What is excluded from daily backups
JetBackup skips archives, media, logs and backup files created by plugins. What that means for what you can actually restore.
WebGee's daily backups do not copy everything in your account. Applies to shared and reseller hosting.
Certain file types are excluded because they change constantly, are very large, or are themselves copies of data already backed up. Knowing which matters, because it determines what you can restore.
What is skipped
| Category | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Archives | .zip, .rar, .tar, .tar.gz, .gz, .7z, .iso |
| Backup files | .bkup, .jpa, .sql, .wpress, .xen, .aes, *_backup, backup-*.tar.gz, backup*.gz, backup*.zip |
| Media | .mp4, .mp3, .avi, .mpeg, .mkv, .divx |
| Executables | .exe |
| Logs | Log files and rotated archives |
Why this matters more than it looks
A backup created by a WordPress plugin is not itself backed up. Plugin
backups are .zip or .wpress files, both excluded. If your recovery plan is
"the plugin makes a backup into my hosting account", that backup does not exist
in the daily copies — and it counts against your disk quota while it sits
there.
The same applies to .sql dumps left in your home directory. Your databases
are backed up by JetBackup directly; a loose .sql export is not.
What this does not affect
Your site and its data are backed up normally:
- Website files — everything outside the excluded types
- Databases, backed up directly rather than as
.sqlfiles - Email accounts and their contents
- cPanel settings, cron jobs, DNS zones
If you need archives or media backed up
- Media libraries — use object storage or a CDN rather than your hosting account. It is cheaper, faster to serve, and not subject to these exclusions.
- Archives you must retain — download them and keep them elsewhere. See Download a backup of your account.
- Plugin backups — configure the plugin to store off-site, to your own cloud storage. That is better practice anyway: a backup on the same server as the site protects against fewer failures than one that is not.
Note also that WebGee's periodic cleanup actively removes some of these files — see Files WebGee automatically removes.
Related
JetBackup shows a 500 error during a restore
A 500 error in JetBackup while a full account restore is running is expected. Wait for it to finish, then sign out and back in.
Restore specific files or folders
Restore your home directory, a single folder or individual files from JetBackup without touching the rest of the account.