In the digital age, data is invaluable, especially for websites that rely on content management systems like WordPress. Regular backups are essential to safeguard your website against data loss due to various reasons, including server failures, malware attacks, or accidental deletions. In this post, we’ll walk through a shell script designed to automate the backup process for a WordPress site, ensuring you have secure copies of your database and files.
Why Backup Your WordPress Site?
Backups serve as your safety net. They allow you to quickly restore your site to a previous state in case of issues. Here are some key reasons to regularly back up your WordPress site:
- Data Loss Prevention: Accidental changes or deletions can happen. A backup allows you to revert to a working version.
- Malware Recovery: If your site gets compromised, having a clean backup is crucial for recovery.
- Server Failures: Hardware or software failures can lead to data loss. Backups ensure you can restore your site.
The Backup Script
Here’s a breakdown of a simple yet effective backup script for a WordPress site:
#!/bin/bash
# 1: Define backup filenames with timestamps.
db_backup_name="wp-db-backup-$(date +%d-%m-%Y-%H.%M).sql.gz"
wpfiles_backup_name="wp-content-backup-$(date +%d-%m-%Y-%H.%M).tar.gz"
# 2: Database connection info.
db_name="wordpress"
db_username="wordpress"
db_password="wordpress123"
# 3: Path to WordPress root directory and wp-content.
wp_root_folder="/var/www/html/wordpress"
backup_folder_path="/home/mahesh/backups/wordpress"
# 4: Backup MySQL database.
mysqldump --opt -u"$db_username" -p"$db_password" "$db_name" | gzip > "$backup_folder_path/$db_backup_name"
# 5: Navigate to WordPress root and create a tarball of wp-content only.
cd "$wp_root_folder" || exit
tar -czf "$backup_folder_path/$wpfiles_backup_name" wp-content
# 6: Delete all but 3 most recent database backups.
find "$backup_folder_path" -maxdepth 1 -name "*.sql.gz" -type f -printf "%T@ %p\n" | sort -rn | awk 'NR>3 {print $2}' | xargs -r rm --
# 7: Delete all but 3 most recent wp-content backups.
find "$backup_folder_path" -maxdepth 1 -name "*.tar.gz" -type f -printf "%T@ %p\n" | sort -rn | awk 'NR>3 {print $2}' | xargs -r rm --
Download the Script: gist.githubusercontent.com/maheshpalamuttath/482f1e43bc170d822fc4b19f368cd655/raw/8e2e96e40b2159aece20b6a0143f9383723b8317/wp-backup.sh
Breakdown of the Script
1. Defining Backup Filenames
The script starts by defining the names for the backups with a timestamp, ensuring that each backup is uniquely named. This prevents any accidental overwriting of existing backups.
db_backup_name="wp-db-backup-$(date +%d-%m-%Y-%H.%M).sql.gz"
wpfiles_backup_name="wp-content-backup-$(date +%d-%m-%Y-%H.%M).tar.gz"
2. Database Connection Information
Next, the script defines the database connection information, including the database name, username, and password. This allows the script to connect to the MySQL database to create a backup.
db_name="wordpress"
db_username="wordpress"
db_password="wordpress123"
Security Note: It is advisable to avoid hardcoding sensitive information directly into scripts. Consider using environment variables or a configuration file that has restricted access.
3. Specifying Directories
The paths to the WordPress root directory and the backup location are specified. This ensures that the script knows where to look for the files to back up and where to store the backup files.
wp_root_folder="/var/www/html/wordpress"
backup_folder_path="/home/sasc/backups/mahesh/wordpress"
4. Backing Up the MySQL Database
The mysqldump command creates a backup of the WordPress database, compressing it with gzip to save space. The output is redirected to a file named based on the current timestamp.
mysqldump --opt -u"$db_username" -p"$db_password" "$db_name" | gzip > "$backup_folder_path/$db_backup_name"
5. Creating a Tarball of wp-content
The script changes the directory to the WordPress root and creates a tarball of the wp-content directory, which contains all your themes, plugins, and uploaded files.
cd "$wp_root_folder" || exit
tar -czf "$backup_folder_path/$wpfiles_backup_name" wp-content
6. Cleaning Up Old Backups
To manage disk space, the script includes commands to delete old backups, keeping only the three most recent database backups and wp-content backups.
find "$backup_folder_path" -maxdepth 1 -name "*.sql.gz" -type f -printf "%T@ %p\n" | sort -rn | awk 'NR>3 {print $2}' | xargs -r rm --
find "$backup_folder_path" -maxdepth 1 -name "*.tar.gz" -type f -printf "%T@ %p\n" | sort -rn | awk 'NR>3 {print $2}' | xargs -r rm --
To set up this backup script on your server to run at regular intervals, you can use cron, the default job scheduler on Linux. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Save your backup script with a .sh extension in a location that you can access. For example:
sudo su
vim /usr/local/bin/wp_backup.sh
Copy the script into this file, save it, and exit.
Give the script execute permissions so it can run:
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/wp_backup.sh
Run the script manually to ensure it works as expected:
/usr/local/bin/wp_backup.sh
If there are any errors, they should show up now, and you can troubleshoot as needed.
Use cron to automate the backup process. To edit the cron jobs:
crontab -e
Add a new line at the end of the file to specify when you’d like the backup to run. For example, to run the backup script every day at 2:00 AM, add this line:
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/wp_backup.sh >> /home/sasc/logs/wp_backup.log 2>&1
This command means:
0 2 * * * - Run at 2:00 AM every day.
/usr/local/bin/wp_backup.sh – Path to your backup script.
>> /usr/local/bin/logs/wp_backup.log 2>&1 – Save output and errors to a log file for troubleshooting.
If you’re using a log file, create a directory for it (Optional):
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/logs
After adding the cron job, you can verify it with:
crontab -l
Your backup script is now set to run automatically on your server specified interval!
Use Rclone for Synching backup files into Google Drive: https://libtechnophile.blogspot.com/2020/07/using-google-drive-on-debianubuntu-with.html
Automating your WordPress backups with a shell script is a practical solution to ensure your data is safe and easily restorable. By regularly running this script, you can avoid the headaches of data loss and keep your site secure. Remember to periodically check your backup files and test the restoration process to ensure everything works as expected.
