Website backup becomes critical after a failure, whether it's a hack, an update error, a hosting outage, or accidental data deletion. But even a scheduled backup can be ineffective if storage, accessibility, and regular recovery testing aren't properly considered. Step 1: Determine what exactly needs to be copied For most websites, three groups of data are critical: files (code, themes, uploads), database (content, users, settings), and configuration (environment, variables, settings files, server/DBMS parameters). Missing one of these blocks often results in incomplete recovery. If the site uses additional services (e.g., separate media storage, cache, task queue), document what exactly is the “source of truth” and what needs to be restored first. Step 2: Choose a backup strategy and frequency A practical backup plan typically includes a full backup (e.g., weekly) and incremental/differential backups (daily or more frequently). The faster the data changes (e.g., an online store with frequent orders), the higher the frequency required to reduce the "loss window." It's also important to determine the retention period: short cycles for frequent increments and longer ones for full ones. Ensure that backups don't overwrite each other and are searchable by date/time. For increased resiliency, store copies in at least two locations: locally/on the server and in external storage (cloud, remote S3-compatible service, separate server). This reduces the risk of data loss due to disk failure, hosting account attacks, or deletion of all data. Consider security carefully: restrict access to archives, use encryption during transmission and storage, and use separate accounts with minimal privileges. If the backup contains personal data, security and retention requirements are especially important. Step 3: Automate Backup Creation Automation is key: manual backups almost always fail at the most inopportune moments. Depending on your infrastructure, you can use built-in hosting tools, control panels (if available), or server-side task schedulers. The minimum required checks during the automation process include: success logging, archive size/integrity monitoring, error notifications (email/Slack/Telegram), and checking that tasks are actually executed according to schedule. A good practice is to maintain an inventory: store metadata about which backup was created (versions, time, file composition, database schema, application version). This speeds up recovery and reduces the risk of errors. Step 4: Prepare a recovery plan (and define scenarios in advance) Create a short runbook for typical scenarios: web server crash, file corruption, database issue, attack/recovery to a clean state, rollback after a failed release. For each scenario, specify the target state: the date/time to roll back to and the steps to take. Determine the recovery environment in advance: where to deploy the copy (staging/test server, separate temporary host), how to test availability, and how to switch traffic without long downtime. If possible, try migrating to a restored copy using the blue/green scheme or a temporary domain: this way you can confirm functionality before the actual switchover. Step 5: Test your recovery regularly A test restore is the only way to ensure that the backup is not corrupted and actually contains the required data. A practical approach is to deploy a copy to a test environment every 1-3 months and test basic functionality (login, home pages, order processing/forms—whatever is appropriate for your website). Run tests with different backup types: both full and incremental. If a test reveals issues (for example, only files are being picked up but not the database), correct the process—a backup without tests is almost guaranteed to be a false positive. When preparing a test, keep time in mind: estimate your RTO (recovery time objective) and RPO (maximum acceptable data loss objective). This will help you choose the backup frequency and infrastructure resource allocation. Step 6: Basic Disaster Recovery Algorithm In general, recovery looks like this: stop the critically damaged environment (to avoid worsening the problem), deploy files from a suitable archive, restore the database (and, if necessary, the schema/migrations), then check the configuration (environment variables, connections to services) and only then turn on the site. Select the appropriate backup by date/time (take into account RPO). Recover files and check for the presence of important directories (content/downloads). Restore the database and ensure that the users/content are present. Check your environment settings, domains, keys, and connections to external services. Perform validation: pages, forms, background processes, error logs. If you're recovering from a hack, it's important to double-check that malicious changes aren't being overwritten by new files, that credentials are updated correctly, and that vulnerabilities are patched before re-enabling the site. Finally, revisit the backup process: update the runbook, adjust the frequency, review access rights, and improve monitoring. A stable backup system is a cycle of improvements, not a one-time tweak.