Test that your backup can actually be restored
15 minutes, on a staging copy, with the plugin you already have. Most people who run this test find at least one surprise.
Set up a staging copy
Use your host's staging feature if it has one (one click on most hosts). Otherwise: create a subdomain (test.yourdomain.com) with a blank WordPress install, or run locally with Local or DevKinsta. The point is a place where a failed restore costs you nothing.
Take a fresh backup with the plugin you have
Full backup: files and database. Note where the archive lands, and download it locally — if you can't get hold of the archive file itself without going through the plugin's own interface, that's your first finding.
Restore on staging — not production
Run the restore against the staging copy. Time it. Watch for whether the process stalls, asks for settings nobody documented, or skips parts without saying so.
Verify the result — not just the homepage
Checklist: Can you log in to wp-admin? Are the newest posts/pages there? Is the media library complete? Do permalinks and forms work? For stores: Are the latest orders and customers there? Open the database and count the tables against production — missing tables are the most common silent failure.
Document it while you remember
Write down: where the archives live, what the restore required, how long it took, and what surprised you. That document is the difference between ten minutes of downtime and a whole night — on the day it matters.
Did everything go through without friction? Then you're better off than most — set a calendar reminder and run the test again in six months.
Found something off — an archive you couldn't get hold of, a missing table, a restore that required guesswork? That's exactly the gap BackupRidge is built to close: free, with one-click restore you can test in minutes. It runs alongside the plugin you have, so you can compare before you switch.