This article explains how backups can affect your website's performance and what you can do about it.
How Backups Affect Website Speed
When Web60 creates a backup of your website, the system needs to copy all your files and database information. This process uses server resources that would normally be available for serving your website to visitors.
During backup creation, your website might:
- Load slightly slower for visitors
- Take longer to process contact form submissions
- Show brief delays when someone logs into WordPress admin
Most visitors won't notice these small delays, but they can be more noticeable on websites with lots of images or large databases.
When Backups Run
Web60 creates automatic backups during low-traffic hours, typically between 2 AM and 5 AM Irish time. This timing minimises the impact on your visitors.
If you create manual backups during busy periods, you might notice a temporary slowdown while the backup completes.
Reducing Backup Performance Impact
Clean Up Unnecessary Files
Large files make backups slower and use more resources. Remove:
- Old images you no longer use
- Unused WordPress themes
- Deactivated plugins
- Spam comments and old drafts
Optimise Your Database
WordPress databases can become cluttered over time. Regular cleanup helps backups run faster and use fewer server resources.
Schedule Manual Backups Carefully
If you need to create a manual backup, do it during quiet periods when fewer people visit your website. Avoid busy times like Monday mornings or during special promotions.
Use Staging Sites for Testing
Before making major changes to your live website, test them elsewhere first. This reduces the need for frequent manual backups as a safety measure.
What Web60 Does to Minimise Impact
Web60 uses several techniques to reduce backup performance impact:
- Incremental backups: Only new or changed files are backed up each time
- Resource limiting: Backups pause if your website becomes busy
- Optimised timing: Automatic backups run when traffic is lowest
- Efficient compression: Files are compressed quickly to reduce backup time
Signs Your Backups Are Causing Issues
Contact support if you notice:
- Your website regularly becomes very slow at the same time each day
- Backup processes that never seem to complete
- Error messages about timeouts during backup creation
- Visitors reporting consistent slow loading times
These issues are rare but can indicate that your website needs optimisation or that backup settings need adjustment.
If you're still stuck or notice persistent performance issues during backups, contact Web60 support for help optimising your backup schedule or website performance.
FAQ
Q: Will backups make my website crash?
A: No. Web60's backup system is designed to pause if your website becomes too busy, preventing crashes or serious slowdowns.
Q: Can I turn off automatic backups to improve performance?
A: You can adjust backup schedules, but we strongly recommend keeping automatic backups enabled for website security.
Q: Why is my website slower at 3 AM when no one visits it?
A: This is likely when automatic backups run. The slowdown only affects the website itself - since no one is visiting, it doesn't impact user experience.
Q: How long do backups usually take?
A: Most website backups complete within 5-15 minutes. Larger websites with many images or files may take up to 30 minutes.
Q: Will backups use up my bandwidth allowance?
A: No. Backup creation happens on Web60's servers and doesn't count towards your website's bandwidth usage.
Q: Can I speed up my backups?
A: Yes. Remove unnecessary files, clean up your database, and ensure you're only backing up files you actually need.
Last updated: 1 March 2026