Creating Backups in Plesk

Plesk includes a built-in Backup Manager that allows you to create full and partial backups of your hosting account. This guide covers how to create manual backups and set up scheduled automatic backups.

Accessing Backup Manager

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel
2. Go to Websites & Domains
3. Click Backup Manager (or find it under Backup & Restore in some Plesk versions)

Creating a Manual Backup

Full Account Backup

1. In Backup Manager, click Back Up
2. Configure the backup settings:

- Backup type: Select Full to include all account data

- Storage location: Choose where to store the backup:

- Server storage — Stored on the hosting server

- FTP/FTPS — Sent to an external FTP server

- Backup file name: Auto-generated or enter a custom name

- Email notification: Enter your email to be notified when complete

1. Under Backup content, ensure all options are selected:

- Website files and configuration

- Databases and database users

- Mail configuration and messages

- DNS zone settings

- SSL/TLS certificates

- Scheduled tasks (cron jobs)

- Application settings

1. Under Advanced options:

- Suspend domains during backup: Enable for data consistency (recommended for large sites)

- Compression: Enable to reduce backup file size

- Split backup files: Enable for large accounts to avoid file size limits

1. Click OK or Back Up to start the process

Partial Backup

To back up only specific components:

1. Click Back Up in Backup Manager
2. Under Backup content, deselect items you do not need
3. You can choose to back up only:

- Website files (without mail or databases)

- Databases only

- Mail only

1. Complete the backup process as described above

Tip: Partial backups are faster and use less storage. Use them when you only need to protect specific components before making targeted changes.

Setting Up Scheduled Backups

Automatic scheduled backups ensure regular protection without manual intervention.

1. In Backup Manager, click Schedule or Scheduled Backup Settings
2. Enable Activate this backup task
3. Configure the schedule:

- Run backup: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

- At time: Choose a low-traffic period (e.g., 3:00 AM)

- Day of week/month: For weekly/monthly schedules

1. Set Maximum number of backup files to store (e.g., 5-7 for daily backups)
2. Configure the same backup content and storage options as manual backups
3. Optionally enable Email notification for backup completion/failure
4. Click OK to save the schedule

Tip: Schedule backups during off-peak hours to minimize performance impact on your website visitors.

Backup Storage Options

Server Storage (Local)

• Stored on the hosting server itself
• Fastest option for creation and restoration
• Uses your available disk space
• Risk: Lost if the server fails

Remote FTP/FTPS

• Stored on a remote FTP server you specify
• Provides off-server redundancy
• Requires FTP server details (host, username, password, path)
• Recommended for critical websites

Downloading Backups

To download a backup for offline storage:

1. Go to Backup Manager
2. Find the backup in the list
3. Click the download icon or the backup file name
4. The backup file will be downloaded to your local machine
5. Store securely on your local computer or external drive

Backup Best Practices

1. Test your backups: Periodically restore to a test environment to verify integrity
2. Use remote storage: Store at least one copy off-server for disaster recovery
3. Before major changes: Always create a manual backup before CMS updates, plugin changes, or code deployments
4. Monitor backup emails: Check notification emails to ensure scheduled backups are completing successfully
5. Manage disk space: Delete old backups to free up hosting disk space

Troubleshooting

• Backup fails immediately: Check available disk space. You need at least 2x your account size free for the backup process.
• Scheduled backup not running: Verify the schedule is activated and the servers cron service is running. Check the backup log for errors.
• FTP backup fails: Verify FTP credentials, ensure the remote server is accessible, and check that the target directory has write permissions.
• Backup too large to download: Enable the split option to break the backup into smaller files. Or use FTP storage instead.

Related Articles

• Restoring from Plesk Backup
• Installing SSL in Plesk
• HTTPS Redirect in Plesk

Need help with Plesk backups? Contact {{COMPANY_NAME}} support at {{SUPPORT_EMAIL}} or open a ticket at {{SUPPORT_URL}}.