Backup WordPress Database
Backing up your WordPress database is something most of us fail to do on a regular basis. I have yet to need a database backup to restore a catastrophic lose but have used them to move a WordPress blog to a new server and I always backup the database before an upgrade. There are two methods to backup your database, one is manually in the hosting account control panel the other is with a plugin. I like the manual method and will cover it in this WordPress guide.
If you have multiple databases you first need to know the correct database to backup. You might have different scripts or multiple WordPress blogs installed on your site and knowing which is which can be very useful information. So first get into the file manager on your hosting account and browse to the directory where the WordPress blog is installed. Look for and open the wp-config.php file.
Once you open the wp-config.php file you will see the name of the database for your WordPress blog. All you need to do is look at this, make sure you don’t edit it and then close the file without making any changes.
Now armed with the proper information you can export your database. Back at the main page of your control panel look for the phpMyAdmin menu. If that isn’t an option then look for a MySQL Database menu icon or link. Host4Profit users will need to access phpMyAdmin by clicking the database after clicking the MySQL Database link icon.
When you are in phpMyAdmin click the drop down box on the far left under database and choose the correct database. This will open the database and will give you a set of menu tabs on the top.
On the left side click the Select All link and make sure the SQL button is ticked. In the main menu make sure only the following boxes are checked in the top SQL Options section:
- Structure
- Add DROP TABLE
- Add AUTO_INCREMENT
- Enclose table and field names with backquotes
In the middle Data section only check the Data box and make sure all other boxes are not checked. In the lower Save as file section make sure the Save File As box is checked and tick the “zipped” button. Now just click the lower right Go button and save the file on your computer.
That should get your WordPress database safely backed up and on your computer. To import it just follow these steps in reverse making sure the same settings are selected in phpMyAdmin as outlined when making the backup.
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Comments
HI Jeff -
Very useful information. How did you know I needed to know this? LOL…
Thank you very much as always for being the best!
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[...] Backup WordPress Database [...]
another great tutorial from WPM, cheers
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Useful information , great post . Thanks for sharing !!
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Great step-by-step guide, Jeff. The new video you made is great as well. I have now backed up my blog and ready to upgrade. Finally! Thanks.
Alan Mater
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cool site! really love to read here! thanks for the info…
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thanks for sharing some ideas here i really appreciate, well said about you post
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Nice post on everything backup for wordpress. I appreciate all that effort because it can help a newbie in an easy way.
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thank you
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I actually thought that copying my whole blog site’s files are all I should do to back up. Thanks for saving me from all the inconvenience.
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I am using the website backup option to back up my blogs.
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Great advice yet again.
Thanks, this blog is so helpful
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yaa its very necessary to take a backup of your site every week becase desaster won’t comes with any intimation & if you’ll loose one time then only you will realise that how much important is backing up your DB.well anyways great information to those who don’t care about there DB.
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EVERY SINGLE TIME that I try to back up, my computer freezes. I have not been able to successfully complete a back up my WordPress database yet. I wonder if there’s a problem with my computer or if there is some other kind of glitch somewhere. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
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Nice article. You’ve managed to brake something which (well to me as a complete blogging novice) seems really complex and difficult, into really nice easily followable steps. The guidance pictures are a nice touch too, it would have seemed too daunting to me without the visial guidance. Thanks
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Hi,Really good I tired more than once I try do this.
Thanks,
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nice step by step tutorial. I use the WordPress Database Backup plugin that mails me the database regularly.
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Hey Jeff, nice informative tutorial. This would prove quite handy particularly to ones who opt on manually backing up their databases. I like the old school manual method as it is always exciting and learning, and allows more control to the users. By the way, great step-by-step instructions with those snap shots…
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t just follow these steps in reverse making sure the same settings are selected in phpMyAdmin as outlined when making the backup.
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I haven’t made an backup either. Thank you for remembering me.
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Can we backup our wordpress database just with download the xml file on the tool-export menu? Or it’s something different with what we discuss in this article. It sounds like a silly question, but I’m a newbie
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Jeff Replied:
March 5th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Yes you can use the WP dashboard to backup now. this post may have been posted before that feature was in WP.
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