The database is the most valuable part of your website. This contains all information that will change most often. Luckily, backing up your WordPress database is pretty straight forward and can be done using a handy tool called phpMyAdmin, which is usually available through your cPanel.
Let’s dive into the steps:
1. Log in to your cPanel and click the phpMyAdmin icon in the Databases section.
2. In phpMyAdmin you will see a list of database names in the left column of the home page. Simply click on the database that you wish to back up and select the Export tab at the top of the screen.
4. Make sure the export method is “Quick” and the format is “SQL”.
5. Click Go button. This will download a .sql file to your computer.
The download process can usually take from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on how large your database is. The downloaded SQL file can be used to import at anytime when you need to restore or migrate your site.
Alternatively, if you’re not comfortable with the steps, or familiar with phpMyadmin, you could also backup your database within your WordPress admin panel. To do this,
- Head to WordPress dashboard» Tools » Export » All content and click download export file. This will download a XML file to your computer. This file contains your posts, pages, comments, custom post types, categories, tags, and users.