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Backing up your WordPress site is essential, especially if it’s hosted on a DigitalOcean VPS. This guide will walk you through backing up both your WordPress files and database.

Step 1: Connect to Your DigitalOcean VPS

First, connect to your VPS via SSH:

ssh root@your_droplet_ip

Replace your_droplet_ip with your VPS’s IP address.

Step 2: Back Up WordPress Files

Navigate to the directory where WordPress is installed, typically /var/www/html:

cd /var/www/html

Then create a compressed archive of your WordPress files:

tar -czvf wordpress_files_backup_$(date +%F).tar.gz *

This command creates an archive named wordpress_files_backup_<today’s_date>.tar.gz.

Step 3: Back Up the WordPress Database

To back up the database, first find the credentials in wp-config.php:

nano wp-config.php

Once you have the database name, user, and password, use mysqldump:

mysqldump -u your_db_user -p your_db_name > wordpress_db_backup_$(date +%F).sql

You will be prompted for the database password, and it will create a file named wordpress_db_backup_<today’s_date>.sql.

Step 4: Securely Transfer Your Backups to Another Computer

Now that you have your backup files, use scp to securely transfer them to your local machine:

scp root@your_droplet_ip:/var/www/html/wordpress_files_backup_$(date +%F).tar.gz /local/backup/directory/
scp root@your_droplet_ip:/var/www/html/wordpress_db_backup_$(date +%F).sql /local/backup/directory/

Replace /local/backup/directory/ with the directory path on your local machine where you want to store the backups. This will securely copy your backups from the VPS to your local system for safekeeping.

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With this setup, you have both your WordPress files and database safely backed up, ensuring your site is protected against data loss.