Hosting Compatibility

System Requirements

Required PHP Extensions

SafeGuard relies on the following PHP extensions. Most hosts have these enabled by default:

• zip — creating and extracting backup archives
• curl — communicating with remote storage providers
• json — REST API and configuration handling
• mbstring — multibyte string handling for database exports

You can verify these are installed by navigating to SafeGuard → Settings → System Info after activation, or by running:

wp safeguard status

Hosting Compatibility Table

The table below summarizes compatibility across the most popular WordPress hosting providers. SafeGuard works on the vast majority of hosts out of the box.

Managed WordPress Hosts

Managed WordPress hosts offer great performance but sometimes restrict server-level features that backup plugins depend on. SafeGuard is designed to work around these restrictions with minimal configuration.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting environments impose the tightest resource limits. SafeGuard is built to handle these constraints, but you may need to adjust settings for the best experience.

Common Limitations

Recommended Settings for Shared Hosting

1. Enable incremental backups — only changed files are processed, reducing memory and CPU usage
2. Use remote storage — send backups to S3, Dropbox, or Google Drive instead of consuming local disk
3. Enable "Delete local after upload" — under SafeGuard → Settings → Retention, toggle this on to free local disk after each backup uploads
4. Schedule during off-peak hours — set backup schedules to 02:00–04:00 server time to avoid competing with site traffic

VPS and Dedicated Servers

If you manage your own server (DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Hetzner, or any VPS/dedicated provider), SafeGuard runs with full compatibility and no restrictions.

Recommended Server Settings

For optimal backup performance, configure these PHP values in your php.ini or pool configuration:

memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 300
upload_max_filesize = 512M
post_max_size = 512M

Recommended SafeGuard Settings

• Server-side processing — leave enabled (default) for the fastest backup performance via loopback requests
• Lock database tables — enable under SafeGuard → Settings → Advanced if you need perfectly consistent database snapshots on high-traffic sites
• Compression level — use "high" for smaller backup archives when CPU resources are abundant

Cloudflare Considerations

Many WordPress sites use Cloudflare as a CDN and security layer. SafeGuard is fully compatible with Cloudflare, but there are a few things to be aware of.

Backups

Cloudflare does not interfere with SafeGuard's backup process. Backups run server-side and communicate directly with storage providers (S3, Dropbox, etc.) without passing through Cloudflare.

Migrations

When migrating to a site behind Cloudflare, the destination may not be reachable via direct connection because Cloudflare's reverse proxy can block non-standard POST requests. SafeGuard's Cloud Relay detects this automatically and routes migration data through the relay server. No manual configuration is required.

Firewall Rules

If you use Cloudflare's WAF (Web Application Firewall) or custom firewall rules, ensure the following:

• License activation — your server must be able to reach api.safeguard.verdelic.com over HTTPS. If Cloudflare is on the server side, whitelist this domain.
• REST API endpoints — SafeGuard's REST API lives under /wp-json/safeguard/v1/. If you have aggressive WAF rules that block JSON payloads, add an exception for this path.
• Migration endpoints — if migrating between two Cloudflare-protected sites, the Cloud Relay handles everything automatically. No firewall exceptions needed.

Cloudflare Caching

SafeGuard's REST API responses include appropriate no-cache headers. Cloudflare will not cache these by default. If you have a custom page rule that caches everything (Cache Everything), exclude /wp-json/safeguard/* from that rule.

Settings for Compatibility

SafeGuard includes several settings designed to work around hosting restrictions. All of these are found under SafeGuard → Settings → Advanced.

Server-Side Processing

Default: Enabled

When enabled, SafeGuard uses loopback HTTP requests to process backups in the background. This is the fastest method but requires that the server can make HTTP requests to itself.

Disable this if: Your host blocks loopback requests (WP Engine, some security plugins, or servers behind certain reverse proxies). When disabled, SafeGuard falls back to Action Scheduler for background processing.

Lock Database Tables

Default: Disabled

When enabled, SafeGuard locks database tables during export to ensure a perfectly consistent snapshot. This prevents writes during the backup window.

Enable this if: You run a high-traffic WooCommerce store or membership site where database consistency during backup is critical. On most sites, this is unnecessary.

Exclusion Patterns

SafeGuard lets you exclude files and directories from backups using glob patterns. This is useful for reducing backup size and avoiding unnecessary files.

Common exclusion patterns:

/wp-content/cache/*
/wp-content/wflogs/*
/wp-content/updraft/*
/wp-content/ai1wm-backups/*
*.log

Add exclusion patterns under SafeGuard → Settings → Advanced → Exclusions.

Encryption

Default: Disabled

When enabled, SafeGuard encrypts backup archives before storing them. This adds a small performance overhead but ensures your backup data is protected at rest.

Enable this if: You store backups on shared storage, comply with data protection regulations, or want an extra layer of security for sensitive site data.

Performance Tips