Title: Backup File Names
Last modified: April 12, 2026

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# Backup File Names

 *  Resolved [mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * (@mncdev)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/)
 * Following on from “Backup not created by WPVivid” thread are there any plans 
   to allow for “user changed” backup filenames please ?
 * The standard file names are fine for simple backup.
 * I want to keep staged backups during a development e.g. dev01_base_build_01.zip,
   dev01_working_build_01.zip, dev01_test_build_01.zip etc.
 * This allows me to quickly find a backup stage and revert to it.
 * The other reason for asking is that the filenames can be very long (currently
   working on a new site which has come out at 93 chars). This makes a few problems
   when trying to copy file into a tree structure that is already quite long …
 * Please – what plans and if no plans then PLEASE can you consider it as feature
   enhancement as soon as you can.
 * Many thanks,
 * M.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Plugin Support [tonyrobins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tonyrobins/)
 * (@tonyrobins)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18878284)
 * Hello [@mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * Thank you for your feedback.
 * Regarding custom backup file naming, we have evaluated this feature comprehensively
   in the past. However, we have decided not to implement it because changing the
   file naming structure would cause significant compatibility issues with existing
   backups and the plugin’s restoration logic.
 * As a backup provider, reliability and stability are always our fundamental priorities.
   Maintaining a consistent, standardized naming convention ensures that the plugin
   can always accurately identify, verify, and restore backup chunks without error.
 * All the best,
 *  Thread Starter [mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * (@mncdev)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18878697)
 * Hello Tony,
 * thanks for the reply. I can definitely understand the need for reliability and
   stability etc.
 * I think there may well be a way to look at this without causing any legacy issues.
   To my mind there are 2 simple methods, neither of which would affect the restore
   or backup mechanisms themselves – only altering the file recognition code.
 * To be clear I am only talking about the overall .zip file name – NOT the files
   inside it.
 * Method 1:
 *  restore started – .zip file found
    - if matches WPVivid name format
       * proceed as normal.
    - Else
       * look at file(s) inside and pick up filename from one of them
       * then proceed as normal.
    - End Change.
 * Method 2:
 * **On backup** add an extra file (no content) with the WPVivid filename and a 
   special extension e.g. wpv
 * **restore** started – .zip file found
    - if matches WPVivid name format
       * proceed as normal.
    - Else
       * Look inside zip file and find any .wpv files
       * If .wpv file present
          - Use filename details
          - proceed as normal
       * else
          - Error cannot recognise
       * end .wpv file check.
    - end match filename format
 * End Change.
 * Method 1 assumes that you can get all the required info from any of the files
   inside the .zip, method 2 idoes not assume such.
 * I would appreciate if you could have the suggestions reviewed – I think the mechanism
   is simple enough to not affect existing stability or legacy backups.
 * This would be a very big help to developers certainly and a good “new feature”
   to market … ??
 * best regards
 * M.
 *  Plugin Support [tonyrobins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tonyrobins/)
 * (@tonyrobins)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18878830)
 * Hello [@mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * You are welcome, and thank you for the information.
 * Our team is going to analyze this further, and we will provide you with an update
   shortly.
 * All the best,
 *  Plugin Support [tonyrobins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tonyrobins/)
 * (@tonyrobins)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18880052)
 * Hello [@mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * Thank you for your suggestions — we have discussed them thoroughly with our development
   team.
 * From a design perspective, the main constraint we must consider is how backups
   are actually used in real-world environments, especially with cloud storage. 
   In most cases, users store backups directly in services like Google Drive, Dropbox,
   or S3, where it is not possible to inspect the contents of a .zip file without
   downloading it first. This is a fundamental limitation that we cannot bypass.
 * Because of this, any approach that relies on reading files inside the archive(
   such as Method 1, or the .wpv marker approach in Method 2) would significantly
   hinder the initial discovery and scanning stage. Requiring users to download 
   large archives just to identify if they are valid backups would be extremely 
   inefficient and resource-heavy, especially for those with many backups in the
   cloud.
 * Our current design is built around this constraint. Instead of relying on file
   contents, we use a two-layer validation mechanism:
    - Strict Filename Patterns: For fast, approximate identification and indexing
      in cloud storage without needing to download data.
    - JSON-based validation inside the archive: For 100% accurate verification of
      a specific backup, serving a similar purpose to your proposed `.wpv` marker
      approach.
 * This mechanism is the result of long-term trade-offs between efficiency, accuracy,
   and compatibility, including support for legacy backups.
 * Additionally, relying on user-defined or flexible naming is not reliable in practice(
   e.g. inconsistent naming, forgotten conventions, team environments). A standardized
   naming scheme, while slightly less flexible, significantly improves stability
   and maintainability.
 * For these reasons, we have decided to maintain our current naming design to ensure
   the highest level of stability. That said, we truly appreciate the time you took
   to share these ideas with us.
 * All the best,
 *  Thread Starter [mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * (@mncdev)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18880062)
 * Hi Tony,
 * Thanks for reply.
 * I understand a lot more now – I can see the problems that would cause having 
   to “pre-inspect”.
 * Your approach makes absolute sense and, obviously, works well.
 * Thank you for considering my comments.
 * I shall go to my alternative approach with some scripts on the storage host (
   I have the luxury of SSH and SFTP on the storage host !!)
 * Many thanks for you time,
 * regards
 * M
 *  Plugin Support [tonyrobins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tonyrobins/)
 * (@tonyrobins)
 * [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18880189)
 * Hi [@mncdev](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mncdev/)
 * You are welcome and thanks again for your time. Please feel free to reach out
   if you need any help using WPvivid in the future.
 * All the best,

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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 * 6 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [tonyrobins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tonyrobins/)
 * Last activity: [1 month, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-file-names/#post-18880189)
 * Status: resolved