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TL;DR: UpdraftPlus protects your WordPress site against data loss, hacking, and accidental deletions. The free version connects to Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and other cloud storage. Install the plugin, link your cloud account, set a daily backup schedule, and run one test backup. Total setup time: about 15 minutes.
UpdraftPlus WordPress backup setup overview with cloud storage, schedule, and verification workflow.
Before you begin: What you’ll need
WordPress version and hosting requirements
Your self-hosted WordPress site needs version 5.5 or higher with PHP 7.4 or higher. UpdraftPlus works with any standard hosting setup — shared, VPS, or dedicated servers all support it. Not sure what you’re running? Check Settings > General in your WordPress admin.
Cloud storage account
You’ll need an active account with at least one cloud provider. UpdraftPlus’s free version supports Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and several others. Pick whichever service you already use or trust most. You don’t need to create a new account — your existing credentials work fine.
WordPress admin access
You must have administrator privileges to install plugins and configure backups. If you’re managing a client site, gather those login details before you start.
Estimated time: 15 minutes from installation to your first test backup
Difficulty: Beginner — no coding required. Everything happens through WordPress point-and-click menus.
Cost implications: The free UpdraftPlus handles most small business backup needs. Premium plans start around $70/year per site and add WooCommerce-specific backups, multisite support, and priority support. This guide covers only the free tier.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Install and activate the UpdraftPlus plugin
Log into your WordPress admin dashboard and go to Plugins > Add New in the left sidebar. Type “UpdraftPlus” into the search box and press Enter. You’ll see “UpdraftPlus – Backup/Restore” with a blue icon.
UpdraftPlus plugin details in the WordPress plugins screen before activation.
Click Install Now. WordPress downloads and prepares the files. Once done, the button changes to Activate. Click it to turn on the plugin.
You’ll see a success message. The plugin is now running but not yet configured — we’ll do that next. You might notice a new UpdraftPlus menu item in your admin sidebar, though the main settings live under Settings.
Expected result: The plugin is installed and active. You can proceed to configuration.
💡 Pro tip: If UpdraftPlus doesn’t appear in search, check that you’re searching the WordPress.org plugin repository (the default). Some hosting providers restrict access, so if that’s your situation, download the plugin directly from wordpress.org and use Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin instead.
Step 2: Navigate to the UpdraftPlus settings dashboard
With UpdraftPlus activated, head to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups in your WordPress admin sidebar. This opens the main dashboard with several tabs:
The UpdraftPlus dashboard is where you trigger a manual backup and review backup status.
- Backup Now — Creates a backup immediately
- Existing Backups — Shows completed backups and restore options
- Settings — Configures schedule, file selection, and remote storage
- Advanced Tools — For troubleshooting, importing old backups, and expert settings
The dashboard displays your last backup (or “No backups yet” if this is new). Take a moment to look around. You’ll spend most of setup time in the Settings tab.
Expected result: You can see the UpdraftPlus dashboard with all tabs visible.
Step 3: Connect your preferred cloud storage provider
Stay in the Settings tab and scroll down to find the “Remote storage” or “Backup location” section. This tells UpdraftPlus where to store your backups. Click the dropdown and select your cloud provider — Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, or another option.
Remote storage settings let you choose where backups are stored and how they are scheduled.
After you choose, a blue Authenticate or Connect button appears. Click it. Your browser opens a new window and prompts you to log into your cloud service and grant UpdraftPlus permission to upload files.
Log in with your credentials and review the permission request. UpdraftPlus needs write access to create and store backups. Click Allow or Grant Access (wording varies by provider). The browser redirects back to your WordPress dashboard once authorized.
You’ll see confirmation that remote storage is connected — usually a green checkmark. If the connection fails, see the troubleshooting section below for common OAuth errors.
Expected result: Your cloud storage account is linked and ready to receive backups.
💡 Pro tip: You can connect multiple cloud providers if you want. This spreads backups across services and adds redundancy. For a first setup, one provider is fine.
Step 4: Configure your scheduled backup frequency
In the Settings tab, find the “Backup schedule” section. By default, both files and database are set to “Manual” — meaning no automatic backups happen unless you run them by hand.
