How to back up your WordPress blog with CodeGuard

Backing up your blog is really important. Actually, even if your host promises automatic ones, I find it important to make sure you’re taking your own backups, because at the end of the day, it’s up to you to make sure you’ve got a copy of your site. I mean, your host is totally here now, but they could up and disappear off the face of the Internet tomorrow. It really sucks when that happens. I like CodeGuard…and not just because its mascot is a robot.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase after clicking through one of them.

This post is a tutorial on how to set up your site under CodeGuard’s free plan, which includes

  • 1 website with 1 database
  • 1 GB storage space
  • Automatic restore
  • 1 daily automatic backup
  • ChangeAlert notifications
  • 7 days backup retention

It’s what I recommend to HostClearly clients when they want tips on how to make site backups. I’ve yet to receive complaints.

CodeGuard’s process is new user-friendly (to me), as it walks people through the process instead of just expecting them to understand how it words, but just in case…

1. Signing up

Screenshot of CodeGuard signup screen

The signup process is one of the easiest ones I’ve ever run into. You just need to enter your name, email, phone number and a password into the boxes. Aim for a strong password, and make sure it’s something you’ve not used before.

2. Selecting which setup method

Screenshot of CodeGuard 'Select Method'

For the sake of this tutorial, and because it’s quicker, I’m personally going with the WordPress site method. This method might also be easier for me in the long run, because I change my WordPress passwords ever so often.

3. WordPress site setup

Screenshot of CodeGuard WordPress method prompting user to enter website URL

First up, you need to enter your URL. Not too difficult.

Screenshot of CodeGuard WordPress method prompting user to download and install WordPress plugin for CodeGuard

Then, you’ll be prompted to download and install the CodeGuard WordPress plugin. Once you have downloaded and installed it, move to the next screen on the CodeGuard website, and click on the CodeGuard icon on your WordPress dashboard menu.

Screenshot of CodeGuard plugin page from a WordPress dashboard

Enter the access key into the box on your WordPress dashboard, then click to continue on both pages. CodeGuard will check the access key works well and begin the initial backup.

4. Complete!

Screenshot of CodeGuard website setup complete screen

If the access key works, CodeGuard will begin an initial backup, which may take up to an hour to appear on your CodeGuard dashboard. Thus, before the backup shows up, your dashboard will look like this:

Screenshot of CodeGuard dashboard after website setup, before initial database backup appears

Manual backups

Screenshot of CodeGuard in WordPress dashboard and button to create manual backups
Anytime you want CodeGuard to back up your database as per your prompting, click the icon on the WordPress dashboard menu, then the green button to create a backup.

Warning/note

The CodeGuard plugin interferes with iThemes Security Plugin, which means it probably won’t work well with other security plugins, either.


Database backups are to lifesavers as website security is to a condom. At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to make sure your site is backed up properly and secure. CodeGuard allows you to securely back up your databases and store those backups. Since there’s a free version, you officially have no excuse not to set automatic website backups up today.

(Now you have zero reason to blame a lack of database backups on your host.)

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Comments on this post

I will email you about this!! I think I use a similar one, BackupGuard (it’s a plugin), but I don’t do cloud backups – I just do them every now and then, and download the file.

So, say – the worst happens, and my hosting contact is lost. And I my hosting is cut, and I can’t get them to host it. My blog has disappeared off the face of the planet, but I still own my domain name, and I have a backup (let’s say I have a cloud backup like this one). What would I do next? Can I bring my blog back to life with a new hosting provider? Roughly how would I do that?

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Well, you should be able to take your copy of the database and hand it over to your host, who can perform a migration.

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Thanks! Omg, that takes a huge load off my shoulders 🙂 knowing that.

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The only thing is that your website files won’t go along with it. It is just the database. All your files—I recommend saving a copy of wp-content once a month, but then that’s only if you don’t make too many drastic changes every month.

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Thank you for this recommendation! I was looking for an alternative to the backup plugin I was using. Will definitely try this one out.

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