The recommended archive limits for a remote destination depends on how much space you have to use for backup files and how large those backup files will be.
For example, if you use Stash as a remote destination, but you only have the free 1 GB Stash allocation that you get with your BackupBuddy purchase, you may have to set the archive limits to lower numbers. As the free 1 GB Stash allocation that you get with your BackupBuddy purchase was only meant to be a trial size for one or possibly two average size WordPress sites. Where most would say that an average WordPress site is around 150 MB.
First, go to the BackupBuddy -> Backups page. And while on the "Local Backups" tab, look at the size of the "Complete Backups" as they are usually the largest backup files.
The screenshot above shows that my "Complete Backup" is 41.99 MB, which is not very large. And if I only have 1 GB of Stash space to use, I can easily set my "Full backup limit" to 10, as in the screenshot below (To get to the remote destination archive limits, please go to the BackupBuddy -> Destinations page, while on the tab of the remote destination that you need to adjust, look to the right of that specific tab for a little gear icon and click that. Once it opens, you should see the archive limit options.) :
But what if the "Complete Backups" are going to be about 300 MB each? With only 1 GB (or 1,000 MB), you won't be able to set too high of a number for the archive limit.
With a "Complete Backup" being about 300 MB, you can only set the "Full backup limit" to 2. That's because two "Complete Backups" will take up about 600 MB (2 x 300 MB). Leaving 400 MB available (1000 - 600 = 400). You might ask if I have 400 MB still available; why can't I set the "Full backup limit" to 3? As that will only be 900 MB (3 x 300 MB), leaving 100 MB still available (1000 - 900 = 100). The reason you cannot set the "Full backup limit" to 3, is just that. You'll only have 100 MB. And you'll need at least 300 MB available so that a new backup will complete the send. Then once the send is completed, Stash will delete the oldest backup file to meet the archive limits. The important thing to note here is that the oldest backup will not get deleted until the new backup has completed the send. If you are already using 900 MB of the 1000 MB you are allocated, there is not enough space to upload a 300 MB file.
This basic principle applies to all the remote destinations (but not Stash Live).
Below are some further examples:
Backup file size | Current amount of Stash storage space associated with your account |
Archive limit recommendation |
50 MB | 1 GB or 1000 MB | 10 or more |
300 MB | 1 GB or 1000 MB | 2 |
400 MB | 1 GB or 1000 MB | 1 |
600 MB or more | 1 GB or 1000 MB | You'll need additional space |
600 MB | 2 GB or 2000 MB | 2 |
900 MB | 2 GB or 2000 MB | 1 |
1.2 GB or 1200 MB | 2 GB or 2000 MB | You'll need additional space |
Over 2 GB | 6 GB | 1 |
1 GB or 1000 MB | 15 GB or 15000 MB | Up to 13 |
2 GB or 2000 MB | 15 GB or 15000 MB | Up to 6 |