Backup guide
WordPress Multisite Backup on Hetzner
Back up Multisite networks on Hetzner with chunked, resumable jobs — beyond host snapshots alone.
Free
How to back up Multisite on Hetzner
On Hetzner (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 Hetzner 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 Hetzner 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 Hetzner 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 Hetzner, 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 Hetzner
Before you trust a Hetzner 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 Hetzner, 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 hetzner, 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.
Separate schedule failures from restore failures in your runbook so on-call staff do not rebuild a finished archive unnecessarily.
Why this matters
Network-aware archives
Capture the whole Hetzner Multisite install — not only one blog’s tables.
Survives PHP limits
Jobs in Chunks fit typical vps constraints on Hetzner 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
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1Install and open Network Admin
Network-activate Multisite Migrate on Hetzner. Open the backup screen from Network Admin for fleet jobs, or from a subsite when you only need one site.
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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.
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3Run a chunked job
Start the job and let it resume if PHP time limits interrupt on Hetzner. Do not stack overlapping schedules that collide on locks.
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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.
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5Prove recovery on Staging
Import or restore once away from production. Check URLs, media, logins, and mapping before you call the Hetzner routine production-ready.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for this Multisite backup topic. Still stuck? Open the docs or contact support.
Are Hetzner snapshots enough for Multisite?
Snapshots are safety netting — portable Multisite plugin archives still matter for import and Staging drills.
Can a subsite admin back up only their site?
Yes. Subsite admins with manage_options can back up and restore their own site without Network Admin.
Which cloud destinations work?
Use Drive, Dropbox, S3-compatible, or SFTP on Plus. Wasabi/B2/R2/Spaces/MinIO go through S3-compatible endpoints.
What usually breaks Multisite backups on vps hosts?
PHP timeouts, low memory, full tmp/disk, blocked admin-ajax, and cloud auth/quota failures. Jobs in Chunks plus a clear job log fix most of these.