A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Site Files and Databases

Accidents happen—whether it’s a failed update, malware infection, or accidental file deletion, having a reliable backup can be a lifesaver. cPanel offers a straightforward way to restore your website from a backup, helping you get your site back online with minimal downtime.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through restoring both website files and databases using the cPanel interface.

Why You Might Need to Restore a Backup

• Site crashes after a plugin or theme update

• Malware or hacking incident

• Accidental deletion or overwrite of files

• Hosting server failure or migration issues

• You want to roll back to an earlier version of your site

Types of Backups You Might Use

cPanel allows you to restore backups from:

• Full account backups

• Home directory backups (site files)

• MySQL database backups

• Email backups

These may have been created manually using cPanel’s Backup Wizard, or automatically via hosting providers or JetBackup.

Step 1: Log in to Your cPanel Account

Access your cPanel through:

yourdomain.com/cpanel

Enter your credentials to proceed.

Step 2: Open the Backup or Backup Wizard Tool

• Locate the Files section.

• Click either Backup or Backup Wizard.

Note: If your host uses JetBackup or another third-party backup system, the interface may differ slightly, but the steps remain similar.

Step 3: Restore Website Files (Home Directory)

If your website files were lost or corrupted:

1. Scroll to Restore a Home Directory Backup.

2. Click Choose File and select the .tar.gz or .zip file backup of your home directory.

3. Click Upload.

4. cPanel will extract and overwrite the current files with the ones from the backup.

Make sure to back up your current files before restoring, in case you need to roll back.

Step 4: Restore MySQL Databases

If your site uses a CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Magento, you’ll also need to restore the database:

1. Scroll to Restore a MySQL Database Backup.

2. Choose the .sql or compressed backup file.

3. Click Upload.

After upload, the database will be restored. Ensure the corresponding database user is assigned to the database via MySQL® Databases in cPanel.

Step 5: Restore Emails (Optional)

If your email was affected:

1. In the Backup Wizard, choose to restore Email Forwarders or Email Filters.

2. Upload the respective backup files.

Step 6: Verify Your Site

Once the restoration is complete:

• Visit your website to ensure everything looks and works as expected.

• Check database-driven pages and forms.

• Review admin access (e.g., WordPress wp-admin).

• Check error logs in cPanel > Errors or cPanel > File Manager > error_log for issues.

Pro Tips

• Always download a copy of your current site before performing a restore.

• If you’re restoring a WordPress site, make sure your wp-config.php file matches the database credentials of the restored database.

• If you use JetBackup, check if point-in-time restoration is available for more granular recovery.

• Use browser caching tools or flush your CDN (like Cloudflare) if changes don’t appear immediately.

Final Thoughts

Restoring a website from cPanel is a simple yet powerful recovery solution for webmasters. Whether you’re fixing a broken site or recovering lost content, cPanel provides a user-friendly interface to bring your site back online.

If you’re unsure about which backup file to use or if your site involves custom configurations, don’t hesitate to reach out to hosting support—or get in touch with our experts at SupportSages. We provide fast, reliable restoration assistance to ensure your website runs smoothly.