I Have Updraftplus and It Wants Me to Pay Again

UpdraftPlus is i of the virtually pop plugins for WordPress. And for good reason: you tin can backup, restore, or fifty-fifty migrate your website with just a few clicks. You lot get admission to features such as backup scheduling and external deject storage, and if there's something you need that's not included in the base plugin, you tin can expand it using add together-ons.

Of course a tool is just useful if you know how to use it. This commodity will guide you through creating backups, restoring, and migrating your WordPress website using UpdraftPlus.

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The Dashboard

All of the adjustments for UpdraftPlus are done in its customized dashboard. To admission the dashboard go to Settings -> UpDraftPlus Backups.

You lot tin can also access this bill of fare from the drib-downwardly from the admin menu bar at the top of your screen. When y'all're making lots of changes to a site, being able to back upward your work whenever you want is exceedingly helpful.

Setting Upwardly and Backing Upwardly

Before running UpdraftPlus for the first time, I suggest setting up the backup schedule, where the backups will be stored, and which files that will be included in the archive. In the UpdraftPlus dashboard, select the Settings tab to make your choices. Please make sure that when you're finished, you hit the salve push button. Otherwise your changes won't accept effect. The settings tab is pretty long, so information technology's very easy to navigate away and lose your progress.

Files Fill-in Schedule and Database Backup Schedule

In the settings tab, use the dropdown menus to change whether you lot want to back up your files, your database, or both. You then choose how many archives you keep in storage, and whether or not you desire to perform the backups manually or every 4 hours, viii hours, 12 hours, daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

Remote Storage

UpdraftPlus tin relieve your backups to your own server, various deject services, or even offline past but downloading the files. If none of that works, just e-mail them to yourself. Unless you just want to shop them on your ain server (but that defeats the bulk of the reason y'all utilize a backup), y'all'll need to fix up the external storage locations before running the UpdraftPlus backup process.

Currently, they support sixteen different options for storage:

1. UpdraftPlus Vault
2. Dropbox
3. Amazon S3
4. Rackspace Deject Files
5. Google Drive
6. Microsoft OneDrive
7. FTP
8. Microsoft Azure
9. SFTP/SCP
10. Google Cloud
11. Backblaze
12. WebDAV
13. S3-Uniform
14. OpenStack
15. DreamObjects
16. Email

Many of these choices are external premium services. One time yous select a service you'll have to connect to information technology using the their methods. You may take to find an access key, API primal, authorization, etc. Some options will require an UpdraftPlus improver.

Some of these choices allow you to download or upload in chunks. This is helpful and so yous don't have server time-out problems. I but recommend email storage for small files. Email servers ofttimes take attachment size limits and then you lot might never receive your files. (Yeah, information technology will appear to be sent.)

If you don't select a remote storage location, then your files will be stored on your server. One problem with this is if something happens to your website, you might not be able to admission the files because they're on the aforementioned server. Another problem is that if your site is pretty large, having multiple backups of it can accept a lot of space and slow your server down.

If you prefer non to use a remote storage service, I recommend downloading the files to store offline. And so make sure you then deleting the files on your server. Out of the box you lot'll just become to choose i storage location. If y'all want to send your files to more than one location you'll need a premium add together-on.

For the examples in this tutorial I've selected Dropbox.

Include Files in Backup

These settings let you choose the types of files to include in the backup. Choices include plugins, themes, uploads, and other directories within the wp-content folder. You can also tell which individual files to exclude.

Database Encryption Phrase

To improve security you can decrypt an encrypted database. Enter a decryption cardinal and and so driblet the zipped database file into the decryption box.

E-mail

The electronic mail choice box allows UpdraftPlus to transport y'all a basic report in your email.

Skillful Settings

Selecting this will testify the expert settings. Settings include:

• Debug style
• Split archives
• Delete local backup
• Backup directory
• Employ the server's SSL certificates
• Do not verify SSL certificates
• Disable SSL entirely where possible

Creating Backups

Create manual backups in the Electric current Status tab. Your options here are Backup Now, Restore, and Clone/Migrate. Clicking Fill-in Now volition start the backup procedure. Clicking Restore or Clone/Migrate will accept you to their corresponding tabs.

Backup to Server

Clicking the Backup At present button opens a modal with several choices. Here y'all can cull to include the database and/or files in the backup and determine if the backup is sent to remote storage.

Click Backup Now to start the fill-in procedure. Unless you lot've set up a remote location the backup will be stored on your server. Depending on the size of your website, this tin can take a while to complete.

Whenever it's finished, you can download the archive to store information technology offline.

Backup to Dropbox

If you've connected a remote storage such as Dropbox then remote storage will automatically be selected.

After connecting my Dropbox account the adjacent backup I performed appeared in a folder within my Dropbox account that information technology automatically made for UpdraftPlus. (If you have a Personal and a Business Dropbox business relationship linked, you will be asked to choose which volition host your backups.)

