Keeping WordPress backups in Google Drive: a practical checklist

Confirm the upload in your backup software

Begin with the tool responsible for the backup. Confirm that its destination is the intended Google account and folder. Inspect the job log for transfer errors, then find the archive directly in Drive.

Use recognizable naming and a documented retention policy. Do not assume the newest file name describes a complete backup. Some providers need several archives or components to restore one site. Keep that set together according to the provider’s instructions.

• Confirm the destination account and expected folder.
• Read the job’s upload result and any warnings.
• Identify the files needed for a complete restoration.
• Check available storage and the tool’s retention settings.

Review selected-file permission honestly

BackupTool uses Google’s drive.file permission to work with a file you explicitly select. This permission is narrower than broad access to your entire Drive, but Google’s permission includes operations such as editing and deleting selected files. It should not be described as a read-only Google permission.

The BackupTool implementation uses metadata requests only. Review the consent wording and our Drive access page before authorizing. The product’s behavior and the permission Google grants are different things, and both should be clear to the account owner.

You do not need to make your backup publicly accessible to perform the selected-file check. Keep archive sharing restricted to the people who should have access.

Select the exact archive and run a check

Open Archive checks for the intended monitored site. Authorize the Google connection, use the file chooser to select a file rather than a folder, then save the selected-file connection. Run Check metadata now and read the dated result.

A present result means metadata for that object was accessible when requested. Review the object reference, check time, reported size and response. Do not use the result as proof that the file is current, complete or restorable.

A selected-file connection points to that exact object. If your backup software creates a new file each time, selecting yesterday’s archive does not automatically select today’s. Review the reference when choosing what to investigate.

Investigate access errors without broadening sharing

An authorization error may need a renewed connection. A denied or unavailable result can also reflect file removal, changed permissions, an incorrect reference or an account-policy restriction. Read the recorded response and investigate the selected object first.

Avoid solving a permission problem by publishing the archive to anyone with a link. Reconnect through the intended account and select the correct file. If you remove the stored connection, no new check should be treated as authorized by the old configuration.

Use a separate recovery test to assess the backup contents. Metadata observation is deliberately a smaller, different task.

Where BackupTool fits

BackupTool’s Google Drive feature records explicit selected-file metadata observations. It stores the selected identifier and encrypted connection credentials. It does not transfer your archive or automatically inspect every file in a backup folder.