER WORDPRESS PLUGIN, i dont know if its paid, or as promising as you wrote ,but am sure its worth giving a try, and ama try it on my blog asap.. thanks i always love your articles.
I have been using Akeeba in joomla CMS for years , I never had a problem . now I am using for wordpress , it works very good so far . [url=http://www.wallpapercase.com/]HD Wallpapers[/url]
From day one of my blog I’ve been using the WP DB-Manager, to auto backup my database. I’ve always used that one because its east to use and gets the job done with no problems.
On the off chance one day I get a database crash, I’ll be covered. I also weekly take a manual backup of my files. Goof plugins you’ve listed.
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