Downloading, Uploading, and Restoring Backups

You can see your available backups in the Existing Backups tab. From this tab yous can restore, delete, and upload whatsoever backup files that you lot demand to restore from. If the backups you're looking for are not here, there is a link where y'all can rescan your local folder or remote storage for backups.

Downloading Backup Information

You tin download the files from your listing of existing backups. Every backup has a series of buttons, and so pick the section of the annal yous want to download, click the corresponding button, and hit download to your computer.

This is a groovy way to shop your files on your own calculator or USB bulldoze. Additionally, large files will be broken into smaller files. At any point, you tin can choose which backups stay on your server. Just press the red Delete button to make it go away.

Restore

If you lot have an upshot with your site and need to restore ane of your backups, it's as easy as clicking the Restore button on whichever backup you wish to restore. If you're not sure which you lot want you can select View Log to get more information near the files.

Additionally, you tin choose to restore only part of a backup, so if your plugins are giving you lot problem, the themes won't exist overwritten.

Selecting the Restore push button opens a modal popup where you can cull which files to restore. Using these options you can restore but your images or plugins without making changes to your database. The options and files work the same regardless of whether they are stored on your server or an external service.

Make your selections and click Restore. It volition now process the data and give y'all one more risk to abolish before restoring. Be certain to have the fourth dimension to make sure you are restoring what you mean to. These files will overwrite the files on your website. If you lot're sure, click Restore again.

Information technology's important to wait for the restore to complete earlier endmost your browser.

Once the backup is fully restored you lot'll get a bulletin that shows the restore was a success.

Upload

Yous can likewise upload files to restore from. Just find the file (or files, if you've broken it up into chunks) and hitting the button. It'southward that easy.

Migrating

In the UpdraftPlus settings, you will see a button that reads Clone/Migrate. In general, there are multiple methods to performing a clone or migration. If one method doesn't work for you then attempt one of the others. All of the methods are just dissimilar ways of getting the files to the new site. You can import them, upload them through the born uploader, connect to an offline storage service, or upload via FTP.

Premium Plugin

Probably the easiest way to Clone/Drift a site to a new host or directory is by using the official Migrator plugin. Keep in listen, this is a premium add-on for UpdraftPlus and will toll at to the lowest degree $thirty USD depending on the features and level of back up yous want. Additionally, the Migrator plugin really replaces the free version that you downloaded from the WP repo, and then brand sure you lot deactivate and uninstall the old version earlier uploading this one. (Don't worry — your settings and backups aren't going anywhere).

When the new plugin is installed, y'all'll demand to enter the login credentials you made at the fourth dimension of purchase to cosign yourself, and voila! If in that location is an update available a message will appear across the top of the screen, besides.

The Migration Process

In one case yous've authenticated, go back to the Current Status tab and click Clone/Migrate.

Migrating and restoring are virtually the aforementioned thing with the exception of where the files are restored to. Y'all tin't only take files from one installation of WordPress and upload them to another site. The databases and files are specific to each site site, and the Migrator plugin modifies those files to work on the new site accost and file system.

Outside of that aligning, performing the migration process through the Migrator plugin will create a clone of the original site. Any content on the destination site will be lost. Additionally, you must already have WordPress installed on the new site, and you besides need the premium version of UpdraftPlus with Migrator installed and activated there, too. (In add-on to the original, source site.)

The Examination Sites

For this example I'm doing an imported migration. Hither'southward a look at the sites that I'm using for this walkthrough.

The Receiving Site

The site that I'm migrating into is pretty blank version of WordPress using the Divi theme. It has a few posts and pages, and the only plugin that's installed and activated is the UpdraftPlus with Migration improver.

The Source Site

The site that I am using equally a source is using the Divi Design Initiative Marathon layout landing folio, and has quite a few examination pages and posts created.

Importing from the Original Site

The goal here is to get all your files to the other installation of WordPress. And yous only accept a few steps to accept hither.

Step 1

In your destination site (which has an activated version of the Migrator plugin installed, think?), become to Electric current Status and click Migrate/Clone.

Next yous need to create a migration key. Essentially, this is an encrypted identifier that links your ii sites together and makes certain your data goes to the correct place.

Enter a proper noun for the central in the field labeled Enter your chosen name. Next choose the encryption size you want for the key from the driblet-downwards box. The larger the number you lot cull, the size the better the encryption, but it volition likewise take longer to drift. This will entirely depend on the sensitivity of your data. In one case you're fix, click Create central, and a string of encryption will appear in the field labeled Your new key.

Highlight this key and copy it so that you lot tin paste it in the source site.

Stride 2

Now, go back to your source site, and navigate toCurrent Status and click Migrate/Clone. Click Send a backup to another site and paste the encrypted central into the field and click Add site.

The URL for the destination site will appear in a drop-down box labeled Ship to site. Make sure the URL is right and click the bluish Send button.

It volition then examination the connectedness betwixt the sites. If the connection is skilful, you'll become a modal where y'all tin select what parts of the source site to migrate.

