How to Back Up Joomla Files Manually
Identify the Joomla document root
Use the hosting control panel, SFTP, or SSH to locate the directory containing Joomla's main index.php and configuration.php. Confirm you are in the correct site when an account hosts multiple domains or applications. Do not archive only /administrator or /templates; the backup needs the whole Joomla installation.
Reduce site changes during the copy
For a site that changes frequently, schedule a maintenance window or use a hosting snapshot method that provides a consistent point in time. Joomla's traditional backup guidance recommends taking the site offline during manual backup work so files and database do not drift significantly while the recovery set is being created.
Archive the entire Joomla directory
A hosting file manager can usually compress the Joomla directory into ZIP or another supported archive. With shell access, an administrator can use an appropriate archival tool such as tar. Create the archive outside the directory being archived when necessary so the backup does not recursively include itself.
Include hidden and site-specific files
Confirm the archive contains configuration.php and applicable dotfiles such as .htaccess. Include extension files, templates, overrides, uploaded media, images, and locally developed code. These are precisely the items a clean Joomla package may not be able to recreate.
Download the archive to protected storage
Do not leave the only copy inside the web-accessible Joomla tree. Download or transfer it to separate storage, then remove temporary server-side archives when they are no longer required. Large archives left in a public or guessable location can expose the entire site if downloaded by an unauthorized person.
Check the archive before calling it a backup
Open or list the archive contents and verify representative directories, configuration.php, media, templates, and hidden server files are present. Compare the archive size with the live site as a sanity check, while remembering that compression can make the archive substantially smaller.
Pair the files with a database export
A manual file archive by itself is not a complete Joomla backup. Create a database export from the same recovery point and store the two together with the date and site identity. Joomla documentation consistently treats files and database as the two parts required for a complete backup.
Need More Help with Joomla?
Still having trouble? Open a support ticket with QuantaCade Support and we'll be happy to help where we can.
Support priority is given to QuantaCade products, services, and customers. However, we're also happy to assist fellow Joomla users with general Joomla questions and troubleshooting when possible.
QuantaCade is an independent Joomla extension developer and is not official Joomla support. Some issues involving third-party extensions, hosting environments, server configurations, or other systems outside our development control may be beyond what we're able to resolve.