For each backup type, click the dropdown and choose a frequency:
- Every 4 hours
- Every 8 hours
- Every 12 hours
- Daily
- Weekly
- Every 2 weeks
- Monthly
For most small business sites, Daily for both files and database is the sweet spot. Your backups never fall more than 24 hours behind.
If your content updates constantly, every 12 hours might be better. If your site changes once a week, weekly backups suffice.
Under each schedule option, you’ll see a timestamp showing when the next backup runs. UpdraftPlus uses WordPress cron, which means your site needs visitor traffic to trigger scheduled backups. Low-traffic sites may go days without an opportunity. If that’s you, manually run backups weekly or set up a server-level cron job.
Once you’ve picked your schedules, scroll down and click Save changes at the bottom.
Expected result: The backup schedule is saved. You’ll see confirmation, and the “Next scheduled backup” timestamp updates.
Step 5: Choose which files to include in your backups
Still in Settings, scroll to the “Files to backup” section. By default, UpdraftPlus backs up:
- wp-content folder (themes and plugins)
- uploads folder (media library files)
- WordPress core files (wp-admin, wp-includes)
Each has a checkbox. Keep all three checked for a complete site recovery. However, if your uploads folder is massive (hundreds of gigabytes), you can uncheck it to reduce backup size and storage costs. You can always restore uploads from an older backup or re-download them elsewhere.
If you see an “Other files in the root directory” option, it backs up custom files like .htaccess or robots.txt. Leaving this checked is usually safe.
DO NOT uncheck wp-content or WordPress core files — both are essential for full site restoration.
After adjusting, click Save changes at the bottom.
Expected result: File selection is saved with your preferences.
Step 6: Run your first manual backup
Navigate to the Backup Now tab. You’ll see three options:
- Backup database only — Posts, pages, settings, but not files
- Backup files only — Themes, plugins, uploads, but not database
- Backup everything — Database and all files (recommended for this test)
For your initial test, choose Backup everything to ensure the full process works. Click Backup Now.
A progress indicator shows the backup running. The process typically takes 2–10 minutes depending on site size. Don’t close the browser tab or navigate away.
Once complete, you’ll see a success message with details: timestamp, backup size, and file names. The backup now appears in the Existing Backups tab.
Expected result: A complete backup is created and appears in Existing Backups with download and restore options.
💡 Pro tip: If your backup fails or times out, don’t panic. Check the troubleshooting section below. Most timeouts hit sites larger than 500MB and are fixed by increasing PHP memory limits or enabling backup splitting.
Step 7: Verify backup integrity in your cloud storage
After your first backup completes, verify that files actually reached your cloud account. Open a new browser tab and log into your cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). Look for a folder named something like “updraftplus” or your site name.
You should see backup files organized by date. Successful backups create separate archives:
- A .gz file (compressed database backup)
- One or more .zip files (compressed file backups, split if large)
The presence of these files confirms UpdraftPlus connected to your cloud storage and uploaded successfully. If you see no new files after 15 minutes, check the UpdraftPlus logs (Settings > Existing Backups > View Log) for upload errors.
Back in WordPress, go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups > Existing Backups and verify the backup is listed. This confirms both WordPress and your cloud provider agree the backup exists.
Expected result: Backup files are visible in both your cloud storage account and the UpdraftPlus Existing Backups list.
Common problems and fixes
- OAuth authentication fails when connecting Google Drive or Dropbox
⚠️ Cause: OAuth providers require a secure HTTPS connection and a valid SSL certificate. If your WordPress site uses HTTP (not HTTPS), or your SSL certificate is expired or self-signed, the cloud provider blocks the connection. Some security plugins also filter OAuth redirects.
🔧 Fix: Verify your WordPress site uses HTTPS (check the address bar for a lock icon). If HTTPS is not active, contact your hosting provider to enable SSL. Clear your browser cache and cookies, then retry the OAuth connection. If you use a security plugin like Wordfence, temporarily allow the OAuth callback URL in its firewall settings, then retry.
