Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Pressable has more layers of backup than most people realize. There are the scheduled backups, the on-demand ones you trigger yourself, and the Jetpack backups that come with every Pressable plan. Here is what each does and which one to reach for.
The three kinds of Pressable backup
| Type | How often | Kept for | Restore from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled database | Hourly | At least 30 days | MyPressable |
| Scheduled files | Every 24 hours | At least 30 days | MyPressable |
| On-demand | When you click | Up to 30 days | MyPressable |
| Jetpack (Security) | Real time | Per Jetpack plan | WP Admin or Jetpack cloud |
Hourly database backups are the standout. On a store or membership site, losing a day of orders is a much bigger problem than losing a day of theme edits, and hourly snapshots shrink that window to an hour.
On-demand backups
On-demand backups are the ones to take before you update plugins or push a staging site live.
- Log in to MyPressable and open the site.
- Go to the Backups | Restores tab.
- Create either a file system backup or a database backup.
You can hold up to three on-demand backups at once. The most recent is kept for 30 days and older ones roll off after 7, so do not treat them as an archive. They are separate from the scheduled backups and do not replace them.
How to restore a Pressable site
There are four routes, from easiest to most hands-on:
- Automated restore: pick a backup in MyPressable and restore it in a few clicks.
- Jetpack: Jetpack Security is included free on Pressable, so you can roll back from the Jetpack dashboard without touching MyPressable.
- Manual: download the backup for the date and time you need, upload files over SFTP, and import the database through phpMyAdmin.
- Ask support: Pressable support is available around the clock. Give them the domain, the approximate date and time in UTC, and whether you need the database, the files, or both.
Manual and support-assisted restores can take a while on big sites. If the site is down and you just need it back, the automated restore is fastest.
Database or files: which do you need?
- A plugin update broke the site: files usually. Restoring the database may undo orders or posts for nothing.
- Content or settings got wiped: database.
- Hacked or heavily changed: both, from a point before the problem started.
If you are not sure, restore to a staging site first and look around before touching production.
A few gotchas
- Restores overwrite. Anything added after the backup time is gone unless you saved it.
- On WooCommerce, restoring the database rolls back orders. Export recent orders first.
- Purge the Edge Cache after a restore so visitors see the restored version.
Not on Pressable yet? Every plan includes hourly database backups, daily file backups, on-demand backups, and Jetpack Security at no extra cost.
FAQ
How often does Pressable back up my site?
The database is backed up every hour and the file system every 24 hours. Backups are kept for at least 30 days.
Can I make a backup on demand at Pressable?
Yes. Open the Backups | Restores tab in MyPressable and create a file system or database backup. You can keep up to three at a time.
Does Pressable include Jetpack backups?
Yes. Jetpack Security comes free with every Pressable plan and adds real-time backups you can restore from the Jetpack dashboard.