The Ultimate Guide to Backup Divi Site

Quick Search:

• Introduce
• Why You Need a Dedicated Strategy to Backup a Divi Site
• Method 1: Using Divi’s Built-in Portability Features (The "Design" Backup)
• Method 2: The Best Plugin-Free Solution – MultCloud "Website Backup"
• Method 3: Using Traditional WordPress Plugins
• Method 4: Hosting-Level Backups
• Method 5: Manual Divi Site Backup (FTP & phpMyAdmin)
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Introduce

Building a website with the Divi theme is an investment of time, creativity, and resources. As one of the most popular WordPress frameworks in the world, Divi offers unparalleled design flexibility. However, with great power comes the responsibility of maintenance. Whether it’s a failed plugin update, a server crash, or a security breach, losing your website data can be a nightmare.

That is why knowing how to backup a Divi site properly is the most important skill a Divi user can possess. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore every method available for a Divi site backup, ranging from internal Divi portability features to the latest innovative cloud-based solutions like MultCloud.

Why You Need a Dedicated Strategy to Backup a Divi Site

Many users assume that their hosting provider handles everything. While many hosts do offer backups, they are often stored on the same server as your website. If the server fails, your backup dies with it.

For Divi users specifically, a backup is crucial because:

• 👉Complex Layouts: Divi uses a proprietary page builder. If a database entry gets corrupted, your entire layout could break.
• 👉The "White Screen of Death": Occasionally, a Divi update can conflict with a plugin, locking you out of your WordPress dashboard entirely. In this case, a plugin-based backup is hard to reach.
• 👉The Divi Library: Much of your work is stored in the Divi Library and Theme Builder templates. A standard WordPress export might not capture these specific configurations.

Method 1: Using Divi’s Built-in Portability Features (The "Design" Backup)

One of the unique things about Divi is its "Portability" system. While this isn’t a "full site" backup (it doesn't save your WordPress core files or media library), it is the best way to save your design settings and layouts as individual files.

1. Backing Up Divi Theme Options

Your colors, fonts, and API keys are stored in the Theme Options.

1. Navigate to Divi > Theme Options.

2. In the top menu bar, click the Up/Down Arrow (Portability) icon.

3. Select the Export tab.

4. Give your file a name and click Export Divi Theme Options.

5. This downloads a .json file that contains all your global settings.

2. Backing Up the Divi Theme Builder

The Theme Builder controls your headers, footers, and post templates.

1. Navigate to Divi > Theme Builder.

2. Click the Portability icon (two arrows) in the top right.

3. Export your templates as a .json file. This ensures that even if your theme breaks, your custom layouts remain safe.

3. Backing Up the Divi Library

If you’ve saved individual sections or rows, they are in the Library.

1. Navigate to Divi > Divi Library.

2. Click Import & Export at the top.

3. Export all library items.

Method 2: The Best Plugin-Free Solution – MultCloud "Website Backup"

One of the biggest risks with traditional backups is that they rely on WordPress being "up" to work. If your site crashes, you can't access your backup plugin. This is where MultCloud has revolutionized the process with its new Website Backup feature.

MultCloud allows you to backup your Divi site directly from your server to a cloud storage provider (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive) without needing to install a plugin on your site. This is ideal for Divi site migration or as a fail-safe secondary backup.

How to Backup a Divi Site Using MultCloud:

1. Create a MultCloud Account: Sign up for MultCloud.

2. Add Your Website: Click "Add Cloud" and select Website. In the Add Website Files tab, enter your website’s host address, FTP username, and password. This gives MultCloud access to your Divi files.

3. Add Your Database: In the Add Database tab, enter your database credentials (found in your wp-config.php file).

4. Configure Website Backup: Go to the Website Backup tab. Select your website files (via FTP) and your database (via MySQL) as the source. Select your preferred cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive) as the destination.

5. Schedule and Run: You can set an automatic schedule (daily, weekly, or monthly). Click Backup Now.

Why use MultCloud for Divi? It keeps your site fast because it doesn't use server resources to run a plugin. Additionally, it makes Divi site migration incredibly easy; you can simply "restore" the backup to a new host’s FTP and MySQL directory through the MultCloud interface.