• Database
• Plugins
• Themes
• Uploads
• Any other directories within the wp-content folder

Once y'all've made your selections click Send. Keep in mind that this creates a new backup at the time of the migration. It does not ship an old backup. Which is why you get the option to ship the backup to remote storage at this point.

When you're fix, UpdraftPlus will kickoff the migration process whenever yous hit Send. The whole process may take a while, specially if you're moving a big site. WordPress has to export and upload the files, so maybe go make a sandwich or something.

Once the transfer is complete and the destination site has verified that all of the files have been sent over, yous'll go a bulletin that remote ship has completed and to log into the remote site to restore the backup ready.

Pace iii

The receiving site will at present show the files as an existing backup. From this point, you are basically doing merely a unproblematic restoration of that backup. Click Restore next to the backup to install the migrated files onto their new abode at the destination site.

Before really performing the restoration, yous'll exist prompted to cull which of the migrated files you want to install. Once y'all've made certain that things are in lodge, click Restore. When this is washed, all of the files on this site will be replaced by the backup. Anything that was at the destination site will exist erased at this signal.

If you cull to drift the database, yous'll also need to select the box that says Search and supercede site location in the database. This will motion all of the references to the site location to this site. This stride is crucial. If you practice non perform this stride, the URLs inside the database will point back to the source site. This is the same code as the searchandreplaceb2.php script.

The plugin will requite you ane final warning that that all of your files are most to be replaced (because this actually is a big deal). If you're ready, then click Restore. UpdraftPlus will now outset the restoration. Leave the browser open to this page.

UpdraftPlus will display the progress every bit information technology performs the migration. It's important to wait for the restoration to complete. The time it takes volition vary depending on the size of the files only it can take a while. The site volition be placed in maintenance mode until the migration is complete. Information technology volition tell you when it's finished. If you take whatsoever issues y'all might have to restore each set (plugins, themes, files, etc.) individually.

Once the migration is complete y'all will accept to login once more. Most likely, the site will log you out automatically and requite yous a pop-upward login modal. Note: the login credentials will be from the site you migrated from, both usernames and passwords.

The Result

All of the content imported (pages, menus, even the habitation page was gear up equally the forepart page).

Other Methods

If the files fail to migrate to the new site (acquired past server time-out issues, etc.) you will demand to utilise one of the other methods to get the files to your website. All of these processes work practically the same. Your options include:

Download and Upload the Files Manually

1 option is to download and upload the files by hand. Just repeat Steps 3 and 4 above once they're uploaded.

Download

In the dashboard of the site yous want to drift from, create backups, click on each backup ready (Database, Plugins, Themes, Uploads, and Others), and then click Download to your figurer for each file.

Upload

In the destination site, go to Existing Backups and select Upload backup files. Drag and drop the files only similar any media, or observe information technology through your estimator's file system. Once the upload is complete you can restore from the uploaded files simply similar performing the migration — striking Restore and become through Steps 3 and four in a higher place. Be sure to select search and supplant site location just like before, too.

Connect to External Storage

Connect your site to the external storage and your files will announced as an existing fill-in. If they don't announced so select Rescan remote storage. You tin migrate the site by selecting Restore as normal. The only difference is where the files are physically located. You can also download the files from these links that are plant.

Upload Files Via FTP

Your hosting provider should have given you an FTP login during set (or perhaps your sysadmin gave them to yous). All you lot have to do is utilize an FTP client such as FileZilla to send the files to \wp-content\Updraft. Once you've uploaded your files you might demand to rescan the local server. Your files will now appear and yous can restore (or migrate) as normal. The regular edition of Updraft only supports non-encrypted FTP. For the increased security of SFTP, you lot'll need an addition.

Help

The UpdraftPlus dashboard includes links for support and FAQ. The support folio (which runs on Divi, btw) includes FAQ, forums (the WordPress support forum for the free version and a paid support forum for the premium version), and a YouTube channel with video tutorials.

Add-ons

Add-ons include the external storage services and several other upgrades. Any of them can exist purchased separately, or as a total-stack bundle for a reduced price.

From the product folio, the whole suite of add-ons includes

multiple storage destinations, automatic backup, migrator, importer, enhanced reporting, no adverts, fix backup time, more files, more database options, multisite/network, WebDAV, Microsoft OneDrive, SFTP/FTPS/SCP enhanced support for Dropbox (sub-folders), Rackspace Deject Files, Amazon S3 (Standard and Standard – Infrequent Admission Storage classes) and Google Drive (sub-folders).

Terminal Thoughts

UpdraftPlus is a smashing tool to backup, restore, or drift your website. Performing these tasks tin can exist crucial for keeping your website running. As you lot saw, with just iv simple steps, y'all can maintain and restore or fifty-fifty clone/migrate your entire website. It doesn't go a whole lot simpler than that.

Do you lot accept whatever UpdraftPlus tips to share?

Featured Image via Julia Tim / Shutterstock.com

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Source: https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/tips-tricks/the-ultimate-guide-to-updraftplus-how-to-backup-restore-or-migrate-your-wordpress-website