The 3-2-1 rule, simplified
- 3 copies of your data (the live site plus two backups)
- 2 different places (for example your computer and cloud storage)
- 1 copy away from your hosting account
Traxio’s daily offsite backups are a courtesy, not a guarantee, so count only the copies you control. Does Traxio back up my website?
How often
| Site | Back up |
|---|---|
| Brochure site that rarely changes | Before every change, plus monthly |
| Blog with regular posts | Weekly |
| Shop or membership site | Daily |
| Anything, before updates or big edits | Every time |
How many to keep
Keep several dated copies — for example the last four weekly and last three monthly. If a problem went unnoticed, the most recent backup may already contain it.
What to include
- Website files
- Every database
- Email, if the mailboxes matter to you
- Configuration: DNS records you’ve customised, cron jobs, notes on settings
A full DirectAdmin backup includes files, databases and email. How to create and download a full account backup
Automate where you can
Manual backups get forgotten. For WordPress, a plugin that sends backups to cloud storage on a schedule is the most reliable approach. How to back up WordPress
Test restores
Restore a backup to a staging subdomain once in a while. A backup you’ve never restored is a hope, not a plan. Restoring website files and a database manually
Clean up the server
Delete backup archives from your hosting account after downloading; they use your 3GB and are exposed to the same risks as the site.
New to Traxio? Hosting is 30 days free with no card needed, then £0.99 a month. See what’s included