Support — maca BackUp

Here you get help with maca BackUp — backup and restore for WordPress. The fastest way to get a response is via the support form in the plugin (maca BackUp → Support). You do not need to log in to maca.se.

Contact

Email: support@maca.se
Please include the website URL, plugin version (maca BackUp → Support or under Add-ons), WordPress/PHP version, and a brief description. Error text from the Logs tab or the progress panel helps. Screenshots are welcome.

Response time: weekdays, usually within 1–2 business days.

Before you write to us

  1. Make sure maca BackUp is updated to the latest version.
  2. Accept the terms and privacy policy under maca BackUp → Support (backup/restore are paused until both are approved).
  3. Check Logs and the progress panel for error messages.
  4. Describe what you tried: full / database / files / incremental / differential, restore, Smart Restore, or storage service.
  5. Do not paste secret keys, passwords, or API tokens into support tickets if it can be avoided.

Requirements & installation

What requirements apply?

WordPress 6.0 or newer and PHP 8.2 or newer. File backup and import require the PHP extension ZipArchive. FTP requires the FTP extension; SFTP requires ssh2.

Do I need a license key?

No. maca BackUp is GPL licensed and has no paid license activation. Install the plugin, activate it, and approve the terms under Support.

Where do I find the plugin in admin?

Top menu maca BackUp. Tabs: Dashboard, Backups, Restore, Smart Restore, Schedule, Storage, Logs, Settings, Support.

Backup

What backup types are available?

On the Dashboard: Create full backup, Incremental, Differential, Database only and Files only. The job runs in the background — you can leave the page.

Incremental / differential does not work

They first require a completed full backup. Create a full backup and try again.

The backup stops, times out, or “hangs”

  • Reduce the load under Settings: Files per chunk, Tables per chunk and possibly ZIP split size.
  • Exclude heavy folders under Exclude paths (one path per line, relative to the site root).
  • Check that PHP has enough memory and that WP-Cron is working (especially for scheduled jobs).
  • Jobs without progress for about 2 hours are marked as failed — see Logs.

Pre-update backup

Under Settings → Pre-update backups you can create a backup before WordPress, plugin, or theme updates. At most one pre-update backup per hour, so bulk updates do not start a new job for every package.

Restore

How do I restore?

The Restore tab: choose a backup (or import .zip / .enc), select scope (entire website, database, wp-content, uploads, plugins, themes, or a custom path), and run Restore now. Use Test restore / Preview changes first to verify the archive without changing the live site.

What is Smart Restore?

Under Smart Restore you compare the live site with a backup and restore only new, changed, or selected files (Compare → choose → Restore selected).

Import fails

The file must be a valid maca backup (.zip or encrypted .enc) with manifest.json. The size may not exceed the site’s maximum upload size (wp_max_upload_size). For large files: upload via FTP/SFTP to the server and import from there if your environment allows it, or contact the hosting provider about the upload limit.

Storage

Which destinations are supported?

Local storage, FTP, SFTP, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon S3 / Backblaze B2 / S3-compatible. Configure under Storage and choose the active provider.

“(not configured)” or upload fails

  • Make sure the correct provider is selected and that the settings are saved.
  • FTP/SFTP: host, port, user, password/key, and path. SFTP requires ssh2 on the server.
  • Cloud: renew the OAuth token (Google Drive / OneDrive) or check the API keys (Dropbox / S3).
  • Never send secret keys in plain text to support if it can be avoided — instead describe the error and error code.

Schedule, encryption & notifications

Scheduled backups do not run

Schedules depend on WP-Cron. Check that the site receives traffic (or that system cron calls wp-cron.php), that the schedule is enabled under Schedule, and that times are shown in the site’s timezone. Custom cron is expressed in UTC.

Encrypted backups cannot be opened

Enable Encrypt backup archives (AES-256-GCM) and set the same Backup passphrase under Settings as when the backup was created. Without the correct passphrase, encrypted archives cannot be restored.

Email notifications

Under Settings you can enable email on successful/failed backup and restore. If emails do not arrive, it is usually due to the site’s email delivery — try an SMTP plugin or the hosting provider’s mail service.

maca Hub

Optional heartbeat to maca Hub for monitoring multiple websites. Enabled under Settings → maca Hub. It sends status data (for example website URL and version), not the contents of your backups. Backups are always stored with you (local disk or your cloud storage) — maca does not host the archives. maca Hub is under development/testing. If you want to test maca Hub, contact us!

Terms & privacy

Approve the documents in the plugin under Support → Accept terms & privacy before running backup or restore.