How to Set Up UpdraftPlus Backup Plugin

UpdraftPlus is the most popular WordPress backup plugin, with over three million active installations. It lets you schedule automatic backups of your files and database and store them in a remote location like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3. dotCanada also provides JetBackup through cPanel, but UpdraftPlus gives you an additional off-site backup layer managed entirely from within WordPress.

Installing UpdraftPlus

1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Search for UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin.
3. Click Install Now, then Activate.
4. Navigate to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups.

Configuring Backup Schedule

1. Under the Settings tab, set your Files backup schedule — weekly is recommended for most sites.
2. Set your Database backup schedule — daily is recommended for active sites.
3. Choose how many backups to retain (e.g. four weekly backups).

Setting Up Remote Storage

1. In the Choose your remote storage section, select your preferred destination (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, etc.).
2. Click the storage provider and follow the authentication steps to connect your account.
3. Click Save Changes.

Running a Manual Backup

Go to the Backup / Restore tab and click Backup Now to run an immediate backup. Verify the backup appears in the Existing Backups list and has been sent to your remote storage location.

For questions about backup strategies on dotCanada, contact our support team.