How often to keep a backup

When a site file breaks, the date on the copy you hold is the size of the loss. Yesterday's copy brings back yesterday's text. Last month's copy does not carry the orders and pages written since.

What gets copied

Files alone are not enough. The database sits apart. Mail can sit apart too. Copying all three on the same day returns the site to that day. Copying only the files and forgetting the database mixes old text with a new product list.

Where it lives

The copy is a service beside the site. The backup shelf is for that work. The file manager on the hosting card does not replace the copy. After you download a copy, open it once and see that it reads.