Overview
Every site on Rapyd Cloud is covered by automatic daily backups, stored offsite and separate from your environment's local storage. Whether you're making changes to a live site, preparing for a major update, or recovering from something unexpected, your backups are accessible directly from the dashboard and can be restored or downloaded in a few steps.
Backups are incremental, meaning that after the first full backup, only changed or new data is captured in each subsequent backup. This keeps storage usage efficient without compromising your ability to recover any recent version of your site. Each plan includes a set backup storage allocation; if you need more, it can be added as an add-on.
In this article, you will find an explanation of how the Backups area works, step-by-step instructions for creating, restoring, and downloading backups, and guidance on changing your backup schedule.
Understanding the Backups area
The Backups section is accessed from the left-hand menu inside any site's management area. It gives you a summary of your backup status and a complete list of available backups.
The header area shows three pieces of information at a glance:
Backup schedule: The time your daily automatic backup runs, in UTC. Click Change to update it.
Last performed: The date and time of the most recently completed backup, displayed in UTC.
Backup storage: How much of your plan's backup storage allocation is currently in use.
Below that, the Your backups list shows all available backups, including the date and time each was created, its description, and its file size. From this list you can create new backups, restore existing ones, download them, or view their details.
Note:
Because backups are incremental, the file size shown for each backup reflects only the data that changed since the previous one. It does not represent the full size of your site.
How to create a manual backup
Your site is backed up automatically each day, but you can also create a backup manually at any time. This is particularly useful before making significant changes to your site.
Step 1: Navigate to Backups
From the Sites page, click Manage site for the site you want to back up. In the left-hand menu, click Backups.
Step 2: Click Create backup
Click the + Create backup button in the top right of the Your backups area.
Step 3: Add a description and create
In the dialog that appears, enter an optional description to help you identify this backup later. If you want a download link sent to you immediately after the backup is created, check Download this backup immediately. A link will be emailed to you once the backup is ready. Click Create to start the backup.
How to restore a backup
Important:
Restoring a backup is a destructive action. All files and databases on your site will be replaced with the version from the selected backup. The site will be temporarily unavailable during the process. Any content created or changes made after the backup was taken, including signups, purchases, and comments, will be lost.
Before restoring, make sure you have a recent backup available. The dashboard requires a backup created within the last hour before a restore can proceed. If one does not exist, you will be prompted to create one first.
Step 1: Navigate to Backups
From the Sites page, click Manage site for the relevant site, then click Backups in the left-hand menu.
Step 2: Select the backup to restore
In the Your backups list, identify the backup you want to restore. To review what a backup contains before committing, click the three-dot menu to the right of it and select View details. The details panel shows the backup's creation time, description, site size, WordPress version, active theme, plugin count, and number of users.
Step 3: Initiate the restore
You have two ways to start the restore:
Select the backup using the radio button, then click Restore at the top of the list
Click the three-dot menu next to the backup and select Restore backup
Step 4: Review and confirm
A confirmation dialog will appear showing the backup details and a warning that all current files and databases will be replaced. Enter your account password and click Restore backup to confirm.
You will receive an email when the restore process begins and another when it is complete. The process typically takes 5 to 10 minutes, though larger sites may take longer.
How to download a backup
Downloading a backup gives you a local copy of your site that you can store independently or use to migrate elsewhere.
Step 1: Navigate to Backups
From the Sites page, click Manage site for the relevant site, then click Backups in the left-hand menu.
Step 2: Select and download
You have two ways to download a backup:
Select the backup using the radio button, then click Download at the top of the list
Click the three-dot menu next to the backup and select Download backup
A download link will be sent to your account email address once the backup file is ready.
How to change the backup schedule
The daily automatic backup runs at the time shown in the Backup schedule box, in UTC. You can change this to any time that suits your workflow, for example, scheduling it for low-traffic hours.
Step 1: Navigate to Backups
From the Sites page, click Manage site for the relevant site, then click Backups in the left-hand menu.
Step 2: Update the schedule
In the Backup schedule box, click Change. Select your preferred time from the options shown and confirm. All times are in UTC.
Important information
Retention period: Backups are retained for 14 days. Backups older than 14 days are automatically removed.
Storage allocation: Each plan includes a set amount of backup storage. The amount varies by plan. If you are approaching your limit, you can add more storage from the Billing section. See How to add additional backup storage to your plan for details.
Staging sites: Backups are available for both live and staging sites and are managed the same way.
What a restore includes: Restoring a backup replaces both web files and the database. It does not affect environment-level settings.
Conclusion
Backups are one of the most important safeguards for any live WordPress site. Rapyd Cloud handles daily backups automatically, and the dashboard gives you full control to create, review, restore, and download them at any time. If you have questions or need help with a restore, our support team is available 24/7.