FeatureMultisite backups for WordPress

Complete backups for your WordPress Multisite network

In a Multisite network, every subsite shares one install and one database, so your backup has to cover all of them. BlogVault backs up your whole network, subdomain or subdirectory, from one plugin installed at network level: every subsite, the shared tables and all uploads, automatically and stored away from your server. If something breaks, restore the whole network or only the subsite that needs it.

Back up my network See a subsite restore

400,000+Websites protected
1M+Successful restores
100Subsites per network, by plan
2 typesSubdomain and subdirectory

How to restore one subsite without affecting the others

In this example, a university network gets an automatic plugin update. The shop subsite’s checkout stops working, but the other eleven subsites are fine and people are still editing them. BlogVault restores only the shop.

Northstar LearningMultisite · 12 subsites

#001 · Main siteexample.edu[live]

#002admissions.example.eduexample.edu/admissions[live]
#003library.example.eduexample.edu/library[live]
#004news.example.eduexample.edu/news[post 10:06]
#005alumni.example.eduexample.edu/alumni[live]
#006research.example.eduexample.edu/research[live]
#007shop.example.eduexample.edu/shop[restored 22:00]
#008events.example.eduexample.edu/events[live]
#009arts.example.eduexample.edu/arts[live]
#010sport.example.eduexample.edu/sport[live]
#011careers.example.eduexample.edu/careers[live]
#012press.example.eduexample.edu/press[live]
Network tableswp_users · wp_sitemeta · wp_blogs[shared · untouched]

▸ Network activity[Simulated]

22:00Network backup complete · 12 subsites · changes only
10:04Auto-update · payments-gateway 3.2.1 · network-activated
10:05shop.example.eduexample.edu/shop · Fatal error /checkout · HTTP 500
10:06news.example.eduexample.edu/news · new post published · 11 subsites live
10:07Backup chosen · 22:00 · before the update
10:08Restoring subsite 007 only · wp_7_* · uploads/sites/7
10:10shop.example.eduexample.edu/shop · checkout ok · HTTP 200
10:1011 other subsites untouched

Restore points · Subsite 007

Sep 0610:0022:00Today

▸ Sep 07 · 22:00 · before the update

Subsites live: 12 / 12
Tables restored: 10 / 128
Other subsites rolled back: 0

▸ What brokeSubsite 007 after a plugin update: its checkout returned an error.
▸ What was restoredOnly subsite 007, from last night’s 22:00 backup: its own database tables and uploads.
▸ What wasn’t touchedThe other eleven subsites stayed online and kept today’s changes, including a post published at 10:06.

Example network. The switch changes the addresses; the restore works the same way for both. Showing subdomainsubdirectory addresses.

Why Multisite networks need a special kind of backup

A Multisite network looks like many separate sites, but it runs on one WordPress install with one database and one uploads folder shared by every subsite. Many backup tools can only back up and restore it all at once.

example.edu · database

▸ Network[shared]wp_blogswp_sitewp_sitemetawp_userswp_usermetawp_signups
▸ Subsite 001[main site]wp_postswp_optionswp_postmeta+7
▸ Subsite 002[admissions]wp_2_postswp_2_optionswp_2_postmeta+7
▸ Subsite 007[shop]wp_7_postswp_7_optionswp_7_postmeta+7
▸ Nine more[subsites 003–012]wp_3_* … wp_12_*10 tables each

Files · wp-content/uploads/sites/7 · one folder per subsite

Subsites: 12
Core tables: 128
Per subsite: 10

Shared tables
Users and network settings are stored once, in tables every subsite depends on. If they’re restored wrongly, every subsite is affected.
Lots of tables
Each subsite adds about ten database tables of its own, plus any its plugins add. A network of 100 subsites has well over a thousand.
Updates hit every subsite
A network-activated plugin updates on every subsite at once. If you can only restore the whole network, fixing one subsite undoes today’s work on all the others.

Step by step

How BlogVault backs up a Multisite network

You install BlogVault once for the whole network. There’s no set-up for each subsite.

Back up my network

Network workflowInstalled at network level

[Install]

Install the plugin for the network

Install BlogVault once, at network level. It covers every subsite, the shared tables and all uploads.

What’s included

[Back up]

The whole network is backed up

Backups run automatically and are stored away from your host. After the first backup, only changes are copied.

Large networks

[Restore]

Restore the network or one subsite

Choose a backup, then choose whether to restore every subsite or only the ones that broke.

See it run

[Move]

Migrate the whole network

Move every subsite to a new host or domain in one go, with search and replace built in.

Migrating a network

Restore one subsite or the whole network

Every backup covers the whole network. When you restore, you choose how much of it to bring back.

[One subsite]

When one subsite broke

For example, a bad theme change on one subsite, a plugin only one subsite uses, or a deleted page. Restore just that subsite from a backup made before the problem.

