WordPress Backup Checklist for VPS Websites
This checklist helps you back up a WordPress website running on a VPS. It focuses on the files, database and configuration that matter when you need to restore the site after a plugin failure, malware incident, broken update or server migration.
What you must back up
- WordPress files
- wp-content folder
- Uploads
- Database
- Nginx configuration
- SSL and renewal notes
- Crontab or automation scripts
Checklist
- Identify the website root directory.
- Export the WordPress database.
- Archive the WordPress files.
- Verify the backup file is not empty.
- Copy backup outside the VPS.
- Back up Nginx server block.
- Record PHP version and database name.
- Test restore on a staging server if possible.
- Create a backup schedule.
- Document the restore process.
Final check
A backup is not reliable until you know how to restore it. For production websites, the restore process matters as much as the backup file.
Estimated Time
30–60 minutes
Use Case
Use this checklist before updating WordPress, moving a site, cleaning malware or making risky server changes.
Common Mistakes
- Only backing up files but not database.
- Keeping backup only on the same VPS.
- Never testing restore.
- Forgetting Nginx config.
- Overwriting production files without a rollback plan.
Related Commands
mysqldump -u db_user -p db_name > backup.sql
tar -czf site-files.tar.gz /var/www/example.com
sudo cp /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com ./nginx-example.com.conf
df -h