How to set up UpdraftPlus backups on WordPress

UpdraftPlus is a free WordPress plugin, used on more than four million websites, that makes regular backups of your website and keeps them away from your server.

Why backups away from your server

A backup kept only on your own web server is lost with it if the server or the hosting fails. A copy in cloud storage survives.
Scheduled backups happen without anyone having to remember.
If an update goes wrong or the site is damaged, you restore it in a few clicks.

Before you start

An administrator login for your WordPress website.
A cloud storage account for the backups, for example Google Drive or Dropbox.
Your web host may make backups too. Keep both: two copies in two places.

1. Install and activate

In WordPress, go to Plugins › Add New Plugin (in older versions: Add New).
Search for UpdraftPlus. Check that the author is Team Updraft.
Click Install Now, then Activate.

2. Choose where the backups go

Go to Settings › UpdraftPlus Backups and open the Settings tab.
Under "Choose your remote storage", click Google Drive (or your own choice) and click Save Changes.
Follow the prompt to sign in: click Sign in with Google, check the account and allow access.
Back on your website, click Save Changes again.

3. Set the schedule

Still on the Settings tab, set the "Files backup schedule", for example weekly.
Set the "Database backup schedule", for example daily: the database holds your pages, orders and settings, and changes most.
Choose how many backups to keep, then click Save Changes.

4. Make your first backup now

Open the Backup / Restore tab and click Backup Now.
Tick the database and the files, keep "send this backup to remote storage" on, and click Backup Now.
When it has finished, check that the backup is listed under "Existing backups" and that the files are in your cloud storage.

5. Restoring, if you ever need it

Go to Settings › UpdraftPlus Backups and click Restore.
In the list of existing backups, click Restore next to the backup you want.
Choose what to restore (for example the database, plugins, themes, uploads) and click Restore.
Read the checks it shows, continue, and wait for "Restore successful!".
The backup is not listed? Click "Rescan remote storage".

Keep UpdraftPlus up to date like your other plugins, and now and then download a copy of a recent backup to your own computer.

Lost or stolen device?

If you are a client of ours and your phone or computer has crashed, or was lost or stolen, let us know as soon as possible. Write to us using the contact details on our contact page, or use the direct email address or telephone number we gave you (we do not publish these). We can lock your account with us straight away, reset your login password, and help you set everything up again.

Sources (checked 20 October 2026)

UpdraftPlus on WordPress.org. wordpress.org
UpdraftPlus: how to back up. teamupdraft.com
UpdraftPlus: back up to Google Drive. teamupdraft.com
UpdraftPlus: restore a site. teamupdraft.com