Check a website backup before you rely on it.

1. Identify the pieces that make the site work

Write a short inventory of the website’s content, uploaded media, design, configuration, and any separate data services. Ask the maintainer which parts are included in the backup you currently have. A copy of visible pages may not include the information needed to administer or rebuild the system.

WordPress documents two parts for a typical full restoration: website files and the database. Downloading the WordPress directory does not normally include the separate database. This distinction belongs to that architecture; do not assume every static site or hosted publishing service stores information in the same way.

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2. Match the copy to a recognizable point in time

Record when the backup was created and which site it belongs to. WordPress recommends treating the database and files as a matching backup set, created around the same time. Keep their relationship clear instead of collecting unrelated archives with ambiguous filenames.

For the file portion, its documentation highlights user content such as themes, plugins, and uploads, along with configuration. Check your own system’s coverage and exclusions. If a provider says “daily backup,” find out which components and retention period that phrase actually covers before relying on it.

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3. Document access and the recovery procedure

Keep the official restore instructions with a short operational note. Record who can retrieve the copy, what access is needed, and where the instructions live. Store secrets through the appropriate protected credential system rather than placing passwords in a shared project note.

A recovery note should remain understandable to the authorized person helping you when the usual maintainer is unavailable.

4. Plan a restore test that cannot replace the live site

Ask the maintainer to restore into an isolated test environment using the system’s documented process. Confirm the target before any import or overwrite. Keep the test private and prevent copied integrations from sending real email, taking payments, or triggering production jobs.

Check the restored content and important behavior, not just the homepage. Open a recent article, inspect an uploaded image, review navigation, and use safe test data for a representative task. Record failures and missing components. These are editorial planning steps; the exact commands depend on the hosting and application.

5. Keep the result and the next check

Write down the backup tested, test date, steps used, and observed outcome. Distinguish “archive downloaded,” “restore completed,” and “important tasks checked.” If the file opens but a needed component is missing, record the limitation instead of calling the backup complete.

Repeat the planning review after a major platform, integration, or storage change. Protect backups according to the data they contain and keep recovery access current. No single test guarantees every future recovery, but a dated, reproducible result is more useful than an unexamined success notification.