A backup that exists but was never actually tested, or runs on a schedule too infrequent for how often your content changes, gives you a false sense of security right up until the moment you actually need it. Setting this up properly means choosing a genuinely appropriate schedule and destination, not just installing a plugin and assuming it works.
Backup system setup & schedule configuration
A backup schedule and destination actually matched to how often your site changes.
- Full backup taken before we start
- If we can’t fix it, you get your money back
- We never ask for your own password
What we need from you
- Confirmation of how often your content and orders actually change, to set an appropriate schedule
- Your preferred backup destination (cloud storage, a separate server) if you already have one in mind
- Confirmation of your hosting plan’s storage or resource limits, if known
This or something else?
| You want a backup system set up and scheduled properly for the first time, or reviewed if one already exists | This fix covers it |
| You want to verify an existing backup actually works, not just that it runs | Backup restore test & verification report, a related, important next step |
| You want the backup stored somewhere other than your current host | Offsite backup destination configuration |
| Backups are already set up but failing | Backup failure diagnosis |
What we do
- Assess how frequently your site’s content and orders actually change
- Choose or configure an appropriate backup plugin or hosting-level solution
- Set a schedule matching your actual update frequency, not a generic default
- Configure an appropriate storage destination, ideally offsite from your primary hosting
- Run an initial backup and confirm it completes successfully
- Document the schedule and destination for future reference
What is included
- A backup system configured with an appropriate schedule and destination
- A confirmed, successfully completed initial backup
- A written note on the configuration and how to check it’s still running
- Recommendation on retention length, based on your needs
Not included
- Restoring from a backup, a separate fix when actually needed
- Testing that a backup can be successfully restored — worth doing separately, since a backup that exists isn’t proven until it’s tested
- Staging environment setup, a separate, related fix
- Ongoing monitoring beyond the initial confirmed setup
Questions about this fix
How do I know if my current backup schedule is actually frequent enough?
It depends on how much you'd be comfortable losing if you had to restore from the most recent backup — a store taking orders daily needs a much tighter schedule than a mostly static informational site.
Is a backup on my own hosting account good enough, or do I need it stored elsewhere?
A backup stored only on the same server as your live site is vulnerable to whatever might take that server down entirely — storing at least one copy offsite is a meaningfully safer practice.
Will this backup system slow my site down?
A well-configured backup schedule shouldn't cause noticeable slowdown for visitors, though very large sites on limited hosting plans may need the schedule timed for low-traffic hours.
Does having a backup set up mean I'm safe if something goes wrong?
A backup that's never been tested for successful restoration is a genuine, if smaller, risk — we'd recommend also verifying restoration works, which is a separate, complementary check.
How long should backups actually be kept before being deleted?
That depends on your own comfort and storage costs — we can recommend a sensible default based on your site's activity level and flag the trade-off between retention length and storage cost.
Related fixes
If this is the second time this year
A bad update breaking the site is a symptom of updates not being tested first. Care plans run every update on a staging clone before it reaches your live site, which is the actual fix for this happening again.
Your access, your rules
Create a separate admin account for us and delete it when we are done. For anything else, we get in touch and agree a method — never a form field on this site, never by reply to an email.
We back up first, always
Before anything is touched we take a full backup and keep it for 30 days. If a fix goes wrong, we put the site back exactly as it was.
If it is not what you bought
If the problem turns out smaller than what you ordered, we refund the difference. If it is bigger, we stop and send a quote before doing any extra work.
If we cannot fix it
You get back what we received. Diagnosis is on us — you only pay when the problem is actually solved. The payment processor takes its fee before the money reaches us, so we never hold it and it is not ours to return. That is true here as everywhere else.
If it comes back
Reply within seven days of delivery and we put it back on the bench at no cost. The fix is not finished until it holds.
What we are responsible for
If something goes wrong with a fix, our responsibility is limited to what you paid for it. We take a full backup first so mistakes can be undone, and we tell you before doing anything outside what you bought.