The 3-2-1 approach keeps three copies of important data, on two types of storage, with one copy off-site. Adapt the schedule to how much data you can afford to lose and how quickly service must return.
Before you begin
Sign in through the official client area and keep account-specific values from your activation email available. Make a backup before changing production data or configuration.
Steps
- Set recovery targets: Recovery point objective is acceptable data loss; recovery time objective is acceptable downtime.
- Choose a schedule: Frequently changing stores may need hourly database copies, while brochure sites may need daily backups.
- Use retention tiers: Keep several recent copies plus weekly and monthly recovery points so unnoticed damage does not replace every good backup.
- Separate and encrypt: Use independent credentials and off-site storage. Encrypt sensitive customer or business data.
- Assign ownership: Name who reviews failures, performs restores, and approves deletion at the end of retention.
- Test restoration: Run scheduled exercises and record actual recovery time, missing dependencies, and corrective actions.
Important notes
- Provider backups may be a convenience, not your only copy; confirm scope and retention.
- Compliance and contractual requirements can change how long data should be retained.
When to contact support
Contact support if the documented controls are unavailable, the service reports an account-level restriction, or the issue continues after these checks. Include the affected domain or service, the exact error, a timestamp with timezone, and the steps already tried. Never include passwords, one-time codes, private keys, or complete payment details.
