Your site lives in two places: files and a database

Your site lives in two places: files and a database

WordPress stores your work in two buckets. The files are the photos, theme, and plugins, like the furniture in a house. The database is a giant spreadsheet holding your posts, settings, and comments, like the address book.

Why it matters: a real backup needs both. Some tools only save files and skip the database, so you'd restore an empty house with no contents.

How to check your backup covers both:
— In your backup plugin, look for "Database" and "Files" listed separately.
— Make sure both have a checkmark before you run it.
— Save one copy somewhere off your host, like Google Drive.

In plain words: files are the furniture, the database is everything written down, and you need both saved.