How to Restore a Backup in cPanel (Quick & Safe Guide)
Mistakes happen. Whether your website crashed after an update or files were accidentally deleted, restoring a backup in cPanel can help you get back online quickly — no stress, no technical headaches.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to restore website files, databases, and emails in cPanel using its built-in Backup Wizard and manual restore tools.
✅ When Should You Restore a Backup?
- After accidental file deletion or corruption
- Following a failed update or plugin conflict
- When migrating your site to a new server
- To roll back to a previous stable version
🚀 How to Restore a Backup in cPanel
Step 1: Log in to cPanel
Access your cPanel dashboard via yourdomain.com:2083 or your hosting provider’s panel.
Step 2: Go to Backup Wizard
Scroll down to the Files section and click on Backup Wizard.
🔄 Step 3: Click on Restore
You’ll now see two options:
- Backup
- Restore
Click Restore.
📂 Step 4: Choose What to Restore
You can restore the following:
- Home Directory – All your website files
- MySQL Databases – Your site’s database (WordPress, CMS, etc.)
- Email Forwarders & Filters – Email routing and rules
Click on the type of data you want to restore.
📤 Step 5: Upload the Backup File
Click Choose File, select the backup file from your device, and click Upload.
💡 The file must be in the correct format (usually
.tar.gzor.sqlfor databases).
cPanel will process and restore your backup. Once complete, your website or email settings should return to the state captured in the backup.
⚠️ Important Notes
- Full account backups cannot be restored directly via cPanel. You’ll need to contact your hosting support for assistance with that.
- Ensure you’re restoring the correct file type to the right section.
- Manual restores may overwrite existing data — always double-check.
🔐 Restore Tips
- Backup before restoring in case you need to revert changes.
- Restore files and databases together for dynamic sites like WordPress.
- Confirm file permissions after restoring to avoid broken pages or errors.
🔗 Related Tutorials
- How to Use cPanel’s Backup Wizard to Back Up Your Website
- How to Upload Files Using File Manager in cPanel
- How to Manage MySQL Databases in cPanel
Restoring your site from a backup can save hours of troubleshooting and get your site live again with minimal disruption. cPanel’s built-in tools make the process simple and beginner-friendly.
Need help with full site recovery or advanced restoration? Click here to contact our support team.