P4J - Site Backup is a backup component for Joomla!® 5 and Joomla!® 6 that lets Super Users create downloadable copies of their website directly from the Joomla!® administrator panel.

Choose between a complete website backup, files only, or database only. The backup is generated as a ZIP archive and downloaded directly to your computer, without creating a permanent backup file on the hosting server.

With configurable exclusions, compression options and built-in environment checks, Site Backup provides a straightforward way to safeguard your website before updates, maintenance or significant changes.

Three backup types for different needs

1. Full Backup — Files and Database

Create a complete backup containing your website files together with a SQL export of the database.

Website files and directories.
Joomla configuration and extension files.
Website media and other included resources.
Database tables exported to a database.sql file.
Optional backup notes and diagnostic information.

A Full Backup is particularly useful before major Joomla!® upgrades, extension installations, template changes or website migrations.

1. Content Backup — Files Only

Create a ZIP archive containing the files and folders of your Joomla installation, without including the database.

Save copies of website files before modifying them.
Preserve templates, extensions and uploaded resources.
Exclude unnecessary directories and files.
Download the archive directly to your computer.

This option is useful when you need a filesystem backup without exporting database content.

1. Database Backup — SQL Only

Export your Joomla!® database into a downloadable ZIP archive containing database.sql.

Save database tables and their data.
Create a copy before database maintenance or major changes.
Choose whether to include only Joomla-prefixed tables or all tables in the database.
Use the SQL file with a compatible database management tool when restoration is required.

Database backups require MySQL or MariaDB.

No backup archives stored on your server

Unlike systems that create and retain ZIP archives on the hosting server, P4J - Site Backup generates the archive while downloading it.

No accumulated backups: old ZIP archives do not consume permanent hosting storage.
Direct download: the archive is transferred to your computer through your browser.
No server-side backup repository: there are no completed backup archives left on the website.
You control storage: keep your downloaded files on your computer or another trusted storage location.

Because Site Backup does not retain copies on the server, you are responsible for keeping the downloaded archives safely stored.

Configurable backup options

Adjust which files and database tables are included and choose the compression level that suits your needs.

Exclude folders and files

Exclude folders that do not need to be included in the backup.
Use wildcard patterns to exclude matching files or folders.
Avoid including unnecessary caches, logs or archives.
Prevent existing backups from being included inside new archives.

Joomla's configured temporary and log directories are automatically excluded.

Choose which database tables to include

Site-prefixed tables: include only tables belonging to the Joomla installation.
All tables: include every table in the connected database, including tables used by other applications.

The site-prefix option is recommended for most Joomla installations.

Adjust compression

Choose between Fast, Normal and Maximum compression.

Higher compression can reduce the size of text-based content but may require more processing time. Already-compressed files such as images, videos and archives are stored without additional compression.

Environment checks before starting

The main dashboard provides information about the hosting environment and the availability of backup functions.

Checks include:

PHP version.
ZIP compression availability.
Database compatibility.
Number and approximate size of included database tables.
PHP execution time limits.
Readability of the website directory.

Clear status indicators help you identify potential limitations before downloading a backup.

Optional notes and backup reports

Add a short description to each backup, such as "Before Joomla update" or "Before replacing the template".

When provided, the note is stored in a readme.txt file inside the downloaded ZIP archive.

Backup files receive a timestamp-based filename to help distinguish copies created at different times.

If files or folders cannot be included, Site Backup can generate a sitebackup-warnings.txt file listing the affected items, allowing you to review the result.

Restricted to Joomla Super Users

Backup archives may contain sensitive website information, including configuration files, database credentials and user account data.

For this reason, P4J - Site Backup is accessible exclusively to Joomla Super Users. Other backend users cannot open the component.

Restoring a website from a backup

Downloaded archives contain the files and/or database export needed for a manual website restoration.

Depending on the selected backup type, restoration generally involves:

Extracting the ZIP archive on your computer.
Uploading the website files to the appropriate server directory.
Importing database.sql into MySQL or MariaDB using a database management tool.
Updating configuration.php if the database or hosting environment has changed.

Important: P4J - Site Backup creates downloadable backup archives but does not provide an automatic one-click website restoration feature.

Restoring a backup replaces existing files or data. Always verify the archive and preserve a copy of the current website before performing a restoration.

Installation and updates

Install P4J - Site Backup using Joomla's standard extension installation procedure:

Log in to the Joomla administration panel as a Super User.
Open System → Install → Extensions.
Upload the P4J - Site Backup ZIP installation package.
Go to Components → P4J - Site Backup.
Select Full, Content or Database and start your first backup.

New versions can be installed over an existing installation without uninstalling the previous version. Configuration settings are preserved during updates.

Joomla displays notifications when updates become available. Updated packages can be downloaded manually from the Plus4J download area, according to your download entitlement.

Documentation and support

P4J - Site Backup includes an English-language user manual covering installation, backup types, configuration options, downloading, manual restoration procedures and troubleshooting.