When the content is large.
THE PROBLEM
Image libraries, video and document archives make backups large, slow and expensive to store.
Backing up hundreds of megabytes of unchanged images weekly wastes storage and time.
PRACTICAL APPROACHES
Back up media separately and less frequently than the database, since it changes rarely Use incremental transfer, which copies only new files Keep originals off the server entirely, uploading only web-sized versions
VIDEO
Do not host video on shared hosting. Use a video platform, which removes it from your backups entirely and serves it better.
WHAT TO KEEP LOCALLY
Original photographs and source files belong in your own storage, backed up as part of your business records rather than as part of the website.
The website only needs web-sized copies.
IF MEDIA IS THE BULK OF YOUR SITE
A gallery or portfolio site is mostly images. Accept that backups are large, and back up media monthly while backing up the database more often.
WATCHING INODES
Many small files consume inodes, and backup tools that store files individually rather than archiving make this worse.
