Backing up your store
How to back up your WooCommerce store — why it matters, what needs to be backed up, and how to verify your backups are working.
Backups are your safety net. If something goes wrong — a bad plugin update, a hack, an accidental deletion — a backup lets you restore your store to a working state. This guide explains what needs backing up and how to make sure it's happening.
Quick summary
A full WooCommerce backup includes both your files (WordPress, plugins, themes) and your database (orders, products, customers, settings). Most managed WordPress hosts (Kinsta, WP Engine, Flywheel) run automatic daily backups. If yours doesn't, install a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus and store copies off-site. Test your backups regularly.
What a WooCommerce backup includes
A complete backup has two parts:
Files
- WordPress core files
- Your theme files
- All plugin files
- Uploaded images and media These rarely change unless you install or update something.
Database
- All orders and order details
- Customer accounts and data
- Products and pricing
- WooCommerce settings
- WordPress settings This changes with every order — so frequent backups matter.
Database backups are critical for stores
For a WooCommerce store, the database is where all your orders live. If you lose the database and have no backup, you lose every order, customer record, and product. Back up the database at least daily.
How your backups are likely handled
If we manage your site, your backup setup is one of:
| Setup | How backups work |
|---|---|
| Managed WordPress host (Kinsta, WP Engine, Flywheel) | Daily automatic backups included. Usually retained for 14–30 days. One-click restore from the hosting dashboard. |
| UpdraftPlus plugin | Scheduled backups of files and database. Copies sent to cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc.). |
| Jetpack Backup (VaultPress) | Real-time backups as changes happen. Higher cost but near-zero data loss. |
Ask us which backup solution your store uses and how to access it.
Checking that backups are running
Don't assume backups are happening — verify:
Log in to your hosting dashboard (Kinsta, WP Engine, Flywheel, etc.).
Look for a "Backups" section. Check that there are recent backups — ideally from the last 24 hours.
If you use UpdraftPlus: Go to Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups in WordPress. Check the "Existing backups" table for recent entries with both a database and files backup.
Testing a restore
Knowing backups exist is good. Knowing they work is better. We recommend testing a restore on a staging site at least once a year.
We can test backups for you
Restoring a WooCommerce backup correctly involves several steps and should be done carefully — especially with order data involved. Ask us to run a test restore to confirm everything is working.
How long to keep backups
| Backup type | Recommended retention |
|---|---|
| Daily backups | At least 30 days |
| Weekly backups | 3 months |
| Monthly backups | 1 year |
Retaining longer backups matters because some problems (like slow-growing malware infections) aren't noticed immediately. Having a 30-day history gives you options.
Off-site storage
Your backup should not only live on the same server as your site. If the server has a problem, the backup is also gone. Use cloud storage:
- Google Drive — free tier available
- Dropbox — easy integration with UpdraftPlus
- Amazon S3 — reliable, cheap for large stores
Your hosting provider's built-in backups are stored separately from your site — that counts as off-site.
Common questions
Related guides
Need a hand?