How Often Should You Back Up?
There is no single right answer to backup frequency — it depends entirely on how much data you would lose between backups and how painful that loss would be. The busier and more important the system, the more often it should be backed up.
This article gives a practical way to decide, grounded in your Recovery Point Objective.
Let the Data Decide
The key question is how much work happens between backups. A site that changes hourly needs hourly backups; one that changes monthly does not.
- Work out how much data loss is acceptable.
- Set the backup interval to stay inside that limit.
- Increase frequency for high-value, fast-changing data.
A Sensible Default
For many businesses a nightly backup is the baseline, stepping up to hourly or continuous for active applications and transactional systems.
Different Data, Different Frequency
You do not have to back everything up at the same rate. A fast-changing orders database might be protected hourly while the rarely-edited marketing pages on the same site are fine with a nightly copy. Tailoring frequency to each part keeps protection strong and costs sensible.
| How much it changes | Suggested frequency |
|---|---|
| Rarely | Weekly |
| Daily edits | Nightly |
| Constant transactions | Hourly or continuous |
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.