▸ Restored: The subsites you choose
▸ Not touched: Every other subsite, with today’s changes
▸ Downtime for other subsites: None

[Whole install]

When the network broke

For example, an update that took down every subsite, a hacked install or a failed server. Restore every subsite and the shared tables together.

▸ Restored: Every subsite, shared tables and files
▸ Not touched: Nothing: the whole network goes back
▸ Where to: The same host, or a new one

Backups for large Multisite networks

Backup plugins that export thousands of tables at once on your server can overload the database or time out. BlogVault copies only what changed and does the heavy work on its own servers, so a busy network stays fast while it’s backed up.

How backups work

Backing up network changesNetwork backup complete

▸ Network tablesUsers, sites, settingsbacked up

▸ Subsite tablesChanged rows onlychanges only

▸ UploadsNew files onlychanges only

▸ Your serverHeavy work runs on ourslight load

Subsites per installOn the WooCommerce plan

100

Encrypted copiesAcross 2 storage providers

Days of backupsOn the WooCommerce plan

365

Web hosts supportedShared, managed, self-hosted

5,000+

The network stays online throughout

BlogVault vs host backups and backup plugins for Multisite

Host backups and plugins work well for single sites. For a network, ask two questions: can you restore one subsite, and will the backup finish on a large network?

Question	Host snapshot	Zip-based plugin	BlogVault
▸ What a restore brings back	Usually the whole server or account	Usually the whole install	The whole install, or chosen subsites
▸ Where the work runs	On the host’s systems	On your server, while the network runs	On our servers
▸ On a large network	Fine: it copies the disk	Can hit time or memory limits	Incremental: only changes move
▸ Where copies are kept	With the host	Often on the same server	9 encrypted copies, 2 providers, off your host
▸ Test before restoring	Rarely	Rarely	Yes, on our servers

Host backups are good for restoring the whole server at once. They’re rarely able to restore a single subsite.

Migrate or stage your Multisite network

You can also use a BlogVault backup to move your network to a new host, or to create a private staging copy for testing updates.

[Migrate]

The whole network, to a new host or domain

Every subsite moves together. Search and replace is built in, so subsite addresses are updated everywhere without another plugin.

From: example.edu · old host
To: example.ac.uk · new host
Addresses: Rewritten, all 12 subsites

How a migration runs

[Stage]

Staging for subdirectory networks

Create a private, password-protected copy of a subdirectory network on our servers. Test updates there and fix problems before your visitors see them.

Network type: Subdirectory
Hosted on: BlogVault’s servers
Search engines: Blocked

How staging works

Multisite backup features and plan limits

What BlogVault covers for Multisite networks, and how many subsites each plan includes.

Network types: Subdomain and subdirectory networks, both supported.
Install: Once, at network level. No per-subsite setup.
What is backed up: The whole install: every subsite, the shared network tables, themes, plugins and uploads.
Restore scope: The whole install, or selected subsites.
Backup method: Incremental, with the heavy work on our servers rather than yours.
Storage: 9 encrypted copies with 2 providers, in EU data centres, away from your host.
Migration: The whole network, to a new host or domain, with search and replace built in.
Staging: Supported for subdirectory networks.

What customers say

Their automatic backups are an incredible safety net. No matter what goes wrong, I can just restore my site before anyone notices anything! It’s given me a real sense of peace, knowing that my site is safe no matter what.

Kimberly Lipari ValetBlogVault customer

400,000+▸ Websites protectedIn 120 countries
1M+▸ Successful restoresWhole sites, subsites and single plugins
4.5 / 5▸ WordPress.org ratingFrom 328 reviews

Multisite questions

Do you support subdomain and subdirectory networks?

Yes. Both kinds of Multisite network are backed up, restored and migrated the same way. The plugin is installed once, at network level.

Can I restore one subsite without touching the rest?

Yes. Pick the restore point and the subsites you want back; the rest of the network stays live and keeps the changes made since. If the whole network needs to go back, restore the whole install instead.

How many subsites can I back up?

Up to 25 subsites on the Business plan and up to 100 subsites on WooCommerce. Multisite isn’t part of the Personal plan. If your network is larger, talk to us first.

Will backing up a large network slow it down?

No, not noticeably. The heavy work runs on our servers, and after the first backup only changes are copied from yours. The plugin still has to read what changed, so there is a little load, but far less than a plugin that exports the whole database.

Can I move the whole network to a new domain or host?

Yes. The whole network moves in one go, and search and replace is built in, so subsite addresses are updated without another plugin.

Can I stage a Multisite network?

Staging works for subdirectory networks: a private, password-protected copy on our servers. If yours is a subdomain network, ask us before you plan on staging it.

Where are the backups kept?

Away from your host: 9 encrypted copies with 2 storage providers, in EU data centres. If your server or host has a problem, your backups aren’t affected.

Backups built for scale. Restores for the bad day.

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