Professional UpdraftPlus Setup for WordPress Backups
Imagine: a client loses their e-commerce database a day after a plugin update error. If backups aren't configured, restoration can cost $1500+ and several days of downtime. Standard hosting backups often exclude the database or are stored on the same server, rendering them useless. UpdraftPlus solves this: it gives full control over components, schedule, and storage location. We configure it so you can sleep peacefully: automatic backups, multiple cloud storages, encryption, and a restoration guarantee. Below is exactly what we do and why you should trust engineers with years of experience.
Why UpdraftPlus Is the Best Choice for WordPress Backups
UpdraftPlus is used on 3+ million sites. The free version covers 80% of tasks: scheduling, cloud storage, selective restoration. The paid version adds incremental backups (saving up to 70% space compared to full copies), a migrator, and AES-256 encryption. We work with both versions and tailor the configuration to your budget. UpdraftPlus is 2–3 times faster than standard hosting tools during restoration, and the cost of a backup failure can be significant.
What Exactly Do We Configure?
Backup Components: Flexibility Without Compromise
UpdraftPlus splits the backup into five components. We enable or disable them based on your site:
- Database — a MySQL dump of the entire WordPress database. Essential for e-commerce sites.
- Plugins — the
wp-content/plugins/folder (unchanged plugins can be excluded). - Themes —
wp-content/themes/. - Uploads —
wp-content/uploads/(large but often static). - Others — mu-plugins, languages, upgrades.
For small sites, we back up everything together. For large ones, the database daily, uploads weekly. This saves up to 50% disk space.
Schedule: Tailored to Your Traffic
We don't trust the standard WP-Cron — it's unreliable under low traffic. Instead, we set up system cron (crontab) on the server:
# System cron for guaranteed execution every 15 minutes */15 * * * * www-data php /var/www/html/wp-cron.php --allow-root > /dev/null 2>&1 Example schedule:
| Component | Frequency | Number of Copies to Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Daily | 14 |
| Files | Weekly | 4 |
| Uploads | Monthly | 2 |
Cloud Storage: Selecting the Optimal Option
Comparison of popular options:
| Storage | Free Limit | Price for 50 GB | Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 15 GB | $1.99/month | Medium |
| Amazon S3 (Standard) | None | ~$1.20/month | High |
| Yandex Object Storage | None | ~$0.50/month | High (Russia) |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | $9.99/month | Medium |
For Russian clients, we recommend Yandex Object Storage — faster, cheaper, and data stays in Russia. Switching to UpdraftPlus can save you up to $200 per year on hosting.
Configuration for S3-compatible storage (Yandex Object Storage, Selectel):
Storage: Amazon S3 Access Key: <your key> Secret Key: <your secret> S3 Location: my-backup-bucket/site-backups/ Endpoint URL: https://storage.yandexcloud.net Excluding Junk: Don't Back Up Unnecessary Files
wp-content/uploads/cache/* wp-content/uploads/wc-logs/* wp-content/updraft/* *.log *.tmp This setting frees up to 30% of backup space.
Encryption (Premium)
The database is encrypted with AES-256 before sending. The key is stored separately — without it, restoration is impossible.
How Do We Test Restoration?
Configuring a backup is not enough — you need to be sure it works. We perform the following steps:
- Create a test backup.
- Restore to a staging environment.
- Verify database and file integrity.
- Guarantee: if restoration fails, we fix it for free.
This sets us apart from a typical "set and forget" configuration. Our clients save an average of $200 per year by avoiding paid backup services. Basic setup starts at $150; advanced configuration with encryption and multiple storages is $350.
How to Choose Cloud Storage: Engineer's Tips
For sites up to 1 GB, Google Drive works — it's free up to 15 GB. For projects 1–10 GB, we recommend Yandex Object Storage: savings up to 70% compared to AWS with high speed within Russia. For large sites (10+ GB), Amazon S3 with a lifecycle policy for automatic archiving to Glacier is optimal. Never store backups on the same hosting — a server failure means total loss. An external cloud is mandatory.
More Details on the Process
Work Process: From Audit to Monitoring
- Audit — assess site size, update frequency, current risks.
- Strategy selection — components, schedule, storage (single or multiple).
- Setup — installation, configuration, encryption, crontab.
- Restoration test — on staging, with timing (usually under 15 minutes).
- Monitoring — weekly log checks, alerts on errors.
What's Included in the Work
- Audit of current storage infrastructure.
- UpdraftPlus configuration with required components and schedule.
- Connection of one or multiple cloud storages.
- AES-256 encryption for databases.
- Restoration testing on staging environment.
- Provision of instructions with access and monitoring recommendations.
- Integration with alert system if needed.
- Support for one month after launch.
Our engineers have completed over 120 WordPress backup projects. Contact us — we'll find the optimal strategy and set everything up in 2 hours. Get a consultation on WordPress backup today.
Timeline and Cost
Basic setup with one cloud storage takes 1–2 hours. If you need migration, encryption, and multiple storages — up to 4 hours. Exact cost is determined after an audit.
Source: UpdraftPlus documentation
Order UpdraftPlus Setup with Restoration Guarantee
Our engineers have configured backups for 120+ sites, including high-turnover e-commerce stores. Contact us for a free consultation — let's discuss your project.