A complete backup of your hosting account — every file, database, email account and setting — is your ultimate safety net. cPanel can bundle all of it into a single downloadable file. Here’s how to create one and, just as importantly, where to keep it.
Full backup vs partial backup
cPanel offers two approaches. A full account backup packages everything: your home directory, all databases, email accounts, forwarders and settings. It’s the most complete, but it can only be restored by us (or used to move to another cPanel server), not self-restored through the panel. Partial backups — home directory, individual databases — you can restore yourself. Choose based on what you need.
Creating a full account backup
- In cPanel, open Backup under the Files section.
- Under Full Backup, click Download a Full Account Backup.
- Choose Home Directory as the destination and enter an email address to be notified when it’s ready.
- Click Generate Backup.
cPanel builds the backup in the background — for a large account this takes a while. When it’s done, you’ll get an email, and the file appears in your home directory ready to download.
Download it off the server
This is the crucial step. A backup sitting on the same server as your site offers limited protection — if the server itself has a serious problem, both go together. Once the backup file is generated, download it to your own computer or upload it to cloud storage, then delete the on-server copy to free up disk space.
Partial backups you can restore yourself
For day-to-day safety, the Backup Wizard or the individual download options let you grab just your home directory or a specific database. These smaller backups are self-restorable through cPanel, which makes them handy before a risky change — grab a quick database backup, make your change, and restore if it goes wrong.
How often to back up
Match the frequency to how often your site changes. An active site should be backed up daily; a static one weekly is fine. Always take a fresh backup before any major change — updates, migrations, big edits.
Automate it
Manual backups are easy to forget. For hands-off protection, we can set up automated backups that run on a schedule and store copies off-server. That way you’re covered without having to remember. Ask us about it — it’s one of the best-value things you can add to your hosting.
