How to Back Up, Restore, and Migrate with UpdraftPlus in WordPress
UpdraftPlus is one of the most popular and reliable backup plugins for WordPress. It allows you to automatically back up your files and database, store them in remote locations (like Google Drive or Dropbox), and restore or migrate your site with just a few clicks. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to set up backups, restore from them, and safely migrate your WordPress site using UpdraftPlus.
Why Use UpdraftPlus?
- ✅ Easy, one-click backups and restores
- ✅ Supports remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc.)
- ✅ Scheduled automatic backups
- ✅ Reliable migration and cloning (via UpdraftPlus Migrator or UpdraftClone)
- ✅ Compatible with multisite and WooCommerce setups
Step 1: Install and Activate UpdraftPlus
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins → Add New.
- Search for UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin.
- Click Install Now → Activate.
Once activated, a new menu item Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups will appear.
Step 2: Create Your First Backup
- Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups.
- Click the blue Backup Now button.
- Check the options:
- ✅ Include your database in the backup
- ✅ Include your files in the backup (themes, plugins, uploads, etc.)
- ✅ Send this backup to your remote storage (optional)
- Click Backup Now.
UpdraftPlus will begin creating your backup. When finished, you’ll see it listed under “Existing Backups.”
Step 3: Set Up Automatic Scheduled Backups
To ensure your site is always safe, set UpdraftPlus to back up automatically.
- Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups → Settings tab.
- Under Files backup schedule and Database backup schedule, choose your preferred frequency:
- Files: Daily or Weekly
- Database: Daily
- Set Retain this many scheduled backups to 5 or more (depending on your storage capacity).
- Scroll down to choose your remote storage location (next step).
Step 4: Connect Remote Storage (Recommended)
Storing backups off-site protects your data even if your server crashes or is compromised.
- Under the Settings tab, choose your preferred remote storage:
- ☁️ Google Drive
- 📦 Dropbox
- 🧱 Amazon S3
- 💾 FTP / SFTP
- Click your chosen option and follow the authentication process.
- Once connected, click Save Changes.
UpdraftPlus will redirect you to grant access to your chosen service (e.g., Google Drive). Once authorized, you’ll see a confirmation message.
Step 5: Verify and Manage Your Backups
Backups appear in the “Existing Backups” section of the main UpdraftPlus dashboard. For each backup, you’ll see:
- Date — when the backup was created
- Components — database, plugins, themes, uploads, etc.
- Actions — Restore, Delete, or Download to your computer
Click Download to your computer if you want a local copy of your backup files.
Step 6: Restore from a Backup
Restoring a site with UpdraftPlus is simple — no technical skills required.
- Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups.
- Scroll down to Existing Backups.
- Click Restore next to the backup you want.
- Select what to restore:
- Database
- Plugins
- Themes
- Uploads
- Others
- Click Next and follow the prompts.
UpdraftPlus will automatically extract the backup and overwrite existing files or database entries with the saved versions. When done, you’ll see a confirmation message.
Step 7: Restore from a Remote Backup
If your site is down or you’ve lost access to your hosting, you can restore backups from remote storage:
- Install WordPress and the UpdraftPlus plugin again on your new site.
- Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups → Settings.
- Reconnect your remote storage (e.g., Google Drive).
- Click Rescan remote storage.
- Your backups will appear automatically — click Restore to recover your site.
Step 8: Migrate or Clone a WordPress Site
UpdraftPlus Premium or the UpdraftPlus Migrator add-on lets you clone or migrate a site from one domain to another (for example, from a staging site to a live site).
Option 1: Use the Migrator Add-on
- Install and activate UpdraftPlus Migrator (included in the Premium version).
- On the source site, go to UpdraftPlus → Migrate / Clone.
- Click Send this site to another.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your destination site.
Option 2: Manual Migration via Backup
- Back up your source site with UpdraftPlus.
- Install WordPress and UpdraftPlus on the new host/domain.
- Reconnect the same remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
- Click Rescan remote storage → Restore the latest backup.
- Use the Search and Replace tool (in the Migrator add-on) to update URLs and paths automatically.
Within minutes, your new site will be fully cloned with all content, plugins, and settings intact.
Step 9: Schedule Regular Maintenance
To keep your backup system healthy:
- 🕒 Review your backup schedule every month.
- 📂 Delete outdated backups to save space.
- ☁️ Verify that remote uploads are completing successfully.
- 🔁 Test a full restore occasionally to ensure reliability.
Best Practices for Using UpdraftPlus
- ✅ Always store at least one backup off-site (e.g., Google Drive or Dropbox).
- ✅ Keep backups before major updates or plugin changes.
- ✅ Test restores in a staging environment before applying to live sites.
- ✅ Encrypt database backups that contain sensitive user information.
- ✅ Combine UpdraftPlus with a security plugin like Wordfence for complete protection.
Troubleshooting Tips
- ⚠️ Backups fail midway: Enable “Split archives every 400MB” in the Settings tab.
- 🚫 Remote upload fails: Reconnect the storage service and reauthenticate.
- 🧩 Restore stuck on extracting: Temporarily disable caching plugins during restore.
- 📧 No email notifications: Enable log emails under Settings → Email reports.
Conclusion
UpdraftPlus makes WordPress backup, restoration, and migration simple and reliable — even for beginners. Once configured, it runs automatically, protecting your site against data loss, malware, or server failures. For developers, the migration feature is an efficient way to clone or move sites securely.
Summary: Install → Connect remote storage → Schedule backups → Test restores → Use Migrator for site transfers → Enjoy worry-free site protection.
🔌 Looking for more? Check out our WordPress Plugins Hub to discover recommended tools and how to use them.
