Discover the Easiest Way to View Your WordPress Backup as a Live Website!

Imagine accessing a complete version of your WordPress site directly on your computer, without affecting your live website.

This simple change can significantly enhance your ability to test updates, try out modifications, or simply gain more control over your website.

One of the most effective methods to achieve this is by utilizing Duplicator to create a full backup and Local WP to run that backup as a functional site on your computer.

We have personally tested this process and found it to be one of the easiest and most efficient setups, even for those without technical expertise.

In this guide, we will provide you with a detailed, step-by-step approach to get everything up and running, allowing you to manage your site with greater confidence and fewer unexpected issues.

When to Access Your WordPress Backup as a Live Website

Regularly backing up your WordPress site is one of the most effective ways to protect your online presence. We practice this ourselves to ensure the security of our content and data on CanadaCreate and our partner sites.

If your site encounters an error, you can quickly restore it using a backup. However, before proceeding, it’s important to confirm that you are restoring the correct backup.

To achieve this, you need to access your WordPress backup as a live website. This allows you to verify that the backup includes the correct WordPress files and features before implementing it on your active site.

This beginner’s guide will help you with that. We will walk you through the process of backing up your website and utilizing a WordPress backup viewer. This approach enables you to thoroughly review your backup before making a decision to use it.

Here are some situations where viewing a backup file can be beneficial:

• After a major update:You’ve made substantial modifications to your site and want to confirm that your backup captured everything accurately.
• Before restoring your site:You’re preparing to restore your site from a backup and want to ensure it’s the correct version.
• Troubleshooting:You’re trying to identify when a problem first occurred on your site.
• Content recovery:You need to extract specific content from an older backup without restoring your entire site.

With that in mind, let’s go through the steps to easily view your WordPress backup as a website. You can use the quick links below to navigate this tutorial:

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Install and Set Up Duplicator

Begin by installing a WordPress backup plugin. We recommend Duplicator for its user-friendly interface, making it suitable for WordPress users of all experience levels.

Additionally, Duplicator provides both free and premium versions. The good news is that this tutorial is applicable to the free version, allowing you to follow along without any cost.

However, we suggest considering the premium version for enhanced features such as automatic backups, multisite support, and cloud storage options for your backup files. We discuss these features in detail in our review of Duplicator.

Now, install the WordPress plugin on your site and proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Back Up Your WordPress Site

Once the plugin is activated, navigate to Duplicator » Backups.

Click on the ‘Create New’ button at the top of the page to start the backup process.

First, enter a name for your website backup file. This is for your convenience, so feel free to choose any name you like.

Then, click the ‘Next’ button.

At this point, Duplicator will perform a scan of your website.

If Duplicator detects any issues with your website, you will receive a warning along with an explanation of the WordPress error. If everything is fine, you will see a green label indicating ‘Good.’

Now, you can scroll down the page.

Next, click the ‘Build’ button.

Duplicator will create a comprehensive backup of your WordPress site, including all files, your database, images, and plugins, packaged into a single downloadable file.

The backup process typically takes a few minutes, but the duration may vary based on the size of your WordPress site.

Additionally, if you are using the pro version of Duplicator, you have the option to back up only your database, media files, or create a custom backup. This is especially useful if you have limited storage space, allowing you to exclude media files from the backup.

Once the backup is finished, you will see options to download your files, which will include an ‘Installer’ file and an ‘Archive’ file. Both are necessary for a standard restoration on a web host.

To view your site in Local WP, simply download the ‘Archive’ file. Click the ‘Archive’ button to save the backup zip file to your computer.

Step 3: Download and Install Local WP

Next, install Local WP, a free tool that allows you to run WordPress locally on your computer. Many team members use it to create demo sites, test plugins and themes, and more.

Local WP will serve as our WordPress backup viewer. To get started, visit the website and click the ‘Download for Free’ button.

A popup window will appear where you can select your computer’s operating system. You can choose from Mac, Windows, or Linux.

You will need to complete a short form with your name and email address. Once finished, click ‘Get It Now!’

Your browser will begin downloading the Local WP software to your computer.

If the download does not start immediately, click the ‘click here’ link instead.

Once the file has been downloaded, launch the setup wizard. You will need to decide whether to install Local WP for all users or just for yourself.

After making your selection, click the ‘Next’ button.

Choose the folder where you want to install the software.

Click the ‘Browse’ button to select your desired folder, then click the ‘Install’ button.

Local WP will now be installed on your computer.

Once the installation is complete, check the ‘Run Local’ box and click the ‘Finish’ button.

Local WP will launch on your computer, allowing you to proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Upload Your Backup to Local WP

The final step is to upload your WordPress backup archive file to Local WP. This process is similar to restoring a WordPress backup, but since it’s done in a local environment, your live WordPress site remains unaffected.

To begin, click the ‘+’ button located in the bottom left corner.

At this stage, you can create a new site using the Local WP software.

To view your WordPress backup as a website, either drag the Duplicator archive file into the window or click on the ‘Select an existing ZIP’ link to upload the file.

Local WP will analyze your WordPress files to determine if they can be imported.

If the import is successful, you’ll need to provide a name for your local site. You can also click on the ‘Advanced options’ to modify the local site domain and path.

Once finished, click ‘Continue.’

The next step involves configuring your WordPress environment. If you prefer the default settings, simply select ‘Preferred.’

Alternatively, choose ‘Custom’ to select your desired PHP version, web server, and WordPress database. Once you’ve made your selections, click ‘Import site.’

Now, just wait for Local WP to configure your backup as a WordPress blog or website. This may take a few minutes.

And that’s all there is to it.

To access your local website, click the ‘WP Admin’ button. This action will open your computer’s default browser and direct you to the WordPress login page. You can also click ‘Open site’ to view the backup as a website.

When you’re finished viewing the WordPress backup as a website, you can close the browser tab.

Next, in Local WP, click the ‘Stop site’ button located at the top right corner.

If this is the correct backup version, you can now follow our guide on restoring a WordPress backup to make your changes live.

Discover More WordPress Backup Strategies

Looking for additional tips and tricks to effectively manage your backups? Check out the articles below:

• Back up your WordPress site to Dropbox – Optimize storage by using Dropbox as an external backup solution, freeing up space on your computer and hosting plan.
• Learn how to save a blog post to your computer – This is useful for keeping local copies of your content in case your website experiences downtime.
• Connect Google Drive to your WordPress media library – This simplifies the management of large media files.

We hope this article has helped you understand how to view a WordPress backup as a live website. You may also want to explore our list of the best Dropbox plugins for WordPress and our guide on restoring a WordPress site using just a database backup.

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