How to test your website backup before you need it

Five questions to answer today

1. When did it last run? Find the date of your newest backup. If you can't find one, you don't have one.
2. What does it include? A WordPress site needs both the files (themes, plugins, uploads) and the database (your pages, posts, orders and settings). A backup with only one of them won't bring the site back.
3. Where is it stored? A backup kept only on the same server as your website disappears along with it if the server fails or the site is hacked. Keep a copy somewhere else too.
4. How far back does it go? A hack or a bad change is often noticed days later. If you only keep one copy, it may already contain the problem.
5. Who can restore it? Know who does it and roughly how long it takes, before you need it.

How to actually test it

The only real test is a restore. Restore a backup to a test copy of your site, never over your live site. Many hosts offer a staging area, or a spare subdomain works. Then check:

• the home page and a few inner pages load properly;
• images and downloads are there;
• you can log in to the dashboard;
• recent content, such as your latest blog post or order, is included.

Do it once now, then again every few months or after big changes.

A simple rule of thumb

The classic 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one kept off-site. For a small business website, that usually means the live site, the host's backups, and an automatic copy sent somewhere separate.