Your WordPress site could vanish tomorrow, and you’d never see it coming. 

Most SiteGround users think their WordPress hosting backup is bulletproof, but they’re often wrong about how the system works. 

Site owners often discover what’s backed up only when disaster strikes. This guide clarifies how the SiteGround backup service works. You’ll learn what’s protected, what isn’t, and whether you need to worry about additional backup solutions.

TL;DR: SiteGround offers automatic daily backups on most plans (not StartUp), but they auto-delete after 30 days and vanish permanently if you cancel hosting. For a robust backup strategy, combine SiteGround’s backups with a reliable backup plugin to avoid data loss disasters.

How to access your SiteGround backups

Getting to your backups requires just a few clicks. Here’s how to go about it.

Finding your backup dashboard

Access backup controls: Navigate to Site Tools, click on Security, and then Backups

Note: SiteGround Website Builder sites don’t have this option. They use a completely different backup system that you can’t directly control.

The interface shows three tabs. Daily contains your automatic backups. Hourly appears only with Premium service and covers the last 48 hours. Manual displays backups you’ve created on demand.

Here’s something that catches people off guard: hourly backups skip sites with databases over 10GB, more than 50 databases, or heavy resource usage. The system can’t handle the load.

A) Creating backups using the backup tool

Access backup tool: Within the Backups section, click on Create & Restore

Create new backup: Within the name box, enter an easily recognisable name for your backup and click Create

Your backup finishes within minutes, but slot limits for the backups apply:

• GrowBig+ plans without Premium get 5 slots. 
• Premium users get 5 slots on StartUp plans and 10 slots on higher tiers. 

Downloading backups for offsite storage

Access download options: Find your target backup and click on Actions (⋮). Next, click the Download button

Keep in mind that this feature requires Premium service. The system generates a .tar.gz archive containing three key folders: /home (your website files), /mysql or /pgsql (your databases), and /mail (your email accounts).

Important: Download links expire after exactly 24 hours. Miss the window and you’ll need to regenerate the link. Once downloaded, store these files offsite following the 3-2-1 backup strategy: 3 copies total, 2 different media types, 1 offsite location.

B) Manual backup creation

Sometimes you need backups even without the Premium service. This method is risky since it’s prone to human error. So ensure you follow the steps with caution. Here’s how to manually backup your site:

For your files:

Access the root folder: Access Site Tools and navigate to File Manager. Within the interface, locate your root folder (often public_html or www)

Archive site: Right-click on the public_html folder and select Archive. Then right-click the new ZIP file to download it

For your database:

Access phpMyAdmin: From Site Tools, navigate to Site and click on MySQL. Within this, find the phpMyAdmin button and click on it

Export database: Select your database from the left panel and navigate to the Export tab. From here, select your method, format, and click Go. Your database backup file will be saved to your device.

With these two files (your website archive and database export), create a complete site archive. Store them off site immediately. You now have everything you need to rebuild your site from scratch if disaster strikes.

Restoring your site from a SiteGround backup

When disaster strikes, restoration becomes your lifeline. Here’s how to go about it:

A) Restore the site using the backup tool

This is the nuclear option. Use it when your site is completely broken and you need everything replaced.

Access restoration controls: Navigate to Site Tools, find Security, and click on Backups

Initiate full restore: Choose backup type. Click Daily, Hourly, or Manual tab. Next, find your target backup and click Actions (⋮) and then Restore All Files and Databases

Accept the warning that this overwrites your live site completely. Keep in mind that there’s no undo button. Once you click confirm, SiteGround replaces everything on your live site with the backup version. Your site goes offline during the process, which typically takes 15-30 minutes, depending on size.

Alternatively, you can also perform partial restores. Just change the restore category and you’re good to go.

B) Manual site restoration

Sometimes you need to manually restore your site from your own backup files rather than SiteGround’s automated system. Keep in mind that manual restoration requires both pieces: website files and database export. 

You can restore files through the host’s File Manager or via FTP, and import the database through phpMyAdmin’s import feature. 

The critical requirement is synchronization. Your files and database must match the same backup date, or you’ll get broken functionality and version conflicts.

