Backups Management

Create, manage, and restore WordPress site backups through Kinsta integration

Backups Management The Backups Management feature provides comprehensive backup and restore capabilities for your WordPress sites hosted on Kinsta. Create manual backups, view system backups, and restore your site with confidence. This feature requires Kinsta hosting integration. Backups are managed through Kinsta's infrastructure and storage. Prerequisites To use backup features, you need: Active Kinsta hosting account. Kinsta API integration configured. Site hosted on Kinsta infrastructure. Appropriate permissions for backup operations Types of Backups Manual Backups User-initiated backups created on demand: Create before major updates or changes. Custom naming for easy identification. Immediate backup initiation. Full site backup including database and files System Backups Automatic backups created by Kinsta: Daily automatic backups (retained for 14-30 days depending on plan). Created at scheduled times. No manual intervention required. Managed by Kinsta's backup system Scheduled Backups Backups created on a custom schedule (configured in MyKinsta): Hourly backups for high-traffic sites. Custom timing options. Retention policy management Creating a Backup To create a manual backup: Navigate to the Backups page. Enter a descriptive name for your backup. Click 'Create Backup'. Wait for the backup process to complete (usually 2-10 minutes). The new backup will appear in your list with 'Ready' status Backup creation time depends on site size. Large sites with many files or big databases may take longer. Viewing Backup Details Each backup displays: Backup name - Custom name or system-generated. Type badge - Manual, System, or Scheduled. Status - Ready, In Progress, or Failed. Creation date and time. Backup size (when available). Unique backup ID Restoring a Backup To restore your site from a backup: Click on the backup you want to restore. Review the backup details in the restore dialog. Select target environment (current or different). Read the warning about data overwrite. Click 'Restore Backup' to proceed. Note the operation ID for tracking. Wait for restoration to complete Restoring a backup will overwrite ALL current data including files and database. Always create a fresh backup before restoring. Multi-Environment Restoration You can restore backups to different environments: Restore production backup to staging for testing. Clone sites across environments. Test updates safely before production deployment Direct Connection Option If Kinsta integration isn't set up, you can connect directly: Enter your Kinsta API Key. Provide the Site ID from MyKinsta. Enter the Environment ID. Click Connect to access backups Direct connections support URL parameters. Bookmark: /backups?apiKey=xxx&siteId=xxx&environmentId=xxx Best Practices Backup Strategy Create manual backups before major changes. Use descriptive names (e.g., 'before-plugin-update-2024-01'). Verify system backups are running regularly. Test restore process periodically. Document your backup procedures When to Create Manual Backups Before WordPress core updates. Before major plugin/theme updates. Before custom code deployments. Before database modifications. After completing important content updates Troubleshooting Backup Creation Fails Check Kinsta API connection. Verify sufficient storage space. Ensure no other backup is in progress. Check MyKinsta for error details Restore Issues Verify target environment is not locked. Check operation status in MyKinsta. Ensure no maintenance is scheduled. Contact Kinsta support with operation ID Understanding Backup Retention Backup retention varies by Kinsta plan: Starter plans: 14 days of daily backups. Pro plans: 20 days of daily backups. Business plans: 30 days of daily backups. Manual backups: Count against your backup limit. External backups: Available for download in MyKinsta Pro Tip: Combine QueryCatch backup management with Kinsta's downloadable backups for off-site storage of critical site snapshots.