You should periodically create a backup copy of your website.
One way to do this would be to use the the Backup utility included with the Hosting Control Panel provided by your hosting provider.
Joomla! users may instead prefer to use a Third Party Extension like Akeeba Backup.
We like Akeeba Backup PRO.
Read more: Akeeba Backup User Guides
About this Article
Akeeba Backup PRO includes lots of setting options for you to choose from.
Most users will not need to make significant settings changes, but if you do then be sure to refer to the developer's User Guide before proceeding.
Creating a Backup Archive is almost intuitive.
There are however a few basic settings tweaks you could usefully make before creating your first Backup Archive.
FIRST, purchase the Akeeba Backup PRO subscription.
Read more: Joomla! Extensions Directory
Useful Setting Tweaks
Hide One Click Backup
To hide the One-click backup button from the dashboard, first select the 'Configuration' button from the Akeeba Backup dashboard.
Next, de-select the 'One-click backup icon' check box.
See image below.
Change the destination of Backup archives
Select the 'Configuration' button from the Akeeba Backup dashboard to change the destination of Backup archives (recommended).
When you do then be sure to create a folder outside the document root (the folder which contains the publicly accessible content of a website).
Purpose: to temporarily store Backup archives prior to download from the server.
The image below shows a backup directory called mybackups.
Use something similar and change the Output Directory field.
Reason
Whilst the default destination folder is protected by an htaccess file, this does not provide a 100% guarantee that your Backup archives will be safe if your website is hacked.
Review and change Count Quota
Select the 'Configuration' button from the Akeeba Backup dashboard to review and change the number of Backup Archives to be stored at the destination (recommended).
The default setting = 3.
If left unchanged then when the fourth Backup Archive is created the oldest previous Backup Archive will automatically be deleted.
User Permissions
By default Akeeba Backup is configured to enable Administrators as well as Super Users to create and manage Backup archives.
But if you want to restrict access to only the Super User, you can.
Select the 'Options' button from the top right of the Akeeba Backup dashboard.
And toggle the Administrator user permissions - see image.
Important
Take great care not to assign permissions to any other user group which may access your website Dashboard.
Enable the Action Log - Akeeba Backup Plugin
This System Plugin may not be enabled by default.
If it is not then we recommend you enable it in the Plugins screen of your website Dashboard.
The Backup on Update Plugin
Check this plugin is enabled.
When enabled it will create a Backup archive before the Joomla! Update routine runs.
Managing Backups
Be aware of two important things when using the Manage Backups screen.
1) If you use the Delete Files button then only the Backup archive will be removed.
To remove both the Backup archive and the database entry, select the Delete button.
2) If you download a Backup archive using the green button provided in the Manage Backups screen then you should know that the Backup archive may be corrupted by your web browser whilst being downloaded.
To be sure that a Backup archive will not be corrupted, download it using an FTP Client.
Read more: How to download Backup archives using an FTP Client.
Restoring an Archive created using Akeeba Backup
Be aware before starting to use Akeeba Backup that to restore a website from an archive created using it requires the use of an extension called 'Akeeba Kickstart'.
Akeeba Kickstart is provided for free by the developer.
Read more: About Akeeba Kickstart
Make Joomla! CMS Security your #1 Priority
We help and support managers responsible for Joomla! CMS websites in UK business and third sector organisations across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North West England.
