---
title: Backups
description: Run on-demand and scheduled backups of your sites and databases, and confirm they're succeeding.
sidebar:
  order: 5
---

import { Steps, Aside } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';
import SignIn from '~/content/partials/signing-in.mdx';
import Support from '~/content/partials/support-link.mdx';

The **Backup Management** page lets you trigger an on-demand backup, add a scheduled backup, manage where backups are sent, and review history.

## What's backed up

- **Sites** — files for each site.
- **Databases** — every MySQL and PostgreSQL database attached to your account.

Default retention on built-in backup targets is **5 days, up to 10 backups**.

<Aside type="note">
  Automatic backups only run once the server admin has configured at least one **default backup target**. On our managed shared plans this is set up for you. On a VDS, the server operator picks the target — until they do, the **Backup Targets** table on your Backups page will be empty and you won't see scheduled backups firing.
</Aside>

## Sign in to WHP

<SignIn />

## Run an on-demand backup

<Steps>

1. In the sidebar, click **Backups**.
   ![WHP Backup Management page](~/assets/screenshots/whp/whp-backups.png)

2. Under **Create New Backup**, pick a **Backup Type** (Sites, Databases, or both) and a **Backup Target** from the dropdown.

3. Click **Start Backup**. The run appears in **Backup History** below; status updates live.

</Steps>

## Schedule a backup

<Steps>

1. Scroll down to **Scheduled Backups** and click **+ Add Schedule**.

2. Pick the cadence (daily, weekly, etc.), the type (sites / databases / both), and the target.

3. Save. The schedule appears in the list and runs automatically.

</Steps>

## Where backups are stored

The **Backup Targets** table shows the destinations available to your account. Built-in targets are S3-backed (for example, `WHP01 S3 Backups`) with retention and a maximum backup count. **Global** targets are managed by us; you can also add your own external target (for example, your own S3 bucket) with **+ Add Backup Target**.

## Verify backups are succeeding

<Steps>

1. Open **Backups**.

2. Look at the **Total Backups** and **Total Size** tiles at the top. If Total Backups stays at 0 over time, no backups are running — open a [support ticket](https://secure.anhonesthost.com/submitticket.php).

3. Check **Backup History** for recent entries. Each should show **Success** within minutes of its scheduled time.

</Steps>

<Aside type="tip">
  Add a calendar reminder to check the history monthly. Backups that fail silently are the worst kind.
</Aside>

## Test a restore (recommended quarterly)

Find the time to do this before you actually need it. Open a recent backup in **Backup History** → preview the contents → restore a single file (your site's `index.php` is a fine target) → confirm it appears. If the surgical restore works, the pipeline works.

Don't do a full restore unless you genuinely need to — it rewrites your live site.

## Troubleshooting

**Backup failed.** Click the failed row to see the error. Common causes:

- Disk full or close to it — check **Overview → Resource usage** and consider a [resource upgrade](/whp/add-ons/resource-upgrades/).
- A very large mailbox slowed the run — consider the [archival email add-on](/whp/add-ons/archival-email/) to relieve mailbox pressure.
- Transient lock or maintenance window — let it retry on the next schedule before opening a ticket.

**"No targets available" when starting a backup.** Your account has no backup targets attached. Open a ticket; we'll get one wired up.

## What's *not* in customer backups

Customer backups cover your sites and databases — they don't cover the underlying server, the OS, or system-level config. Full-server backups are a separate concern:

- On our managed plans, **AnHonestHost handles full-server backups** for the host.
- On a Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) we provide, **full-server snapshots are included** at the platform level.
- If WHP is running somewhere else (your own infrastructure), full-server backups are the server operator's responsibility — WHP itself doesn't provide a host-level backup tool.

## Related

- [Archival email add-on](/whp/add-ons/archival-email/)
- [Resource upgrades](/whp/add-ons/resource-upgrades/)

## Still stuck?

<Support />