- Backup process starts but times out before completion
⚠️ Cause: Large WordPress sites (over 500MB) can exceed the default PHP execution time limit. UpdraftPlus tries to resume interrupted backups, but strict timeout settings prevent completion.
🔧 Fix: Contact your hosting provider and request a PHP max_execution_time increase to at least 300 seconds. Also request PHP memory_limit of at least 256MB. Once increased, retry the backup. If timeouts continue, enable “Split backup every X MB” in Settings > Advanced Tools to create smaller archive chunks that complete faster.
- Backup shows as complete in UpdraftPlus but files do not appear in cloud storage
⚠️ Cause: The local backup succeeded, but the upload to cloud storage failed or is still in progress. Cloud provider API rate limits or permission issues can cause this. Some providers delay uploads by a few minutes.
🔧 Fix: Wait 10–15 minutes and check your cloud storage again (refresh the page). Check the UpdraftPlus log: go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups > Existing Backups, click the backup row, and click View Log. Look for upload error messages. If you see permission errors, disconnect the cloud storage (click Remove next to the provider), then reauthenticate by clicking the provider button again. Ensure you grant full read/write permissions, not read-only.
- Scheduled backups do not run, but manual backups work fine
⚠️ Cause: UpdraftPlus uses WordPress cron to trigger scheduled backups. WordPress cron only runs when your site receives visitor traffic. Low-traffic sites may go days without a scheduled backup opportunity. Some hosting providers also disable loopback requests, which prevent WordPress cron from firing.
🔧 Fix: Check Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups > Settings for the “Next scheduled backup” timestamp. If it shows a future time but that time passes without a backup, WordPress cron is likely disabled. Contact your hosting provider and ask if they support loopback requests and WordPress cron. If not, set up a server-level cron job to call wp-cron.php every hour. Alternatively, manually run backups weekly using the Backup Now tab.
- Cloud storage connection appears successful but shows permission denied error on backup upload
⚠️ Cause: The OAuth connection succeeded, but you didn’t grant full write permissions during authentication, or the cloud storage account has insufficient free space.
🔧 Fix: Disconnect and reconnect the cloud storage. Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups > Remote storage, click Remove next to the provider, then click the provider button to reauthenticate. This time, carefully review the permission request and ensure you grant full read-write access (not read-only). Also verify your cloud storage account has at least 10GB of free space. If still stuck, try a different cloud provider (e.g., switch from Google Drive to Dropbox) to isolate whether the issue is specific to one service.
Verification checklist
- UpdraftPlus plugin is installed and activated (visible in Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups)
- Cloud storage account is connected with a green checkmark or success message
- Backup schedule is set to at least Daily for both files and database
- File selection includes at least wp-content and WordPress core (uploads optional)
- First manual backup completed successfully (visible in Existing Backups tab)
- Backup files (.gz and .zip) exist in your cloud storage account
- Next scheduled backup timestamp is shown and within 24 hours
- Email notifications are configured (optional but recommended in Settings > Email)
When to consider a different approach
UpdraftPlus excels for small to medium WordPress sites. But several situations call for a different solution.
Large multisite networks: If you manage 10+ WordPress sites or a large WooCommerce store with extensive product media, the free UpdraftPlus requires per-site licensing. Enterprise backup solutions like Jetpack VaultPress or server-level tools (Bacula, Veeam) become more cost-effective.
Strict compliance requirements: HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR operations need backup encryption, audit logging, and data residency guarantees. UpdraftPlus’s free tier lacks these. Premium plans add some features, but managed services like AWS Backup or Azure Backup give you more control.
Staging and development environments: If you regularly test changes before deploying to production, backups alone aren’t enough. You need clone and staging capabilities. Hosting platforms like Kinsta, WP Engine, or Flywheel include built-in staging with automatic sync — UpdraftPlus can’t replace this workflow.
For most small business owners and freelancers, UpdraftPlus with daily cloud backups is the standard choice. If your situation matches one of the above, compare offsite backup alternatives for small business. If you’re evaluating backup vendors more formally, build a software evaluation scorecard before committing to a long-term backup workflow.
