Backup guide
WordPress Multisite Backup on AWS EC2
Back up Multisite networks on AWS EC2 with chunked, resumable jobs — beyond host snapshots alone.
Free
How to back up Multisite on AWS EC2
On AWS EC2 (vps hosting), a WordPress Multisite backup is more than copying wp-content. You need shared core files, network tables, per-site tables, and uploads under sites/ — or restore will miss users, settings, or media. You control PHP-FPM and Nginx/Apache timeouts — raise them, then still use chunked jobs.
Multisite Migrate runs chunked, resumable jobs from Network Admin (full network) or from a subsite dashboard when the role has manage_options. Free covers core network/subsite backup and restore plus one local schedule. Plus adds BYO cloud upload (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible, SFTP) and cloud schedules. Pro adds remote import, empty-server installer, Staging, WP-CLI, and network split. Object storage or SFTP offsite pairs well with local schedules.
What a complete Multisite backup on AWS EC2 must include
Capture the network tables (wp_blogs, wp_site, wp_sitemeta, and related), each subsite’s tables, shared themes/plugins, and the sites/ upload tree. Skipping any of those on AWS EC2 creates “successful” archives that still fail a real restore drill. Exclude cache, tmp, and other regenerable noise so jobs finish faster on vps plans.
Disk I/O spikes during full network archives; schedule off-peak windows. Treat provider snapshots as an extra layer — not a Multisite-scoped import workflow. Keep a plugin archive you can move, import, and verify independently of the AWS EC2 control panel.
How Multisite Migrate runs jobs on this host class
Shared and managed hosts often kill long PHP workers. Multisite Migrate therefore uses Jobs in Chunks that resume instead of restarting from zero after a timeout. On AWS EC2, start from Network Admin for fleet backups, or from a single site when a subsite admin only needs their site. Watch the job log for the last completed chunk, disk/inode warnings, and cloud auth errors on Plus.
For schedules: Free keeps one local schedule; Plus can push finished archives to Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible storage, or SFTP. Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, and MinIO are S3-compatible endpoints — not separate proprietary vaults. OneDrive is not a native destination.
Restore drill checklist for AWS EC2
Before you trust a AWS EC2 backup routine, restore once on Staging (or a throwaway site): check siteurl/home, HTTPS, domain mapping (sunrise.php if used), media under sites/, logins, and any WooCommerce or membership data. Confirm rewrite rules and purge CDN/object-cache drop-ins if the front end still shows stale content.
If import fails on AWS EC2, raise upload_max_filesize and post_max_size only as far as needed, free disk, then retry with chunked resume.
Retention, encryption, and support hygiene
For wordpress multisite backup on aws ec2, keep enough archive generations to roll back a bad deploy or failed migration. Optional .venc AES-256 encryption on Multisite Migrate archives protects copies at rest when you store offsite on Plus destinations. Document credentials, schedule windows, and who may run Network Admin jobs.
Do not delete the last known-good archive until the new Staging restore drill passes and production looks correct for a full business day.
Why this matters
Network-aware archives
Capture the whole AWS EC2 Multisite install — not only one blog’s tables.
Survives PHP limits
Jobs in Chunks fit typical vps constraints on AWS EC2 and resume after interrupts.
Offsite when you need it
Plus uploads to Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible storage, or SFTP — your credentials, your bucket.
Restore paths that match ops
Same-server restore, import, or Pro empty-server / Staging flows after a verified archive.
Steps
-
1Install and open Network Admin
Network-activate Multisite Migrate on AWS EC2. Open the backup screen from Network Admin for fleet jobs, or from a subsite when you only need one site.
-
2Choose Multisite-correct scope
Select full network or include/exclude subsites. Exclude cache/tmp noise. Confirm you need shared users and sites/ media — not a single-site blind export.
-
3Run a chunked job
Start the job and let it resume if PHP time limits interrupt on AWS EC2. Do not stack overlapping schedules that collide on locks.
-
4Store offsite when Plus is available
Keep a local copy. On Plus, push to Google Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible storage, or SFTP and verify the remote object exists.
-
5Prove recovery on Staging
Import or restore once away from production. Check URLs, media, logins, and mapping before you call the AWS EC2 routine production-ready.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for this Multisite backup topic. Still stuck? Open the docs or contact support.
Are AWS EC2 snapshots enough for Multisite?
They help as an extra layer, but they are not a Multisite-scoped restore workflow. Keep plugin archives you can import and verify.
Can a subsite admin back up only their site?
Yes. Users with manage_options on a subsite can run site-level backup/restore in Free.
Which cloud destinations work?
Plus supports Google Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible endpoints, and SFTP — not a proprietary Multisite Migrate vault.
What usually breaks Multisite backups on vps hosts?
Interrupted PHP, disk pressure, and destination auth. Raise safe limits, free space, fix credentials, then resume the chunked job.