Export & Backup

warning

Backups must be tested. A backup you cannot restore is not a backup.

Prerequisites

Artifact	What it captures	Example path
Database export	content, options, settings	/tmp/wp-backup.sql
Theme mods snapshot	Customizer settings	/tmp/theme_mods_generatepress.json
Elements inventory	Element list for audits	/tmp/gp-elements.csv
Child theme	Custom code and CSS	wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/

Safety Notes

• Imports and redesigns are large changes.
• Rollback needs artifacts (DB + settings) and a tested process.
• Exports support migration between environments.

How It Works

Most site state lives in:

• the database
• wp-content/ (themes, plugins, uploads)

You export both categories depending on the change.

Step-by-Step Export and Backup

Step 1: Export Database

export-db.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp db export /tmp/wp-backup.sql
ls -lh /tmp/wp-backup.sql

Step 2: Export Theme Mods

export-theme-mods.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp option get theme_mods_generatepress --format=json > /tmp/theme_mods_generatepress.json
wc -l /tmp/theme_mods_generatepress.json

Step 3: Export Elements Inventory (Optional)

export-elements-inventory.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp post list --post_type=gp_elements --fields=ID,post_title,post_status --format=csv 2>/dev/null > /tmp/gp-elements.csv || true
wc -l /tmp/gp-elements.csv 2>/dev/null || true

Step 4: Backup the Child Theme Files

backup-child-theme-files.sh

cd /var/www/html
tar -czf /tmp/generatepress-child.tgz -C wp-content/themes generatepress-child
ls -lh /tmp/generatepress-child.tgz

Step 5: Validate Restore (Staging Drill)

restore-db-drill.sh

cd /var/www/html

# Only do this on staging
wp db import /tmp/wp-backup.sql
wp cache flush 2>/dev/null || true

caution

Do not run wp db import on production unless you are executing a planned rollback.

Optional Configuration

Example 1: Backup Before a Site Library Import

• DB export
• theme mods snapshot
• plugin list

Example 2: Backup Before a Redesign

• DB export
• child theme repo tag
• element inventory export

Example 3: Keep an Export Inventory File

write-export-inventory.sh

cd /tmp
ls -lh wp-backup.sql theme_mods_generatepress.json gp-elements.csv generatepress-child.tgz 2>/dev/null || true

Best Practices

Practice	Why
Store backups outside docroot	Prevents accidental exposure
Keep a restore runbook	Faster recovery
Version your child theme	Enables code rollback
Test restores regularly	Proves backup quality
Keep backups encrypted at rest	Protects customer data
Keep an offsite copy	Protects against server loss

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
wp db export fails	DB permissions	Verify DB creds and WP-CLI environment
Restore works but site looks wrong	Cache	Purge LSCache and flush caches
Exports missing expected changes	Wrong site root	Confirm wp core path
Backups too large	Uploads bloat	Prune unused media and keep image budgets

Hands-On

1. Export DB and theme mods on staging.
2. Make a visible change (e.g., site title), then restore.
3. Confirm the change is rolled back.
4. Backup the child theme to /tmp/generatepress-child.tgz and verify you can extract it.
5. Store backup file paths in a small runbook entry.

Quick Reference

export-backup-cheatsheet.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp db export /tmp/wp-backup.sql
wp option get theme_mods_generatepress --format=json > /tmp/theme_mods_generatepress.json

What's Next

• Next module: Child Theme
• Next lesson: Why Use a Child Theme