Storing Your Backup to OneDrive
Storing WordPress backups only on your web server leaves them exposed to the same server crash, hack, or hosting issue that could take your site down. Connecting a cloud storage service such as Microsoft OneDrive keeps a copy of every backup off your hosting account, so it’s available whenever you need it.
This guide walks through connecting Microsoft OneDrive as a storage location for Duplicator Pro backups, creating a backup that uploads there, and restoring a site from a backup stored on OneDrive.
Connect OneDrive Account
Go to Duplicator Pro » Storage. Duplicator Pro already includes a Default Local storage location for backups:
Click Add New to start setting up the OneDrive storage. Give the new storage a name, then click Select next to Type and choose OneDrive from the grid of storage providers:
Click Save Provider to create the storage entry. The Authorization options appear only after the storage is saved.
OneDrive Business Accounts:
For OneDrive Business accounts, turn on Are you using a business account? before connecting. By default, Duplicator Pro only requests read and write permission for the app folder. Turning this on grants Duplicator Pro read and write permission for all folders in the account instead of only the app folder:
Next, authorize Duplicator Pro to make changes to the OneDrive account. This allows backups to be sent automatically to the OneDrive storage folder. Next to Authorization, click Connect to OneDrive:
Under Step 1, click Authorize OneDrive. This opens a new browser tab, so make sure the browser is not blocking pop-ups:
Sign in to Microsoft OneDrive in the new tab. When prompted, allow Duplicator Pro to create and update OneDrive files:
Once finished, Microsoft provides an authorization code. Copy this and paste it into Step 2:
Under Step 3, click Finalize Setup to connect Duplicator Pro to OneDrive.
Duplicator Pro sets a default Storage Folder of //OneDrive/Apps/Duplicator Pro/. Use a unique folder name for each site that backs up to this OneDrive account, so backups from different sites don’t overwrite each other.
When the number of backups exceeds the Max Backups value, Duplicator Pro deletes the oldest backup to stay under the limit. Set Max Backups to 0 for no limit.
Before saving, click Test Storage under Validation to confirm Duplicator Pro can create and delete a file in the OneDrive storage. Resolve any error this test reports before relying on this storage for a live backup.
Click Save Provider to save the OneDrive storage settings.
Duplicator Pro automatically renews the OneDrive connection before the access token expires. If Microsoft revokes the connection (for example, if the account password changes or Duplicator Pro’s access is removed from the Microsoft account), backups to this storage fail until it’s reconnected: edit the storage and repeat the authorization steps above.
If a backup fails to reach OneDrive or the connection stops working, see Troubleshooting OneDrive Storage Issues.
Create and store a backup on OneDrive
With the OneDrive account connected, it’s time to store the first backup to the cloud. Go to Duplicator Pro » Backups » Create New:
Duplicator automatically generates a name for the backup, but it can be renamed to something more memorable to make it easier to find later if it needs to be restored.
Next, expand the Storage settings and select OneDrive from the list of connected storage locations. Usually, a full backup of the WordPress site’s files and database is the right choice; don’t make any changes to the archive or installer files before clicking Next.
After configuring the backup, Duplicator scans the website. Review this evaluation for any issues. To continue, click Build:
When Duplicator finishes building the backup, it’s transferred to the OneDrive folder set up earlier.
Restore your website using backups stored on OneDrive
Duplicator Pro offers multiple ways to restore backups. If backups have been uploaded to OneDrive using Duplicator Pro, the website can easily be restored to a previous version or recovered in case of a crash.
Use the Download option to restore your website:
- Go to Duplicator Pro » Backups
Use a backup stored on OneDrive to restore your website:
Open the OneDrive account and find the folder with the Duplicator backups (//OneDrive/Apps/Duplicator Pro/, or the custom folder name used when connecting). Select the archive file and download it.
Then, open the WordPress dashboard and go to Duplicator Pro » Import. Instead of manually uploading the file to a File Manager or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client, the backup can be imported directly:
Drag and drop the archive file into the upload box. After it uploads, information about the backup appears. If everything looks correct, continue to the next page:
An overview of the current site appears next. To rewrite it with the uploaded archive, click Launch Installer:
The Duplicator recovery wizard then walks through the process of restoring a backup. Select Restore single site as the Install Type, click Validate, then accept the terms and notices and click Next:
As a final step, confirm the intent to proceed with the backup restoration. Duplicator automatically replaces the current site with the saved backup. Once finished, an Admin Login button appears, and the restored website is ready to sign back into.
With OneDrive connected, backups upload there automatically, giving the site a remote copy that stays available even if the WordPress server has a crash or a hosting issue.
To connect a different storage provider or compare available options, see Backup to the Cloud.
