A Quick And Easy WordPress Backup Solution
Carl Ringwall here. Do you need help backing up, restoring or cloning WordPress blogs? Are you setting up lots of blogs -- and wish for a way to set up a ‘base’ install, with all your favorite plugins, themes, etc -- and then cloning that setup to multiple domains?
Have you wanted to move to a different web host, but felt that migrating a blog would be too much of a hassle?
Introducing BlogZapper
BlogZapper is a simple to use utility that allows you to copy, clone, backup and restore a WordPress blog quickly and easily. You can see how it works here:
Step 1: Upload zap.php AND the folder ‘zapinc’ to the root of your WordPress blog that you with to back up:
Step 2: Run the zap.php:
Step 3: Select Your Compression Method & click Create Backup
Step 4: Download the blog backup file
Step 5: Upload the backup file, zap.php AND the folder ‘zapinc’ to new host where you want your blog
Step 6: Run zap.php in new host account:
Step 6: Enter Your Database Details:
Now view your cloned blog:
Want more detail on how this works? This video shows you the whole process in detail:
BlogZapper is great for anyone who needs a quick, affordable utility to backup, restore and clone WordPress.
Requirement: PHP 5 web host, with ZipArchive enabled. Here is free test file you can download, install to your web host and see if your host is compatible with BlogZapper.
Like all my offers, you have a 30 day, no quibble guarantee.
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, Does this product backup all added database table entries that plugins like cformII or prettylink create? Thanks.
Hi Carl,
BlogZapper is a great piece of software! I just used it today for the first time to back up one of my blogs, and it was quick and easy. It’s so reassuring to know that I won’t ever have to re-create another blog from scratch – like I had to do last week.
It was a real shock to me when everything on one of my blogs disappeared except for the initial WP installation. Ugh! Luckily I was able to go to the Google cache of my site to get a copy of all my home page and posts content, and to get the urls for all my links and images. And luckily my blog was fairly new with not a lot of pages, posts, images and links yet. Even so, it still took me several hours to re-create everything. I was afraid I would even lose my first page Google ranking for my main keyword, but luckily I didn’t.
After that fiasco, I was on the lookout for a blog backup program – and amazingly your email magically appeared in my inbox soon afterward! Now, as long as I make frequent backups of my blog using BlogZapper, I’ll never have another “blog nightmare” again. That certainly gives me a “peaceful, easy feeling” about my blogs. It’s also great to know that I can get one blog set up a certain way, and then clone it over and over. BlogZapper makes blog backups and cloning very quick and easy to do. So thanks! Karen
Thanks for this!
My honest Review:
The Good: Bought this, works great and very easy setup and work with. The instructions are very to follow and you can backup and clone your sites in a matter of minutes. It really is the best option out there for you to clone your wordpress sites.
Now the bad: However, it still has some bugs in it, such as producing weird (text) characters upon clone and also adds an extra “www” to your image links which leaves an empty image box on your sites ( your left to do the changes yourself, which if you have a ton of pictures can really be a pain to manually change them yourself).
All in all a fantastic software. If you need a software to backup or clone your wp websites this is it.
Give it a 4 out of 5 stars, would have given it a 5 star if it weren’t for the above issues.
Looking forward to the fixes.
Hey, I have a site that has wishlist member installed. Will this clone that site as well?
As long as all the content is in the wp-* folders, you should be fine.
I am a happy customer of BlogZap and I can say that it really can help to save time. A lot !
!
and in concrete if you install many wp blogs.
Use it one time and you will be “addict”
Thanks Carl.
[Many Thanks!!!! - Carl]
Hi. Recently i want to try sell my wordpress site on flippa and like to know whether your product can do a complete transfer the site with database also to buyer or not?
Also my wordpress site have a lot posting on it and the file is big and like to whether your product can use to transfer a big file or not?
Thanks
[Hi - you can't give BZ to the person who buys your blog - they have to buy a copy of BZ - Carl]
This is utility is awesome and bulletproof. I’ve tried other Wordpress cloners, but yours is the easiest to use and also pretty darn quick! Best investment I’ve made this year!
This looks like an interesting piece of siftware I am going to give it a try and see how it goes, Thanks, Andi
Wish I would have discovered this months ago (would have saved a ton of time) but I’m going to try the trial and see how it goes
I’ve started using Blog Zapper, and I’m addicted!! I’ll probably never start a blog from scratch again. I can apply all my plug ins and tweaks, and then clone it into a duplicate blog on a new domain name in a few minutes – then just change out the content. It does have a small learning curve, but there is a great video you youtube showing exactly how to use it. Watch that, and you’ll be fine. Highly recommended!
Thanks a bunch! Here is that youtube vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh8lDJ5WkMY
Here’s a thumbs up from me!
There was a bit of a learning curve, and I do think the setup instructions could be a little more explicit. Having said that, I got great support through the help desk and am sure this will pay for itself many times over now I’m familiar with the process and know what to look out for next time. It’s really a minimal investment, compared to the amount of time it’ll save.
Someone just recommended Blog Zapper to me. I need something to duplicate wordpress sites without doing all the repetitive stuff over and over. I will be ordering it. Thanks
Have you fixed the image problem that someone mentioned yet?
I would like a tool like this but not if I have to go manually renaming every image in my blog. or removing characters. I would be better off doing the move manually.
Mark
Images carry over fine, as long as they reside in the normal wp-content file scheme.
Carl, did the earlier version of BLOG ZAPPER not come with the folder ‘zapinc’ ?
Correct. The new version has a support file folder.
how do you get the
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is this a plugin?
How can I have it?
LL
It’s called SEO search terms 2 – it’s a free plugin.
I ran your test file on my site and it came back as not compatible. My site is hosted by SimplyHosting.net I sent them this question:
“I need to run a script which requires ZipArchive be enabled. Is that something I can do thru the cPanel? And how? It will run with either zip or tar compression.”
Their response:
“I am seeing that zlib is active on your server, please let us know if you have any further questions.”
Should BlogZapper run on SimplyHosting sites with zlib on?
You need the php zip extension or the ability to exec tar from php. Zlib is not supported.
This the best back up tool i ever found
Carl,
I deciding between yours and a few others. It would be nice if your php file
could just ask a question in the process to delete the files for security reasons and
then do the deletion itself. Also, an automatic backup with version dates would be nice.
I ran your test file on my site and it came back as not compatible. My site is hosted by SimplyHosting.net I sent them this question:
“I need to run a script which requires ZipArchive be enabled. Is that something I can do thru the cPanel? And how? It will run with either zip or tar compression.”
Their response:
“I am seeing that zlib is active on your server, please let us know if you have any further questions.”
Should BlogZapper run on SimplyHosting sites with zlib on?
Zlib is not supported with BZ – your server must support either zip or tar compression via php.
OK, not as bad as I thought. I got it working, was a lot of fun. It would help to have more explanation at the end of your video. Still playing with it, but I think I have it figured out.
Thanks,
I would like to redesign my blog, and would like to clone my existing (Dreamhost-hosted) blog to a local Bitstack WAMP Wordpress installation to allow offline design changes.
Is BZ compatible with Dreamhost, and can I clone to a local installation as described?
Cheers
Steve Baldock.
Steve, BZ does not work with Wamp, Lamp, and other types of local setups. BZ needs a real, live domain to work.