How SiteGround backups work

Backing up your WordPress site is essential to protect against data loss, hacking, and errors. Your site holds hours of work and vital data. Here’s how SiteGround manages this crucial task:

SiteGround stores your backups on their servers by default. The Premium Backup service offers off-server storage, which provides better protection against server-wide issues.

Automatic backup frequency

Shared hosting creates up to 30 daily backups. Cloud hosting creates just 7 daily backups, despite costing more. All sites get automatic backups except SiteGround Website Builder sites.

Hourly backups cover the last 48 hours, but exclude databases over 10GB, sites with more than 50 databases, or accounts with high resource usage.

What gets backed up

Everything in your account: website files, databases, emails, and staging sites. Your first backup won’t run until 6 hours after site creation.

Premium features

Premium Backup service adds:

• Off-server storage copies
• Downloadable backup files (.tar.gz format)
• Extra manual backup slots (5-10 additional)
• 7 more daily backups beyond standard limits
• GrowBig+ plans include 5 free manual backup slots without upgrading to Premium.

Critical SiteGround backup limitations you MUST know

Every backup system has blind spots, and SiteGround’s limitations can bite you when you least expect it.

Cancel your hosting or delete your site, and all backups disappear immediately. No grace period, no recovery options. Premium users can download backups before deletion, but you must remember to do it. SiteGround won’t remind you.

Testing your backups is very important before you restore them. With SiteGround, you can’t preview backups before restoring them. Full restorations take your site offline completely. File-level recovery doesn’t exist—you restore all your files or nothing.

On-demand backups overwrite your oldest slots when you hit limits. Manual backups exclude email accounts entirely. You must export those separately. Even Premium hourly backups aren’t real-time, with gaps up to 60 minutes.

Downloaded backup links expire after 24 hours. Miss the download window, and you’ll need to regenerate everything.

The bottom line? SiteGround’s backup system works for basic protection, but understanding these limitations prevents nasty surprises when disaster strikes.

The best SiteGround backup alternative

SiteGround’s backup gaps push many users toward dedicated backup solutions like BlogVault.

Why BlogVault wins

Independent storage: BlogVault stores backups on dedicated cloud servers, not on your host’s infrastructure.

Extended retention: Offers retention periods of 90-365 days compared to SiteGround’s 30-day limit.

Real-time capture: Instantly captures WooCommerce orders and dynamic changes.

Granular restoration: Allows recovery of specific files without altering the entire site.

Built-in staging: Provides a password-protected staging environment for restorations before going live.

Multisite support: Handles multisite networks and complex setups effectively.

BlogVault works with any WordPress host and survives hosting cancellations or server failures. It provides complete coverage without any kind of dependency on your hosting provider’s limitations.

Troubleshooting common SiteGround backup issues

When SiteGround backups act up, these solutions fix the most common problems quickly.

Missing backups in Site Tools

If you’re on a StartUp plan, automatic backups aren’t included; consider a premium backup service or third-party plugins. Note that SiteGround Website Builder sites lack backup support through Site Tools. For new sites, expect a delay of over 6 hours before the first backup appears.

Hourly backups are not appearing

First, ensure your premium backup subscription is active. Hourly backups may skip if your site has over 10GB in databases, more than 50 databases, or high disk usage. These limitations are built into the system and cannot be overridden.

Download problems

Access to downloads requires a premium backup service, as standard plans do not offer this feature. Remember, download links expire after 24 hours; check the Download History tab to regenerate expired links if needed.

Site crashes after restoration

Immediately clear all caches, including SiteGround SuperCacher and any caching plugins. Reactivate plugins individually to identify conflicts. Restored sites can also face permission issues, affecting functionality. Also, check the SSL section in Site Tools, as SSL certificates may need regeneration post-restoration.

Parting thoughts

StartUp plan users don’t receive automatic backups, so installing a plugin like BlogVault is crucial to prevent data loss. Always download backups before canceling SiteGround hosting, as they permanently disappear.

It’s also worth noting that many hosting providers, like HostGator and DreamHost, have similar limitations. Their backups are often short-term and stored on the same servers, so they shouldn’t be your only safety net.

FAQs