How to Back Up Your Website from Your Hosting Control Panel

To back up your website from your hosting control panel, log into cPanel, open the Backup Wizard, select Full Backup, and download the generated file to your computer. In under 10 minutes you'll have a complete archive that covers your files, databases, and email account settings.

A backup is your digital insurance policy. Servers crash, WordPress plugins conflict, attackers inject malware, and human error deletes entire folders. Without a recent backup, recovering your site can take hours or days — or may simply not be possible. This guide walks you through every available method so you can choose the one that fits your workflow.

Method 1: Full Backup via the cPanel Backup Wizard

This is the easiest approach if your hosting plan includes cPanel. The wizard bundles everything into a single downloadable archive.

1. Log in to cPanel (usually at yourdomain.com/cpanel or yourdomain.com:2083).
2. Under the Files section, click Backup Wizard.
3. Click Back Up, then Full Backup.
4. For Backup Destination, choose Home Directory to save it on the server first, or pick a remote FTP location to send it elsewhere directly.
5. Enter your email address to receive a notification when it's ready.
6. Click Generate Backup.
7. Once you receive the email, return to cPanel > Backups and download the .tar.gz file to your computer.

Pros: covers everything — files, databases, email accounts, and DNS configuration.
Cons: can take several minutes for large sites, and the resulting file can consume significant disk space.

Method 2: Partial Backup (Files or Database Separately)

If you only need to back up one component — for example, right before updating a plugin — a partial backup is faster.

Backing up files only

1. In cPanel, open the File Manager.
2. Navigate to public_html and select all files and folders.
3. Click Compress and choose Zip Archive.
4. Download the resulting ZIP from the file manager.

Backing up the database only

1. In cPanel, open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your database in the left panel.
3. Click the Export tab, choose the Quick method and SQL format.
4. Click Go and save the .sql file to your computer.

Always keep both parts together, labeled with the same date. For example: mysite_files_2026-06-20.zip and mysite_db_2026-06-20.sql. Without both, a full site restore is not possible.

Method 3: FTP Download

If your host doesn't offer cPanel or you want direct control, you can download your files with an FTP client like FileZilla.

1. Open FileZilla and enter the Host (your domain or server IP), Username, Password, and Port (21 for FTP or 22 for SFTP).
2. Once connected, navigate to public_html on the right panel.
3. Select all files and drag them to the left panel (your computer) to download.

This method does not back up the database — you need to export it separately from phpMyAdmin. Use FTP as a complement to a full backup, not a replacement.

Method 4: Automated Backup with Plugins (WordPress Only)

If your site runs on WordPress, backup plugins automate the entire process and free you from doing it manually.

The big advantage of these plugins is that they push your backup to the cloud — off the server entirely. If the server goes down, your backup is safe. UpdraftPlus is the most popular option and the recommended starting point for most WordPress sites.

For a hosting plan that includes automatic daily backups out of the box, visit elenlace.com's web hosting plans — no plugin configuration required.

How Often Should You Back Up?

The right backup frequency depends on how often your site changes:

• Static or brochure sites (rarely updated): weekly backup, plus a manual backup before any significant change.
• Blogs or content sites: daily backup or before each new post.
• E-commerce or transaction-based sites: daily or real-time backup. A single lost sale can easily exceed the cost of a plan with automatic backups.

Follow the 3-2-1 rule: keep 3 copies of your backup, on 2 different storage types (hard drive + cloud), with 1 copy offsite. That way, even if both the server and your computer fail at the same time, you have a third safe copy.

How to Restore a Backup in cPanel

Having a backup is only useful if you know how to restore it. The process is straightforward.

Restoring files

1. Go to cPanel > Backup Wizard > Restore.
2. Select Home Directory and upload your backup file.
3. Click Restore.

Restoring the database

1. Go to cPanel > phpMyAdmin and select the target database.
2. Click Import, upload the .sql file, and click Go.

If your hosting provider suffered a major server failure, you can also restore directly from the full .tar.gz backup through the Backup Wizard — no need to restore files and database separately.

Want to learn more about managing and protecting your site? Browse our complete hosting glossary for step-by-step guides on every key topic.

Key Takeaways

• The cPanel Backup Wizard is the most complete and easiest method: one file protects your files, database, and email accounts.
• For WordPress, a plugin like UpdraftPlus automates backups and sends them to cloud storage off the server.
• Always back up files and database together — one without the other won't let you fully restore the site.
• Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 storage types, 1 offsite.
• Schedule automatic backups based on how often your site changes.
• Test your restore process periodically — a backup you can't restore is worthless.

Don't wait until you lose your site to take action. Explore elenlace.com's hosting plans, which include automatic daily backups so you never have to worry about losing your data again.

FAQ

How often should I back up my website?

It depends on how active your site is. An active blog or online store should be backed up daily. A corporate site that rarely changes can work with weekly backups plus a manual one before any significant update.

Can I store backups on the same server as my website?

Not as your only copy. If the server fails or is hit by ransomware, you'd lose both the site and the backup. Always keep at least one copy in an external location: Google Drive, Dropbox, an external hard drive, or a second server.

How large will a full backup be?

It depends on your site's size. An average WordPress site with images can be anywhere from 500 MB to several gigabytes. The .tar.gz archives cPanel generates are compressed, so they're typically 30–60% of the original size.

Does a cPanel backup include my email accounts?

Yes, if you use the Full Backup option. It includes email accounts, messages stored on the server, DNS configuration, and forwarders. Partial backups (files only or database only) do not include email data.

Further reading

Other providers and guides worth comparing:

• HubSpot
• IONOS
• GoDaddy