Download: WP-DB-Backup

One key difference between a traditional 'static' website and one created with Wordpress is that the pages don't exist as HTML files on the webserver. Instead they are stored in a database.

This database does not appear as a file when you look at the web host so backing it up isn't as straightforward as saving the photos. WP-DB-Backup makes this an easy process that can be automated to save you a job.

Read more: Wordpress articles

Installation is simple. You can either download the file with the button on the right or install through the Wordpress Dashboard. The latter is probably the quickest option. Click on Plugins on the left and then Add new. Search for wp-db-backup and click on the Install now link for the entry created by Austin Matzko.

Once it has been installed, click on the Activate Plugin link. To set up the WP-DB-Backup options, click on the Tools option on the left and then Backup.

By default all of the core information in the Wordpress database will be backed up. If the site has a lot of spam comments, these can be excluded to save space. Likewise previous versions of articles can also be kept out.

There are three different ways to backup the Wordpress database. It can be saved as a file on the web server, downloaded immediately or sent in an email.

Email backups can be scheduled to be sent on a regular basis. We use this on a couple of sites. It was easy to set up a filter in Gmail to label and archive these backups so they don't get in the way.

There is no restore option so you will need to learn how to restore the database should there ever be a problem. It's a little frustrating it's such a rare occurance that it is understandable.