Backups
Website backup service: what to ask before trusting it
A website backup service is valuable only if it preserves the files and data needed to recover the site after deletion, compromise, failed updates, database corruption, or infrastructure loss. The backup dashboard is less important than the restore path.
Define exactly what is protected
A website may require files, uploads, configuration, databases, mail, DNS information, certificates, and application-specific data. Confirm which pieces the backup system captures and which must be protected separately.
For a dynamic site, database recovery points can matter more than repeatedly copying unchanged application files.
Keep at least one copy outside the live failure domain
A backup stored only on the same account, disk, or server can disappear with the workload it is supposed to protect. Ask where copies live and whether a compromised production credential can also delete them.
Retention and frequency should match the data change rate
A weekly copy may be enough for a mostly-static site but poor protection for a store receiving orders every hour. Decide how much data loss is acceptable and how far back you may need to recover from unnoticed corruption or compromise.
Make the provider demonstrate the restore model
Understand whether restores are self-service, provider-assisted, full-account only, or granular. Test a representative restore before an emergency and verify that you can export your backups if you later change providers.