A backup and restore checklist for your website

Before moving a website, check that you can rebuild it from the copies you keep. A download of the website folder may miss the database, configuration or uploaded files stored elsewhere.

A restore test turns that assumption into something you can check. It is also a useful way to find missing access before an outage makes the work urgent.

Know what belongs to the site

Part	Include in the recovery plan
Application	The deployed version, dependencies and any custom changes
Data	Database backups and uploaded files, including separate storage services
Configuration	Required settings and a secure way to recover secrets
Connected services	DNS, email, scheduled jobs and integrations
Access	The accounts and people needed to restore the service

Use your application’s and database’s supported backup methods. For example, PostgreSQL documents several backup approaches with different assumptions. Copying live database files without the required procedure can leave you with an unusable result.

Keep a copy outside the failure you are planning for

A backup stored only on the server you are replacing is vulnerable to loss of that server. Choose storage and access that remain available if the hosting account or machine cannot be reached.

Limit access to backup data. It can include member information and account secrets, so avoid sharing it through public links or attaching it to an ordinary sales enquiry. Keep recovery information where authorized people can find it without exposing it with the backup.

Decide how often copies run and how much recent work you could afford to recreate. A daily publication and an occasionally updated brochure may need different schedules. Assign someone to check failed jobs and available storage.

Test a restore away from the live site

Restore into a separate test environment using the procedure you expect to follow during recovery. Check the homepage, recent records, uploaded files and application sign-in.

Before starting the restored application, disable or isolate outgoing email, payment actions and scheduled integrations so the test cannot contact customers or repeat live activity. Record the steps and how long the test took. Fix missing files or permissions while the original site still works.

Agree what the host handles

Ask who creates backups, how long copies remain available, who performs a restore and what that work costs. The server’s disk size or a support-tier name doesn’t answer those questions.

Use the hosting responsibility checklist when discussing an xUID arrangement. VPS and Specialized Protected Hosting enquiries can include the backup work you want covered; the agreed quote establishes what is supplied.

When you are ready to move, pair this checklist with the website and email migration guide. Keep the known-working copy until the new setup has passed its checks.