Pair Networks offers a variety of backups to protect the data on your hosting account. Backups are a recommended security measure to help mitigate data loss due to unfortunate circumstances, such as malware or site-breaking updates.
Some backup types are limited based on account type and purpose. Be sure to consider these aspects when choosing what backups to set up.
Backup Types:
File Backups
File backups create a backup version of your server files. In times of need, you can use a file backup to restore your server’s files to a previous point in time.
There are two types of file backups you can choose from in the Account Control Center (ACC):
Automatic File Backups / Site Backups
Available on: Shared X1 - X4, VPS, Dedicated, WP Professional
| Backup Frequency | Daily |
| Storage Location | Off-server |
| Method for Rolling Back | Accessible via Account Control Center (ACC) |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Configure and manage File Backups, also known as Site Backups, directly in the Account Control Center (ACC). Enabling this feature provides access to a special interface for viewing and rolling back files. Scheduled on a recurring basis, these backups are stored off-server for increased protection, ensuring they remain unaffected if anything happens to your server.
To configure File Backups:
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the left sidebar, click Backups
- In the drop-down, click Activate File Backups
- Select your desired amount of backup storage
- Click Add Server Backups
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click Hosting
- In the “Site Management” section, click Enable File Backups
Managed entirely within the ACC, you can effortlessly roll back to a previous backup or view backups at any time without needing to reach out to the Support team. Simply visit the File Backups page in the ACC.
To find the File Backups page:
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the left sidebar, click Backups
- Click Files Backups
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click Hosting
- In the “Site Management” section, click Manage Site Backups
File Backups don’t use your server’s disk space; instead, you choose the desired amount of storage for your backups. When the disk space quota is reached, the feature deletes older backups to make room for new ones. The feature may delete multiple backups if the oldest backup doesn’t free up enough space.
Manual File Backups
Available on: Shared, VPS, Dedicated
| Backup Frequency | Manual |
| Storage Location | Account Control Center (ACC) |
| Method for Rolling Back | Manual |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
We also offer a manual file backup method. This option is ideal for one-time backups, especially before making any file changes. Though this backup does not happen automatically, it provides a reliable file copy to revert to in case of issues.
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Remember this manual backup is specific to files; if you are making changes to other parts of your server, backup those components separately. |
To initiate a manual file backup:
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the left sidebar, click Files, then click Back Up Your Data
- On the backups page, input the following information:
| Compression Method | This is the method of compression that will be used. You can choose between .zip, tar, gzip’ed tar (tgz). Note: .zip will not compress a single file larger than 4GB. A collection of files exceeding 4GB may still be compressed, as long as the individual files do not exceed 4GB. |
| Directory to Back up |
Choose the directory you want to back up. Not sure what a directory is? See Our File Directory Structure. |
- Click the Back Up Selected Directory button
- The next page will show you some confirmation information. Click Continue
If the backup is successful, the backup will appear in the Backup Storage Directory that is specified on the Back Up Your Data page.
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click Files
- Navigate to the directory you want to back up
- Under the current directory name, click the Back Up button
- Choose the Compression Method
- Click the Backup Selected Directory button
If the backup is successful, the backup will appear in the Backup Storage Directory that is specified on the Back Up Your Data page.
Database Backups
Databases are an essential component for many websites and applications. Even popular CMS such as WordPress use them to help store information. As such, it’s equally important to have options to back them up.
The Account Control Center (ACC) offers a few ways to create database backups.
Manual Database Backups
Available on: Shared, VPS, and Dedicated
| Backup Frequency | Manual |
| Storage Location | Backups Directory in the Account Control Center (ACC) |
| Method for Rolling Back | Manual |
| Difficulty: | Beginner |
Manual database backups are one-time backups that are stored in your Account Control Center (ACC) files. While executed manually, this method is excellent for quickly creating a database backup before implementing site or database changes. Having a database backup beforehand mitigates the risk of changes going awry, ensuring a way to revert if needed.
To take manual database backups:
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the left sidebar, click Databases, then click Manage Your Databases in the drop-down
- In the Database Name column, click the name of the database you would like to backup
- In the page navigation bar, click the Back Up button
- Next to Full User Password, enter your database’s full access password
This password was given to you when you first created the database. If you don’t remember it, see Changing an ACC Database Password.
- Click the Create Backup Of Database button
Once initiated, you will return to the database management page. If the backup successfully starts, a green banner that says the backup is running will appear.
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Database backups may take some time to complete. Check to see if your backup is complete by visiting the “backups” directory. |
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click Databases
- Find the database you would like to back up
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Click the
Create a Backup icon
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Enter the database user password.
This password was given to you when you first created the database. If you don’t remember it, see Changing an ACC Database Password.
