A pre-change backup is your safety net — get into this habit.

1. Before updating, editing files, or installing something risky, take a backup.
2. Quick site copy: download your home directory (article 159) and your database (article 160).
3. WordPress: run a one-click backup with UpdraftPlus (article 93) and download it.
4. Store the backup on your computer or in cloud storage.

Tip: Name backups with the date and what you were about to do (for example, before-plugin-update-2026-06-20), so you know exactly what each one represents.