Choose a backup method in Watchful

Watchful provides three ways to back up your WordPress and Joomla! websites: manual backups, queued backups, and scheduled backups.

Each method offers a different level of automation and flexibility. You can choose the Watchful backup method that best fits your maintenance workflow.

Before creating backups, you must install and configure a compatible backup plugin on your website. See Supported backup plugins for details.

Compare backup methods

The table below compares the three backup methods available in Watchful.

Feature	Manual	Queued	Scheduled
Started by	User	User	Watchful
Runs automatically	No	After being queued	Yes
Runs in the background	No	Yes	Yes
Supports multiple sites	One at a time	Yes	Yes
Best for	Immediate backups	Bulk maintenance	Routine protection

Manual backups

Manual backups start immediately when you initiate them from the site drawer on the Sites Dashboard.

This method is useful when you need a fresh backup before updating software, changing website settings, or performing other maintenance.

Manual backups run in real time. You must wait for the backup to finish before continuing with other tasks in the dashboard.

To create a manual backup:

1. Open the Sites Dashboard.
2. Select the website you want to back up to open its site drawer.
3. Click Start Backup to open the backup modal.
4. If multiple backup profiles are configured, select the appropriate profile.
5. Click Start Backup to begin.
6. Wait for the backup to complete before proceeding.

Manual backups are best for occasional maintenance or when you need an immediate backup of a specific website.

Queued backups

Queued backups let you start backups for multiple websites without waiting for each one to finish.

When you add websites to the backup queue, Watchful processes their backups in the background as backup capacity becomes available.

This method is useful when you manage multiple websites and want to continue working while their backups are being created.

To add websites to the backup queue:

1. Open the Sites Dashboard.
2. Select the websites you want to back up using the checkboxes beside their names.
3. Click Bulk Actions.
4. Select Add to Backup Queue.
5. Monitor the Last Backup column on the Sites Dashboard to check when the backups are complete.

Queued backups are especially useful when some websites already have recent backups and others need new ones. You can work on the websites that are ready while Watchful backs up the remaining sites.

Scheduled backups

Scheduled backups automatically create backups according to a schedule you configure.

This is the most efficient method for routine website maintenance because backups can be completed before you begin working on your sites.

For example, you can schedule backups to run overnight so that recent backups are available when you start your maintenance work the following day.

Watchful supports backup scheduling through compatible backup plugins. The available scheduling options depend on the plugin and its configured backup profiles.

For instructions on configuring scheduled backups, see the documentation for your backup plugin:

• Schedule backups with Akeeba Backup Pro
• Schedule backups with XCloner
• Schedule backups with All-in-One WP Migration

Which backup method should you use?

For most website maintenance workflows, scheduled backups provide the greatest convenience because they reduce the need to create backups manually.

However, each method has a useful role:

• Manual backups: Create an immediate backup before making an important change.
• Queued backups: Back up several websites in the background before performing bulk maintenance.
• Scheduled backups: Maintain recent backups automatically as part of your regular workflow.

You can combine these methods as needed. For example, use scheduled backups for routine protection and create a manual backup immediately before making a significant website change.

Whichever method you choose, regularly check the backup status of your websites to ensure that recent backups are available. See Monitor stale backups to learn how Watchful helps identify websites with outdated backups and update you when action is required.