- Click the Create Backup Of Database button
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Database backups may take some time to complete. Check to see if your backup is complete by visiting the “backups” directory. |
To view your database backups:
- Go to your Home directory
- Navigate to the backups subdirectory
- Find your database’s name in the directory contents. If you took more than one backup of the database, you should also check the date to ensure it is the correct backup.
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Can’t find the backup? If you recently started the backup process, the backup process may still be running. |
Automated Database Backups with Cron
Available on: Shared, VPS, and Dedicated
| Backup Frequency | User-dependent |
| Storage Location | User-dependent |
| Method for Rolling Back | Manual |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
Do you prefer to back up your databases on a schedule?If so, configure automatic, recurring database backups with the cron utility.
However, this process may differ depending on your server’s operating system. Your server’s operating system is listed on the Account Control Center (ACC) homepage next to Web Server Operating System.
Once you have determined your server operating system, go to its guide:
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These tutorials use scripts and the command line/terminal. |
WordPress Backups
WordPress is one of the most widely used CMS, and Pair Networks provides a hosting package tailored specifically for it. Within these packages, we’ve built features that simplify backing up your site.
You can choose between two types of WordPress backups:
Manual WordPress File Backups
Available on: WP Enthusiast, WP Professional, WP Professional Plus, Podcast Websites
| Backup Frequency | Manual |
| Storage Location | WordPress Backups interface in the Account Control Center (ACC) |
| Method for Rolling Back | Manual |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
Are you only looking for a one-time WordPress backup? You can make one right in the Account Control Center of any of our WordPress-specific hosting packages. These one-time backups are a great option before updating WordPress, making drastic theme changes, or even updating your plugins.
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A backup is a must-have before making site changes. If anything goes wrong, you can quickly roll back to the previous version of your site. |
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log into the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the left sidebar, click WordPress, then click List Sites in the drop-down
- Under the Nickname column, click the name of the WordPress site to backup
- Click the Backups tab
- Click the Create button
The creation of the backup may take a few minutes. Once done, it will appear in the Backups tab under Current Backups. You can revert to a previous WordPress backup anytime by returning to this tab and clicking the Restore button.
See How Do I Manage WordPress Backups? for more information.
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log into the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click WordPress
- Find the site you want to back up
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Click its
Backup icon
- In the “Create Backups” section, click the Create button
The creation of the backup may take a few minutes. Once done, it will appear in the Backups tab under Current Backups. You can revert to a previous WordPress backup anytime by returning to this tab and clicking the Restore button.
See How Do I Manage WordPress Backups? for more information.
Automatic WordPress Site Backups
Available on: WP Enthusiast, WP Professional, WP Professional Plus, Podcast Websites
| Backup Frequency | Daily or weekly |
| Storage Location | WordPress Backups interface in the Account Control Center (ACC) |
| Method for Rolling Back | Manual |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
Protect your WordPress site by configuring automatic WordPress backups. Once configured, this feature creates an automatic backup of your WordPress site at a regular interval. Given enough time, this will form a collection of backups you can revert to if needed.
Having automatic backups configured helps ease some of the worry associated with updating WordPress or making significant site changes. It’s easy to forget to take manual backups, so configuring automatic ones can spare you a headache in the future.
Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type:
Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using?
If you are using the Legacy Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- Click Backups
- In the drop-down, click WordPress Backups
If you are using the New ACC Interface:
- Log in to the Account Control Center (ACC) at my.pair.com
- In the top navigation bar, click WordPress
- Click Backups Settings
The Automatic Backups page shows your current WordPress sites and their backup settings.
| Status |
Choose the backups option that works best for your site:
See Default Settings vs Custom Settings for more details. |
| Schedule | Choose your backup schedule. You can select Every Day for daily backups or choose a day of the week for recurring weekly backups. |
| Backups to Keep |
Choose how many backups to keep. Once the limit is reached, the oldest backup is deleted to make room for the newest backup. Maximum number of backups: 5 |
| Current Backups | This column displays the current number of backups and amount of space they take up. |
Customizing Backup Settings
When automatic WordPress backups are enabled, the default settings are applied to all new sites. However, you can customize your backup settings for an individual site by changing that site’s status to Active with Custom Settings.
If you prefer to let one set of rules govern all of your sites, you can set your sites to Active with Default Settings.
For more information about how to change each of these settings types:
| Default Settings |
Default Settings will affect all sites configured to use default settings and any new sites you create. See Changing Default Settings for Automatic WordPress Backups. |
| Custom Settings |
Custom Settings will only affect the currently selected site. See Setting up Automatic Backups for Individual WordPress Sites. |
For instructions on rolling back or deleting existing backups, see How Do I Manage WordPress Backups?
Need Help?
If at any point you find yourself with questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our 24/7 Support team. They’re happy to help our customers figure out what backups would work best for them and assist in the setup process.