Back up and restore your site

Backups are up to you

Your hosting plan doesn't include automatic backups. If you delete the wrong file, an update breaks your site, or your account is hacked, the way back is a copy you've made yourself. Download one regularly, and always before a big change.

If you'd rather have it handled for you, add CodeGuard to your plan. It takes daily off-site backups of your files and databases automatically, and you can restore with one click. Plans start at $7.50/yr.

Download a backup

In cPanel, open Backup. You'll see two kinds:

• Partial backups are what you want day to day. Download your Home Directory (all your files) and each MySQL Database separately. They're quick and you can restore them yourself.
• Full Account Backup bundles everything, including email and settings, into one file. It's mainly for moving to another host, and it can only be restored by us.

Store your downloads somewhere other than your computer as well, such as an external drive or cloud storage.

Restore from your own backup

1. In cPanel, open Backup.
2. Under Restore a Home Directory Backup or Restore a MySQL Database, choose the file you downloaded and click Upload.

A restore overwrites what's there now. If you only need one lost file, it's safer to open the backup on your computer and upload just that file with File Manager.

Mind your storage

A Full Account Backup is created inside your account before you download it, so it counts toward your plan's storage. If you're near your limit, it may fail. Stick to partial backups, and delete any backup file left in your home folder once it's downloaded.

For WordPress sites

WordPress Manager in cPanel can take and restore backups of a single WordPress site with one click, and can schedule them automatically. Download a copy now and then so you're not relying only on copies stored in the same account.

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