Method 3: Using Traditional WordPress Plugins

For a complete Divi site backup, you need more than just .json files; you need your database, media library, and plugins. Using a plugin is the most user-friendly way to accomplish this.

👉UpdraftPlus (Best Free Option)

UpdraftPlus is the most popular backup plugin for WordPress. It’s highly compatible with Divi.

1. Install & Activate: Find it in the WordPress Plugin repository.

2. Settings: Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups.

3. Schedule: Set it to "Weekly" or "Daily" depending on how often you update your site.

4. Link Remote Storage: This is vital. Do not store your backup on your site. Link it to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

5. Manual Backup: Before a big Divi update, click Backup Now to create an instant restore point.

👉BlogVault (Best for Large Sites)

If your Divi site has thousands of images or a large WooCommerce store, BlogVault is superior. It performs "incremental backups," meaning it only backs up what has changed, putting zero load on your server. It also includes a "one-click staging" feature, allowing you to test Divi updates before pushing them to your live site.

Method 4: Hosting-Level Backups

If you are using premium WordPress hosting (like SiteGround, Cloudways, or WP Engine), you already have access to robust Divi site backup tools.

• Daily Automations: Most managed hosts keep 30 days of backups automatically.
• On-Demand Backups: Before you click "Update" on the Divi theme, go to your hosting dashboard and create a manual restore point.
• Easy Restoration: If a Divi update crashes your site, you can go to your hosting panel and click "Restore" to bring the site back to exactly how it was 10 minutes ago.

Method 5: Manual Divi Site Backup (FTP & phpMyAdmin)

For the "tech-savvy" user, a manual backup offers the most control. To perform a manual backup of a Divi site, you must save two distinct components: the Files and the Database.

Step 1: Backup the Files (FTP)

1. Connect to your server using an FTP client (like FileZilla).

2. Download the entire public_html folder (or your root directory).

3. Pay special attention to wp-content/themes/Divi and wp-content/uploads.

Step 2: Backup the Database (phpMyAdmin)

1. Log into your hosting cPanel and open phpMyAdmin.

2. Select your site's database.

3. Click the Export tab.

4. Choose the Quick method and format as SQL.

5. Download the file.

A manual backup is the most time-consuming, but it ensures you have the raw data without being dependent on a specific plugin's format.

Conclusion

Securing your website doesn't have to be complicated. By combining Divi's internal portability tools with a robust automated system like MultCloud, you can ensure that your hard work is protected against any disaster.

The MultCloud "Website Backup" feature provides a unique layer of security that standard plugins can't match, especially during a Divi site migration or a total server collapse. Remember, the best time to backup a Divi site was yesterday. The second best time is right now. Start by exporting your Theme Builder templates today, then set up an automated system to handle the heavy lifting. With a solid Divi site backup strategy in place, you can design with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How often should I backup my Divi site?

If you add content daily, backup daily. If you only update your site once a month, a weekly backup is sufficient. Always perform a manual backup before updating the Divi theme or any core WordPress files.

2. Can I backup my Divi site without using a WordPress plugin?

Yes. Using MultCloud’s Website Backup feature, you can connect your site via FTP and MySQL and send your data directly to the cloud. This is safer if your site is prone to "White Screen" errors, as it doesn't require access to the WordPress admin panel.

3. Does a Divi backup include my images and media library?

A full site backup (using MultCloud, UpdraftPlus, or FTP) includes images. However, a Divi Portability export (.json file) does not include the actual image files; it only includes links to where the images were hosted. If you delete the images from your Media Library, the .json import will show broken images.

4. What is the easiest way to handle a Divi site migration?

The MultCloud Website Backup and Restore feature is the most efficient method for migration. You can backup your site from the old host to a cloud drive and then restore it directly to the FTP/MySQL of your new hosting provider, saving you the hassle of downloading and re-uploading massive files.

5. Why did my Divi layout break after restoring a backup?

This usually happens because of "Static CSS File Generation." If your layout looks messy after a restore, go to Divi > Theme Options > Builder > Advanced and click Clear next to Static CSS File Generation. This forces Divi to regenerate the styles.

6. Where is the safest place to store my Divi site backup?

Never store your backup on the same server as your website. If the server is hacked or crashes, you lose both. Always store your backups in an off-site cloud location like Google Drive, Amazon S3, or Dropbox.