Recommended first 30-minute setup order
1. Install and activate (2 minutes). Go to Plugins > Add New, search “UpdraftPlus”, click Install, then Activate. This takes 90 seconds and unlocks access to all settings.
2. Connect cloud storage (5 minutes). Navigate to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups > Settings, scroll to Remote storage, choose your provider, click Authenticate, and grant permissions. This ensures backups don’t stay on your server.
3. Set backup schedule (3 minutes). In Settings, set both files and database to Daily. Click Save changes. This enables automatic backups without manual work.
4. Run first backup (10 minutes). Click Backup Now, select Backup everything, and wait for completion. Check that the backup appears in Existing Backups and verify files in your cloud storage.
5. Configure file selection (optional, 5 minutes). If needed, adjust which files to include. Most sites should back up everything. This step can be skipped on first setup and revisited later if storage costs spike.
You now have a working backup system. Advanced configuration (email notifications, backup splitting, retention policies) can be done anytime after the first 4 steps.
Setup mistakes to avoid
Storing backups only on your server. Many new users set up UpdraftPlus but never connect remote storage, leaving backups in the /wp-content/updraftplus/ folder on the same server. If the server crashes, both your site and backups disappear. Always connect a remote storage provider (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3) to survive server failure.
Backing up only the database. The database holds your posts, pages, and settings, but not your themes, plugins, or uploaded images. If you restore only the database, your site layout breaks because themes and plugins go missing. Always include both database and files in your backup schedule.
Never running a test backup. Setting up a schedule is not the same as verifying it works. Scheduled backups may fail silently due to timeout limits or permission issues. Always run one manual backup immediately after setup and verify that files appear in your cloud storage.
Ignoring email notifications. UpdraftPlus can email you after each backup completes or fails. Without notifications, you might not notice failed backups for months. Enable email notifications in Settings so you’re alerted to problems right away.
Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional accounting, tax, legal, or financial advice. Pricing, features, and plan details were verified against each product’s official website as of June 2026 and may change without notice. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your business situation. PickrTech may earn a commission when you sign up through our links at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are based on independent evaluation and are not influenced by compensation.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does UpdraftPlus free version really support cloud storage, or do I need to pay?
A: The free version includes full cloud storage support for Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and several other providers. You don’t pay UpdraftPlus for cloud storage — you use your own existing accounts. Premium UpdraftPlus plans add features like WooCommerce backups and priority support, but cloud storage itself is free.
Q: How often should I back up my WordPress site?
A: Daily backups are the industry standard for most WordPress sites. This ensures data loss never exceeds 24 hours. If your site updates content multiple times per day, consider every 12 hours. If your site updates weekly, weekly backups are acceptable. Match the frequency to how much content you can afford to lose.
Q: What’s the difference between free UpdraftPlus and the paid premium plans?
A: The free version handles standard WordPress backup and restore. Premium plans add WooCommerce-specific backups, multisite support, clone and migration tools, and priority support. For a single-site setup like most small businesses, the free version is complete. Upgrade to premium if you later need multisite or WooCommerce features.
Q: Will my cloud storage fill up with UpdraftPlus backups?
A: UpdraftPlus lets you set a retention policy (keep only the last 3 backups, for example) so old backups delete automatically. Without this setting, backups accumulate indefinitely. A typical WordPress site produces 100MB–500MB per backup. Check Settings > Advanced Tools > Retention for options.
Q: What if my web host goes down? Can UpdraftPlus still restore my site?
A: If your entire server fails, UpdraftPlus backups in cloud storage survive because they’re stored separately. To restore, you’ll need new hosting and a fresh WordPress install. Then use UpdraftPlus’s restore feature to import your old backup. This works well but takes a few hours. For faster recovery, some hosts offer server-level backups alongside UpdraftPlus.
Sources and notes
- UpdraftPlus official website — used to verify setup steps, scheduling options, and cloud storage support
- WordPress Plugin Repository – UpdraftPlus — used to confirm system requirements and installation methods
Last reviewed: June 2026 by the PickrTech editorial team.
