What Is Softaculous and Why Backup Matters
Softaculous is a powerful auto-installer and application management tool that supports more than 380+ web applications including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, and many more. AsiaGB includes Softaculous Full Edition for free with every Hosting plan on DirectAdmin — no extra charges.
Backup is critical for protecting your website from unexpected disasters such as hacking, accidental deletion, plugin conflicts, or server failures. Softaculous makes it easy to back up both files and databases in just a few clicks.
Key Fact: AsiaGB provides Softaculous Full Edition free with every Hosting plan on the DirectAdmin Control Panel.
Access Softaculous via DirectAdmin Panel
To use Softaculous Backup, first access it through your DirectAdmin Control Panel provided by AsiaGB:
- Go to billing.asiagb.com (or your server's billing endpoint)
- Log in with your DirectAdmin username and password
- Find "Software / Script Installation" or "Softaculous" in the main menu
- Click it and you will see all installed applications
If you do not have DirectAdmin access, contact AsiaGB Support to request access and receive your initial credentials.
Set Up Daily Auto Backup
Setting up a daily auto backup is the safest approach. If an incident occurs, you can restore to a version from just a day or two ago — not months.
- Go to the application you want to back up (e.g., WordPress)
- Go to the "Backups" tab in the Softaculous Manage section
- Select "Schedule Backup" or "Automatic Backup"
- Set frequency to "Daily"
- Choose a time (e.g., 2:00 AM when traffic is low)
- Click "Schedule" to save
Tip: Schedule backups during low-traffic hours such as 2–4 AM to minimize performance impact on your website.
Weekly and Monthly Backup Schedules
Sometimes you may prefer less frequent backups while retaining more copies. Weekly or Monthly Backup schedules offer this flexibility:
- Go to the Backup Settings page as before
- Set frequency to "Weekly" or "Monthly"
- Choose the day and time (e.g., every Sunday at 3:00 AM)
- Set the number of backup copies to retain (recommended: 4–12 copies)
- Click "Schedule" to confirm
A popular strategy is to combine Daily + Weekly Backups for maximum safety and flexibility.
Caution: Monitor your Disk Space quota. Multiple backup copies can consume significant storage. Consider sending backups to Cloud Storage to conserve server space.
Send Backups to Google Drive
Google Drive is an excellent option for off-site backup storage because:
- Free 15 GB for Google accounts
- Accessible from anywhere on any device
- Easy to share with your team
- Encrypted and secured by Google
- Go to the "Backups" tab in Softaculous Management
- Click "Backup Destination" or "Backup Storage"
- Select "Google Drive" from the list
- Click "Authorize" to connect your Google account
- Enter your Google credentials as prompted
- Allow Softaculous to access your Google Drive
- Choose a destination folder (e.g., "Website Backups")
- Save the settings
From now on, all your backups will automatically upload to Google Drive according to your schedule.
Send Backups to Dropbox
Dropbox is another popular option for backup storage:
- Go to Backup Destination in Softaculous
- Select "Dropbox" from the list
- Click "Connect" or "Authorize"
- Enter your Dropbox credentials
- Allow Softaculous to access your Dropbox
- Set the upload folder path (e.g., /Backups/website-name/)
- Save
Dropbox offers 2 GB free storage. You can upgrade to Dropbox Plus if you need more space.
Send Backups to FTP Server
If you have an additional FTP server for offsite backup storage, you can use it as a destination too:
- Go to "Backup Destination" in Softaculous
- Select "FTP" from the list
- Enter FTP Server details:
- FTP Hostname: (e.g., ftp.example.com)
- FTP Username: your username
- FTP Password: your password
- FTP Port: 21 by default
- Directory: destination folder path
- Click "Test Connection" to verify connectivity
- Save
FTP Tip: Use SFTP (SSH FTP) instead of plain FTP if your server supports it, as it encrypts data in transit for better security.
How to Restore Your Website from a Backup
When you need to restore your website from a backup, the process is straightforward:
- Access Softaculous Management Panel
- Go to the application you want to restore (e.g., WordPress)
- Navigate to the "Backups" tab
- You will see a list of all backups with creation dates
- Select the backup you want to restore
- Click the "Restore" button
- The system will ask for confirmation since restoring overwrites current data
- Click "Yes, I understand" or "Confirm"
- Once complete, you will see a "Restore Complete" message
Warning: Restoring a backup will delete all current data and replace it with the backup data. Select the correct backup and proceed carefully.
Maintain Your Backups Consistently
- Check Daily: Verify that backups run consistently by checking the date of the latest backup
- Test Restore: Periodically test restoring on a staging environment to ensure backups actually work
- Manage Storage: Delete old unnecessary backups to free up space; keep only what you need
- Update Cloud Credentials: If you change your Google Drive or Dropbox password, update Softaculous too
- Monitor Capacity: Add more Backup Storage if Disk Space is running low
Summary: Setting up backups in AsiaGB Softaculous is an investment in protecting your website. Use Auto Backup Daily/Weekly combined with Cloud Storage like Google Drive or Dropbox for the best level of protection.
Choosing the Right Backup Strategy
| Strategy | Frequency | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Every day | High-traffic websites | Most recent data | Uses more storage |
| Weekly | Every week | Medium-traffic sites | Balance of safety and storage | Data can be older |
| Monthly | Every month | Rarely updated sites | Most storage efficient | Higher risk of data loss |
| Combo (Daily+Weekly) | Daily + weekly | All important websites | Maximum protection, flexible | Requires more management |
Get Free Softaculous on AsiaGB Hosting
Softaculous Full Edition is included free with every AsiaGB Hosting plan. Set up Auto Backup daily/weekly, send to Google Drive/Dropbox/FTP automatically. Never worry about losing your website data again.
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