How to Back Up Your Joomla Site: Easy and Manual Methods

Regularly backing up your Joomla site is essential to ensure you can quickly recover it if something goes wrong. Backups safeguard your work, providing a safety net that allows you to easily restore your site within minutes.

The Easy Way vs. The Hard Way

There are two primary methods to back up your Joomla site:

  • The Easy Way – Use a Joomla extension like Akeeba Backup. This method simplifies the process, making it faster and more user-friendly.
  • The Hard Way – Create a backup manually by copying website files and exporting databases. This method requires more technical knowledge and time.

For most users, we recommend the first option. However, we'll explore both approaches in detail below.

Creating a Backup with Akeeba Backup

Akeeba Backup is a trusted tool in the Joomla community and the most popular backup solution on the Joomla Extension Directory (JED). Its simplicity, combined with advanced features like selective file exclusion, offsite storage, and automated scheduled backups, makes it a go-to solution for Joomla users.

Why Use Akeeba Backup?

  • Ease of Use – Perfect for beginners, with a user-friendly interface.
  • Feature-Rich – Includes essential and advanced functionality like automated backups and offsite storage.
  • Free and Paid Options – The free version is sufficient for basic needs, while the paid version offers additional features for advanced users.

How to Create a Backup with Akeeba

  1. Step 1: Install Akeeba Backup

    Download and install Akeeba Backup from the Joomla Extension Directory. If you’re unsure how to install an extension, refer to Joomla’s installation guide.

  2. Step 2: Access Akeeba Backup

    Navigate to Components > Akeeba Backup in your Joomla administrator panel. If this is your first time opening Akeeba Backup, you'll see a welcome screen.

  3. Step 3: Run the Configuration Wizard

    Click on the Configuration Wizard to allow Akeeba to optimize its settings for your site. Once completed, you'll be redirected to the main Akeeba Backup interface.

  4. Step 4: Create a One-Click Backup

    Select the Default Backup Profile option under One-Click Backup and click the backup button. Wait for the process to complete.

Congratulations! Akeeba has now created a full backup of your site. It’s that simple.

Locating and Managing Backups

To find your saved backups, click Manage Backups in the Akeeba Backup main menu. This section lists all existing backups, where you can also download, delete, or restore them.

For detailed steps on restoring a Joomla site using Akeeba Backup, refer to this restoration guide.

Creating a Manual Joomla Backup

Prefer the hands-on approach? Creating a manual backup involves two main steps: saving your files and exporting databases.

Step 1: Backing Up Joomla Files and Directories

Use an FTP client (like FileZilla) to connect to your site. Download all Joomla files and folders to your local computer. If you’re unsure how to use an FTP client, Joomla’s documentation provides helpful guidance.

Step 2: Backing Up Your Joomla Database

Log in to phpMyAdmin through your hosting control panel. Select your Joomla database, click Export, and select the Custom export option. Scroll to Object Creation Options and check Add DROP TABLE / VIEW / PROCEDURE / FUNCTION / EVENT / TRIGGER statement. Download the exported database file.

Step 3: Verifying Your Backup

Ensure both the Joomla files and database export are saved securely on your local system. This double-layered backup will help you restore your site in case of any issues.

Final Thoughts

Maintaining backups is a critical aspect of managing any website, whether you're building a small blog or running a large e-commerce platform. Backups give you peace of mind, enabling you to recover quickly when errors occur, without losing valuable data or time.

Looking for help restoring your Joomla site? Check out our detailed restoration guide here. If you're facing challenges, reach out to us at [email protected] for expert assistance.