The information a backup does not contain.
WHAT TO RECORD
- Domain: where registered, renewal date, registrant details
- DNS: where hosted, and the records, particularly if external
- Hosting: plan, account username, server
Applications installed, with versions Plugins and themes, with licence details and renewal dates Cron jobs and what they do Email accounts and forwarders
Third-party services: payment gateway, analytics, mail sending, anything with an API key
Backup locations and how to access them
WHY
A backup restores files and a database. It does not tell you which DNS records existed at Cloudflare, or that a payment gateway was whitelisting your server IP.
WHERE TO KEEP IT
Off the server, in a document your business controls.
Credentials in a password manager, not in the document.
FOR BUSINESSES WITH STAFF
This information should not exist only in one person's head or personal inbox.
UPDATING IT
When things change. A document describing last year's setup misleads.
THE TEST
Could someone else rebuild your web presence from this document and your backups?
