The Jetpack Backup Plugin

Looking for more information about Jetpack Backups included with the Jetpack plugin? See our article about Jetpack Backup.

Jetpack Backup is a new plugin that enables site backups and restores via the Jetpack Cloud. Jetpack Backup requires a paid backup plan. You can learn about our backup plans here.

Note: We are currently in a public beta with this plugin. We have tested it rigorously, but as it is a beta release, it is possible that you could encounter some issues while using it.

To view the current status of your backups, navigate to Backup in the WP Admin. 

Latest Backup

In the Latest Backup section, you can see when your last backup was completed and basic information about what was included in the backup, including posts, uploads, plugins, and themes.

Clicking See all your backups will take you to Jetpack Cloud where you can view your previous backups, download a backup, and restore your site from a previous backup.

Your site’s heartbeat

Below the Latest Backup section, you can navigate to your site’s Activity Log. The Activity Log shows a full list of management events that have occurred on your site. You can also view your previous backups, and download or restore those backups. 

You’ll get to the Activity Log by clicking See your site’s activity.

Connection

Below the Your site’s heartbeat section, you can see the status of your connection to the Jetpack Cloud. You also have the ability to disconnect the site from the Jetpack Backup plugin by clicking Disconnect.

Note: If you disconnect Jetpack Backup without adding server credentials, your site will not be able to be backed up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What data is backed up?

The backup data includes all the unique and irreplaceable data you have stored in WordPress, and everything properly integrated into the WordPress installation. Jetpack Backup backs up the following data:

• Your WordPress database. This includes any tables that begin with your WordPress database’s table prefix and also have a unique key or primary key. 
• All files in the plugins, mu-plugins, themes, and uploads directories.
• Everything in your WordPress root directory that isn’t part of another WordPress installation.
• Certain other files inside the wp-content directory.

We do not back up:

• The core files of WordPress. These can be downloaded from WordPress.org at any time.
• Files outside the directories listed above.
• Database tables that don’t look like they belong to WordPress.
• Database tables whose rows have no unique identifier.
• Cache and backup directories.
• Additional WordPress installs, such as ones that are included inside a subdirectory.

Backups will also exclude any directory that includes a file named .donotbackup. You can create these files yourself to intentionally prevent certain directories from being backed up. If a directory named donotbackup is added, Jetpack Backup will also exclude all files inside that directory.

When do real-time backups occur?

The Jetpack Backup plugin uses WordPress core’s built-in “hooks” system. When certain data changes on your site, the hooks system sends an alert to the Jetpack Backup plugin. The plugin then syncs those changes with our servers and generates a backup for your site.

Information that’s backed up in real time includes changes to:

• WordPress core’s database tables. 
• WooCommerce database tables.
• Any associated file changes (uploaded media, for example).

All other changes are backed up daily.

When do daily backups occur?

Daily backups usually occur 24 hours after the last backup. However, it is not possible to set a specific time for daily backups to occur.

Does the Jetpack Backup plugin support websites built on multisite?

The Jetpack Backup plugin doesn’t currently support websites built on WordPress multisite.

Where are backups stored?

The Jetpack Backup plugin stores your backups on servers in our secure data centers around the world.

While it isn’t possible to restrict data storage to a particular geographic location, what we can provide is the Standard Contractual Clauses, which we include in our Data Processing Agreement (DPA). DPAs are contractual tools for web sites and companies to make commitments to their customers, vendors, and partners that their data handling complies with the law, including transferring data out of the EU.

If you are interested in having a DPA with us, you can request one from the Privacy Settings page in your dashboard at https://wordpress.com/me/privacy.

Still have questions?

Feel free to contact support for help.

Privacy Information

This feature is deactivated by default, and unlocking/activating it requires an upgrade to a paid solution.