A good backup strategy means you always have multiple up-to-date copies of your website and data, stored in different locations, so you can quickly recover after an outage, hack, or human error. The short answer: ensure automatic daily backups, store them in a location separate from your server, regularly test whether a restore actually works, and combine this with security measures that prevent problems in the first place.
Why a backup strategy is essential
Websites break down due to human error, failed updates, malicious software, or a faulty plugin. Without a backup, you’re then dependent on luck as to whether your data ever comes back. A well-thought-out backup strategy prevents a single incident from leading to permanent data loss, revenue loss, or prolonged downtime of your website and email.
Many business owners only think about backups when something goes wrong. That’s too late. By thinking ahead about frequency, retention period, and storage location, you can be sure you always have a usable restore point.
The 3-2-1 rule applied to web hosting
The 3-2-1 rule is a simple principle for a reliable backup strategy: keep three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy stored in a different physical location. For web hosting, this translates to:
- Copy 1: the live website on your server, for example running on NVMe storage for speed.
- Copy 2: an automatic daily backup in a separate backup environment at your hosting provider.
- Copy 3: a manual or periodic download to your own equipment or external cloud storage.
This way, you’re protected against both technical failures and situations where an entire data center is temporarily unreachable. Combine this with good basic security: a current SSL certificate, strong passwords, and up-to-date software reduce the chance that you’ll ever actually need a backup.
Setting up backups in Plesk
With web hosting on Plesk, you manage automatic backups centrally via the control panel. Here you set how often a backup is made, how many versions are retained, and whether only files or also databases and email are included. This makes a backup strategy manageable, even without a technical background.
Log in to Plesk
Open the control panel and go to the Backup Manager section.
Set a schedule
Choose a daily automatic backup and determine how many versions should be retained.
Select the components
Check files, databases, and optionally email accounts so that everything is included.
Periodically download a copy
Also store a backup locally or in your own cloud storage, for a complete 3-2-1 strategy.
Want to know which settings suit your situation? Check the knowledge base or get in touch via chat, ticket, or email.
Restoring: how to do it
A backup is only valuable if you can actually use it to restore. Therefore, test at least a few times a year whether a restore goes smoothly, preferably in a test environment so the live website isn’t affected.
In the event of an incident, you restore via Plesk by selecting the desired backup version and starting the restore action. Afterward, check that the website, databases, and email work correctly. For email, also pay attention to DNS and security settings, so your internet.nl score remains in order after the restore.
If you’re switching to a new provider, make sure your old backups are secured first before making the switch. The page switching to Tandata explains how migration and data retention work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I make a backup?
For most websites, a daily automatic backup is sufficient. For frequently changing sites, such as a webshop, more frequent backups may be needed.
Is a backup at the same provider sufficient?
No, for complete data safety, at least one copy outside the hosting environment is recommended, in addition to the backup at your provider.
What should I include in a backup, besides files?
In addition to website files, databases and email accounts should also be included in the backup, so you can fully recover.
Does a backup protect against hacks?
A backup restores data after an incident, but doesn’t prevent a hack. Combine backups with good security, such as SSL and updates — see also web hosting with built-in security.
Does email also need a separate backup?
Yes, email often contains business-critical communication. Check with your business email whether messages and settings are included in the backup.
Conclusion
A strong backup strategy combines automatic daily backups, multiple storage locations following the 3-2-1 rule, and periodic restore tests. This way, you prevent a single incident from leading to permanent data loss.