Before you update WordPress: a practical backup checklist
Prepare for WordPress, plugin and theme updates with a fresh backup, a recovery route and a short list of checks for your website.
Prepare the way back before making the change.
Before an important update, confirm a recent complete backup, check where it is stored and know how to recover if WordPress stops opening. Then test the functions that matter to your visitors. A backup is a fallback, not a reason to leave software outdated.
Before
Record the working version and check the backup.
During
Make a manageable change and keep notes.
After
Check real visitor tasks, not just the homepage.
Use this as a planning aid. A plan is not a completed backup or a recovery test.
Know what you are changing
A single plugin update and a complete redesign are not the same task. Write down which components will change and why. Read the publisher’s release notes for compatibility information, especially when the site relies on a shop, membership system or booking extension.
Choose a quieter time when someone can check the result. Avoid beginning a large batch just before leaving for the day. Where practical, try significant updates on a separate test copy first. Keep that copy private and prevent it from sending live emails or accepting real payments.
Check the backup rather than the schedule
Open your backup tool and inspect the latest completed job. Confirm the site name, completion time and included components. A message saying the next backup is scheduled for tonight does not give you a fallback for an update you are about to perform this morning.
For a substantial change, create a fresh backup and wait for it to finish. Review warnings and the intended storage destination. Keep the backup from before the change distinguishable from copies created afterwards. Do not overwrite your only known working recovery point.
Make sure recovery does not depend on the broken page
Imagine that the update leaves WordPress admin unavailable. Could you still sign into the hosting account, reach the archive and contact the person who can restore it? If the only restore button is inside the page that no longer opens, your plan needs another route.
Ask the host or backup provider what recovery method is available for your plan. Store access details in an appropriate password manager, not in a publicly accessible note or ordinary client report. Knowing where to ask for help is part of preparation, even when you will not perform the restore yourself.
Check the tasks visitors actually use
Once the update finishes, visit more than the homepage. Look at a representative article, a page with images and the main navigation. Test a contact form with a deliberate test message if you are authorized to do so, and confirm where it arrives.
For shops and booking sites, use a suitable test process for checkout, account access and availability. Do not send a real payment merely to check a button without approval. Record what passed and what you did not test. A visible homepage does not establish that every important workflow still works.
- Check key pages on a phone and desktop.
- Confirm sign-in and important forms.
- Review shop or booking functions safely.
- Look for new error messages and broken media.
If something breaks, pause before restoring everything
Write down the first symptom and the time of the update. Ask whether there is a targeted fix before replacing the entire site. A complete database restore can also replace content, bookings or orders created since the selected backup.
Keep the current state available for investigation where practical, and agree the recovery scope with the site owner or provider. After the issue is resolved, check the backup schedule again and document the lesson. The purpose of the routine is to make updates manageable, not to avoid them indefinitely.
Your next steps
Use these checks as you work. Ticks stay on this page and are not saved as monitoring or recovery evidence.
Where BackupTool fits
BackupTool can give an agency a dated view of the job results received from connected sites. Use that alongside the backup tool’s own log and your update checklist. BackupTool does not take the pre-update backup, apply updates or roll back the website.
See how backup monitoring worksSources and further reading
Prepared on 21 October 2026 using the linked documentation. Examples are illustrative. Check your provider’s current instructions before changing backup or recovery settings.