It can be identified only when a fixed copy has a traceable capture time, source version and storage reference, and has remained separate from subsequent edits. Record that identity before work begins, give the working copy a different reference, and name who protects the preserved copy. A folder called backup is not enough if people continue editing or replacing its contents. Identifying a preserved copy establishes which version you hold; it does not establish that the copy contains everything needed for restoration or that a restoration has succeeded.
For: A research-only merchant preparing a website or checkout change with an implementer who holds both a preserved copy and active working files.
Before editing, name the site and the state the copy represents. Record the capture timestamp with its time zone and the source version or release reference that was actually available. Keep the capture record alongside the copy’s identity. If the original version cannot be established, say so instead of giving an uncertain folder the current release name.
A download date, a folder modification date and a release date can describe different events. Ask which one the supplied timestamp represents. The useful record connects the captured source to a particular stored copy; a recent download of an older archive does not make its contents recent.
WordPress recommends backing up before updates or moves. Its guidance also explains that a typical complete restore needs database and files as a consistent set. A directory download ordinarily does not include the database. Record the actual scope so that an identifiable file copy is not mistaken for a complete pre-release store backup.
Give preservation and editing different references
Keep the fixed recovery copy at a reference that does not silently follow the latest working files. This can be a specific retained archive or storage version, provided the custodian can retrieve that exact item. Record its path or storage identifier, plus the access controls that are actually in place. Treat read-only protection as something to verify, not a word to add to the filename.
Create a separate working copy for the edits and record its reference. New saves, replacements and generated files belong to that working copy. If an editor needs to inspect the preserved copy, arrange access that does not turn it into the active editing location. This separation is a practical preservation method for the project, not a claim that WordPress automatically enforces it.
Where the team has a checksum or a storage version identifier, retain it with the capture record. A checksum can help compare the bytes with the recorded copy; it cannot prove that those bytes originally came from the intended site or included the database. The capture record and scope still matter.
Resolve ambiguity before calling it the recovery point
Ask the custodian to identify the fixed reference and distinguish it from the active folder. A link that opens a changing latest copy leaves the question unresolved. If several copies share the same filename, compare their capture records and fixed identities rather than choosing whichever looks newest.
If someone has edited the alleged preserved copy, document that fact. Look for an independently retained earlier version with a genuine capture record. Preserve what remains, but do not relabel a later snapshot as the untouched pre-release state. A newly captured copy can protect the current state while the earlier recovery point remains unidentified.
When the exact copy is found, record who can retrieve it and who is responsible for preventing replacement during the work. WordPress recommends multiple backup locations, but a host’s backup offering alone does not establish retention or recoverability for this account. Verify the particular retained item rather than relying on the service description.
Keep identity separate from the restore decision
The identity check is complete when the team can point to a specific preserved copy, its provenance, its scope and its custodian, separately from the working folder. If any of those is missing, name the gap in the release handoff. This check does not establish that files and database are consistent, that restoration has been demonstrated, or that an older state is safe to put over current orders.
For a Prism checkout-review consultation, describe the planned change and the recovery-copy ambiguity without sending an archive or credentials through the public form. Ask what review or handoff assistance can be included; scope, responsibilities, fees and terms must be confirmed before work. Follow-up is by email. The inquiry does not book an appointment, buy recovery work or authorize a restoration.
Preserved-copy identity
Complete this before edits begin, or use it to identify exactly what is missing from an existing handoff. Record storage references in an internal worksheet, never access tokens or archive contents. An identified copy can still have unresolved completeness or recoverability.
Worksheet entries are not submitted by Prism’s worksheet and are not saved by the site. Use record types, availability, anonymized observations, or match/mismatch results. Do not enter government identifiers, customer names or addresses, customer messages, receipt-access links, card or bank details, passwords, or keys. Send sensitive documents only through the provider’s verified secure channel.
Preserved-copy identity. The last column is for temporary notes.
Identity element
Evidence to retain
What it establishes
Your record
Capture timestamp
Evidence to retainThe actual capture record with date, time and time zone.
What it establishesWhich source moment the copy claims to preserve, distinct from when it was later downloaded.
Original version
Evidence to retainSite identity and source release or version reference available at capture.
What it establishesWhich pre-change state was copied; record unknown if provenance cannot be established.
Read-only reference
Evidence to retainExact archive or retained storage version and the protection actually applied.
What it establishesWhere the fixed item is held and whether edits or replacements are restricted.
Copy scope
Evidence to retainThe inventory or capture record identifying files, database and omissions.
What it establishesWhat the copy contains; identity alone does not establish a complete WordPress backup.
Working folder reference
Evidence to retainThe separate location assigned to active edits and generated outputs.
What it establishesWhere changes should accumulate without altering the preserved item.
Identity comparison
Evidence to retainExisting checksum or fixed storage identity, if available, with its recording date.
What it establishesWhether the retrieved item matches the recorded copy; not whether it is complete or recoverable.
Custodian
Evidence to retainNamed person who protects and can retrieve the particular preserved item.
What it establishesWho resolves an ambiguous reference or an unexpected change.
Unresolved provenance
Evidence to retainAny missing capture record, altered content or unidentified earlier version.
What it establishesWhich part of the pre-release identity remains unproven before the release decision.
These are temporary notes. Leaving or reloading this page may clear them. Worksheet entries are not sent automatically. If you copy notes into the consultation message and submit the form, Prism receives them as part of your request.
Limits
This is a copy-identity worksheet, not a restoration procedure or evidence that restoration has succeeded.
A complete WordPress restore ordinarily needs a consistent database/files set; a folder name or host backup promise does not establish that set.
Do not put passwords, keys, private download tokens, database contents or customer records in this worksheet or the public consultation form.
WordPress backups — checked 2026-09-29. WordPress recommends backups before updates or moves and multiple locations. A typical complete restore needs a consistent set of database and files; a directory download ordinarily omits the database. A host offering does not prove account-specific retention or recoverability.
Prism solutions — checked 2026-09-21. Published support includes storefront review, card-processing preparation and help with provider website questions. Scope, fees and terms are discussed before work.
Prism contact — checked 2026-09-21. The form asks for the website, products and question and excludes passwords and customer records. Follow-up is by email; a request does not book an appointment, purchase a service or submit a processing application.