BackupBuddy 5.0 now includes the ability to roll back your WordPress database with just a few clicks — all from the WordPress dashboard. This new feature takes BackupBuddy’s restore abilities to the next level by making it even quicker and easier to restore your site to an earlier version if something goes wrong.
Why You’ll Love Database Rollbacks
The ability to click on a backup and roll back your database is just a huge time saver. BackupBuddy’s new database rollback feature is much quicker then having to go through the entire import/restore process. The entire process is handled directly from the WordPress dashboard with just a few clicks, so you don’t have to overcomplicate the process with extra steps.
Without BackupBuddy’s database rollback feature, you’d have to contact your host to roll back the database (and that’s assuming they even have a copy of it), so having the ability to do it yourself is a big advantage.
Examples of When You May Need a Database Rollback
Database rollbacks are useful for when you don’t need to restore your whole site, but just need to get your database back to a previous version. If you’re running or managing a WordPress site, at some point you may find yourself in one of these scenarios:
- You accidentally permanently delete a post, page or comment
- A plugin has run wild and cluttered your database
- You deleted some important data from a plugin (like form data in Gravity Forms or customer info in Exchange)
Now, with Database Rollbacks, you can simply rollback your database to an earlier version before you installed a bad plugin or deleted anything.
Understanding How WordPress Uses Databases
To get a better understanding of why database rollbacks are helpful, we thought we’d include a quick overview of how WordPress uses databases to organize your site’s data.
The WordPress Codex explains it like this:
A database in computing terms is software used to manage information in an organized fashion. WordPress uses the MySQL relational database management system for storing and retrieving the content of your blog, such as posts, comments, and so on.
So, to recap, WordPress uses the database to store your site’s:
- Posts
- Pages
- Comments
- Categories
- Tags
- Users
- Custom fields
- … and other site options such as site URLs, etc.
For more information on understanding how WordPress uses databases, check out these resources:
- Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Database Management with phpMyAdmin (WPBeginner)
- The WordPress Codex – Database Definition
- The WordPress Codex – Database Description
Roll Back Your Site’s Database in Just a Few Clicks
1. To get started with a database rollback in BackupBuddy, you’ll need to have a database only or complete backup stored locally.
If you use remote destinations to store your backups (which we recommend), don’t worry — you can get download backups from your remote destinations and send them to your local storage directory.
To download a backup from your remote destination and send to your local directory, visit the Remote Destinations Page from within the BackupBuddy menu in your WordPress dashboard. Click the the List files for all sites link.
Once you see your listing of files, hover over any file and click Copy to Local.
Return to the Backups Page to see a listing of your locally stored backup files. You should now see the backup file listed.
2. Navigate to the Restore/Migrate Page from the BackupBuddy menu. Hover over the file containing the database you wish to restore and click the Database Rollback link.
3. On the next screen, you’ll see the Database Rollback Page. From here, verify the backup details below to make sure this is the correct backup to roll back and click the Begin Rollback button.
Note: Click the Advanced Options button if you need to customize whether the rollback will auto advance or to turn off force MySQL compatibility with chunk time limits.
4. BackupBuddy will go to work rolling back the database. Click Next Step.
5. On the last screen, you can test your site before accepting the rollback. If the rollback should fail for any reason, you can undo the changes using the link at the top of the screen. Click Accept Rollback – Everything looks good to finalize the rollback.
6. That’s it! BackupBuddy will load one final screen to confirm the rollback is complete.
Get BackupBuddy Today! $50 Off Through Sept. 5
To celebrate the launch of BackupBuddy 5.0 we’re offering $50 off your BackupBuddy (Unlimited Sites), BackupBuddy Gold or Plugin Suite purchase with coupon code BACKUPBUDDY5. Just don’t delay! This offer expires Friday, Sept. 5.