How to Backup Your Website

How to Backup Your Website

Regular backups are essential to protect your website from data loss due to hacking, accidental deletion, server failures, or faulty updates. Here are multiple methods to back up your website.

Method 1: Full cPanel Backup

cPanel’s built-in backup tool creates a complete archive of your account.

1. Log into cPanel.
2. Go to Files > Backup (or Backup Wizard).
3. Under Full Backup, click Download a Full Account Backup.
4. Choose the backup destination (Home Directory is most common).
5. Optionally enter an email address for notification.
6. Click Generate Backup.
7. Once complete, download the backup file from Files > Backup > Full Backups Available for Download.

Note: Full backups typically cannot be restored through cPanel directly — they are meant for migration or manual restoration. Contact support if you need to restore a full backup.

Method 2: Partial Backups in cPanel

For quick individual backups:

1. Go to Files > Backup in cPanel.
2. Under Partial Backups, you can download:
   • Home Directory — All files in your account
   • MySQL Databases — Individual database backups
   • Email Forwarders & Filters — Email configuration

Method 3: Manual File Backup via FTP

1. Connect to your hosting via FTP/SFTP.
2. Navigate to the public_html directory (and other relevant directories).
3. Select all files and download them to your local computer.
4. Organize backups by date for easy retrieval.

Method 4: Database Backup via phpMyAdmin

1. In cPanel, open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select the database you want to back up.
3. Click the Export tab.
4. Choose Quick method and SQL format.
5. Click Go to download the .sql file.

Method 5: WordPress Backup Plugins

If you’re running WordPress, backup plugins can automate the process:

• UpdraftPlus — Free, supports cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3)
• All-in-One WP Migration — Simple export/import of entire sites
• BackupBuddy — Premium option with scheduling and cloud storage
• Duplicator — Great for creating site packages for migration

Backup Best Practices

1. Automate backups — Set up scheduled backups (daily or weekly) rather than relying on manual backups.
2. Store backups off-server — Keep copies on external cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3) or a local drive. A backup stored on the same server that fails is useless.
3. Verify backups — Periodically test restoring from a backup to ensure they work.
4. Keep multiple versions — Maintain at least 2–3 recent backup copies.
5. Back up before changes — Always create a backup before updating plugins, themes, CMS versions, or making significant changes.

Restoring from Backup

Files:

• Upload backed-up files via FTP or File Manager, overwriting existing files.

Database:

1. Create a new database (or use the existing one).
2. Open phpMyAdmin, select the database.
3. Click Import, upload the .sql file, and click Go.

WordPress plugins:

• Most backup plugins include a one-click restore feature from their settings page.

For backup and restore assistance, contact 10Corp support.