Do you want to offload WordPress media files to Backblaze B2 Storage and are searching for the right ways? You are in the right place then.
Offloading your WordPress media files to a cloud storage service such as Backblaze B2 can greatly enhance your website’s performance and free up valuable server space.
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage provides a cost-effective, secure, and scalable solution that is fully compatible with Amazon S3, making it a great choice for this purpose.
In this blog, we’ll explore Backblaze B2 and the benefits of storing your WordPress media files including JS and CSS in the Backblaze B2 cloud storage. Also, we’ll guide you through the steps to offload your WordPress media files to Backblaze B2.
Let’s get started!
Introducing Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is a strong and affordable choice for storing data in the cloud. It is built to be fast, secure, and able to grow with your needs. Backblaze B2 gives you great value while maintaining high quality.
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage offers S3-compatible storage that integrates seamlessly with existing systems. It ensures reliable and easy access to your data. It keeps your data safe and accessible.
Backblaze B2 is cost-effective, priced at just one-fifth of the cost of AWS S3, and includes three times the free egress. Choosing Backblaze B2 means opting for a performant and secure solution with a 99.9% uptime SLA.
Its enhanced security measures like encryption, replication, and immutability protect your data. The storage integrates easily with various tools and APIs, providing flexibility and efficiency. With its cost-effective pricing, Backblaze B2 also reduces data management time, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.
Is Backblaze S3- Compatible?
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is compatible with Amazon’s S3 API. It supports tools and applications designed for S3. This makes it easy for users to switch to Backblaze B2 or use it alongside their current S3 storage without changing their workflows.
Key points about Backblaze B2’s S3 compatibility include:
- API Support: It handles the most common S3 API calls. It allows smooth integration with existing S3-compatible tools and applications.
- Endpoint: Backblaze provides a specific S3-compatible endpoint for B2 Cloud Storage.
- Authentication: It uses the same V2 and V4 authentication methods as S3.
- Bucket Naming: B2 follows S3’s bucket naming conventions.
Advantages of Integrating Backblaze B2 Storage with WordPress to Offload Media Files
You can enjoy so many advantages by integrating Backblaze B2 with your WordPress website for storing your WordPress media files along with JS and CSS. Let’s have a look on some key advantages.
- Offloading media files to Backblaze B2 reduces the load on your web server. Your website takes faster load times and improves website performance.
- Supports to have better user experience and higher SEO rankings, as search engines prioritize fast-loading websites.
- Backblaze B2 provides scalable storage solutions that can grow with your website.
- Backblaze B2 comes with advanced security features such as encryption, replication, and immutability. It ensures that your media files are protected against unauthorized access and data loss.
- Backblaze B2 is compatible with the Amazon S3 API. It becomes easy to integrate with your existing WordPress setup. You can use popular plugins like Next3 Ofload to connect your site to Backblaze B2.
- Backblaze B2 ensures that your website can consistently deliver content to your visitors without interruptions.
- Its efficiency saves you time and effort in managing your website’s storage.
How to Offload WordPress Media Files to Backblaze B2 in 7 Steps?
To offload WordPress media files to Backblaze B2 storage, you need to create an account with Backblaze, create a bucket, generate keys, install an effective offloading plugin, connect with the plugin, and access the plugin’s offloading features, etc.
Let’s explore the process of offloading media files to Backblaze B2.
Step 1: Create a Backblaze B2 Account
First of all, you need to sign up for a Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage account. If you already have an account, then log in to your Backblaze B2 account. We are trying the trial version to show the ways.
Step 2: Create a B2 Cloud Storage Bucket
Navigate to the Buckets section.
Click on Create a Bucket.
Name your bucket and choose its settings (private or public).
After creating a bucket, you need to collect the value that is in the Endpoint field. You will need this value later. (We couldn’t show you this Endpoint collection process because we are showing the trial version). You can check the Endpoint collection process from the Backblaze B2 Documentation.
Step 3: Generate Application Keys
Go to the Application Keys section.
Click Add a New Application Key.
Provide the necessary details and create the key.
Note or copy the keyID and applicationKey as you will need them later.
Step 4: Install and Configure a Plugin
To offload media files to Backblaze B2 using a WordPress plugin, you can use Next3 Offload plugin. Follow this straightforward setup guide:
- Begin by downloading Next3 Offload from its website and installing it on your WordPress site. Once installed, activate the plugin.
- Then, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, go to the Next3 Offload menu, and follow the setup instructions provided by Next3 Offload.
Start by going to the Plugins section.
Then hit on the Add New Plugin button.
Navigate to the Upload Plugin option.
Now, click on the Choose File option to upload the Next3 Offload plugin here.
Navigate to the Install Now button (Here is the complete installation process).
Then, you need to activate the plugin.
Now, to access the plugin, you need to activate the license. Insert your collected license key in the field.
Hit on the Activate License button.
Once you’ve completed the installation and activation, you can access the Next3 Offload dashboard. This section provides all the features and settings needed to manage and offload your media files to Backblaze B2.
Step 5: Paste Credentials
Return to the WordPress dashboard to locate the Next3 setup. During this step, choose S3 Object Storage from the provider’s section. This choice will allow you to set up the storage configuration for offloading your media files.
Now, enter your collected keyID in the field of Access Key ID. This key is necessary to authenticate and connect your WordPress site to the S3 Object Storage.
Input the collected applicationKey into the Secret Access Key field. This key and your Access Key ID will authenticate and link your WordPress site to the S3 Object Storage of Backblaze B2.
Also, enter your collected endpoints in the required field.
After entering all the required credentials, click the Next button to proceed. This action will lead you to the following step in the setup process.
Step 6: Configure Storage Settings
Once Backblaze B2 is integrated with WordPress, it’s essential to configure the necessary features in the Storage Settings. To do this, go to the WordPress Admin Dashboard, choose the Next3 Offload option, and adjust the basic storage settings to suit your needs.
In the Next3 Offload control panel, select Storage Settings.
Here, you can access Offload media and Copy to local server options for Setup Path and File Management.
For example, Add prefix to bucket path, Add year & month to bucket path, Add object version to bucket path, Rename files, Offload format to cloud, etc.
Step 7: Delivery Settings
Now it’s time to choose a provider to deliver your offloaded files. To do this, navigate to Delivery Settings.
Next, choose a provider and enable any required basic functions. After configuring these settings, click the Save Settings button to apply the changes.
Step 8: Set Up The Offload Settings
Finally, set up the Offload Settings. Go to the Offload Settings section in the Next3 Offload plugin to configure how your media files are managed and offloaded to your storage provider.
You can now offload your existing media files by clicking the Offload Now button. This will enable you to offload all your media files in bulk, as well as offload individual files as needed.
Additionally, you can restore offloaded files to local storage and clean up offloaded files from local storage. These features are available within the Next3 Offload plugin, enabling you to manage your media files efficiently and ensure they are stored appropriately.
You can both offload existing CSS and JS files to the Cloud.
That’s it! Your WordPress site is now integrated with Backblaze B2, enjoying enhanced performance, security, and reliability. For optimal performance, regularly monitor your site’s performance and security settings through the Backblaze B2 dashboard.
Final Words
Integrating Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage for offloading WordPress media assets provides multiple advantages. Utilizing Backblaze B2’s secure and scalable cloud storage can enhance your WordPress website’s performance, lower storage costs, and ensure reliable data durability. Plugins such as Next3 Offload facilitate this integration, making it straightforward to organize and transfer your media files to Backblaze B2.
To build a fast and optimized website, follow the steps outlined above to integrate Backblaze B2 and offload your WP media files. A faster website will help you engage more effectively with a growing number of users.
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