What Should I Exclude from My BackupBuddy Backup?
Keeping a current backup of your WordPress site is vital. But do you really need to include everything in your backup? The answer is a most definite no! There are some things which will not only bloat your backup, but can slow it down, or even stop it, too. For instance, maybe BackupBuddy isn't the first backup solution that you tried out.
Keeping a current backup of your WordPress site is vital. But do you really need to include everything in your backup?
The answer is a most definite no! There are some things which will not only bloat your backup, but can slow it down, or even stop it, too.
For instance, maybe BackupBuddy isn’t the first backup solution that you tried out. If you still have another backup plugin installed, or even if you removed the backup plugin, there could still be a directory of backups on your WordPress site.
You will definitely want to exclude any such directories from your BackupBuddy backup.
How do I know what to exclude from my backup?
The best way to know what to exclude from your WordPress backup is to know what files and folders actually make up a WordPress installation. Just because a folder or file appears in your public_html folder does not mean it is a necessary part of your WordPress site. Having host created directories/files is very common apart from your own files – the GoDaddy /stats/ directory being a prime example. Try setting up a clean WordPress localhost install so you can see what exactly is included your basic WordPress installation, including:- the default WordPress core files,
- WordPress plugin files
- WordPress theme files
- your WordPress database
- WordPress media library files
What are some examples of things I should exclude from my WordPress backup?
There are a few things you should consider excluding from your backup file, including:- Data Directories from WordPress caching plugins
- Directories with Temporary Files
- Subdomains/Add-on Domains
Is there anything else I should exclude?
Every WordPress site is different, so it’s hard to say explicitly what you should exclude. BackupBuddy has a tool to help you determine what to exclude from your backup. If you go into BackupBuddy > Server Information, under the Files tab, you’ll find a Directory Size Map and Directory Size Listing. These tools allow you to see what is taking up the most space on your WordPress site. The Directory Size Map gives you an actual picture of your site, the different directories and their sizes. The Directory Size Map is a very useful tool when hunting down directories that are using a lot of space. You can also view the Directory Size Listing which gives you each directory along with their size. It also shows you any directories that you have exclude and how that affects your overall backup size. Having a backup is a must for your site. However, it is not a must that everything is included in your backup file. So be sure to look over your site and exclude any unnecessary files in your BackupBuddy settings.Sign up now — Get SolidWP updates and valuable content straight to your inbox
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