If you host your WordPress sites with Pagely, nightly backups are already handled automatically via your Atomic dashboard. But did you know you can configure these backups to automatically save to your own Amazon S3 bucket? This setup is ideal for businesses that require longer retention or want to maintain backups within their own infrastructure.freelance WordPress developer London
There are a couple of primary reasons to route your backups to your own S3 storage:
- Extended Retention: Pagely retains backups for 14 days, but your organization might need longer-term storage.
- On-Site Compliance: Some companies require that backups reside under their own firewall or within a specified storage system.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basic steps to connect your Pagely backups to an AWS S3 bucket. Advanced strategies, such as archiving older backups to Glacier or creating custom retention policies, can be implemented once this foundation is in place.
1. Set Up Your AWS S3 Bucket
First, create an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account if you don’t already have one. Then, follow Amazon’s guide to create a new S3 bucket. Make note of the bucket name, region, access key, and secret key — you’ll need these in later steps.
Next, configure your S3 bucket policy with the following JSON, replacing the bucket name with your own:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "AllowPagelyBackup",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:PutObject"
],
"Resource": [
"arn:aws:s3:::your-s3-backup-bucket/*"
]
}
]
}
This policy grants Pagely permission to push backup files into your S3 bucket securely.
2. Submit Your Details to Pagely Support
Once your bucket is ready, submit a support ticket to Pagely including:
- S3 Access Key
- S3 Secret Key
- Bucket Name
- Bucket Region
Allow 1–2 business days for backups to begin routing to your bucket after your credentials are submitted.
3. Optional Advanced Setup
After successfully routing backups, you can implement additional optimizations:
- Custom Retention Policies: Automatically expire backups older than X days to manage storage costs.
- Archiving to Glacier: Move older backups to Amazon Glacier for long-term, low-cost storage.
- Local Pulls: Automate nightly downloads to maintain a copy behind your company firewall.

Final Thoughts
Routing Pagely backups to your own S3 bucket provides peace of mind and flexibility. You retain full control of your data and meet compliance requirements without relying solely on Pagely’s default retention period.
For those managing WordPress sites for clients or small businesses, working with a freelance WordPress developer London can ensure this setup is done efficiently and securely. These developers often have experience handling automated backup processes, security policies, and AWS integration, making the process smooth and error-free.
By combining Pagely’s reliable WordPress hosting with your own S3 backup strategy, you can safeguard your websites, extend retention, and ensure compliance — all while keeping your site performance unaffected.