Backups & Restore

How to Create a Manual Backup in cPanel

Download a full account backup or backup just your public_html and databases from cPanel — your own off-site copies.

WebFulHost backs up your account daily, but a copy of your own, stored somewhere you control, is the difference between a small incident and a stressful week. A manual backup takes five minutes.

Full or partial?

Full backupEverything in the account; the largest download; ideal as a periodic snapshot
Partial backupJust the files (public_html) and/or just the databases; fast and useful before a single risky change

Create a full backup

  1. Log into cPanel.
  2. Open Backup and click Download a Full Account Backup.
  3. Leave the backup destination as Home Directory and click Generate Backup.
  4. Wait — big accounts take a while. When ready, the file appears in your home directory; download it via SFTP or File Manager, then copy it to your computer and ideally a second location (cloud, external drive).

Back up just the files or databases

  • Files: In the Backup screen, click Download a Home Directory Backup. That's your entire account's folder contents.
  • Database: Click Download a MySQL Databases Backup. It generates a SQL dump of each database, downloadable directly.
  • Without leaving the panel: use phpMyAdmin to Export individual databases as a SQL file.

For a quick WordPress-specific snapshot before an update, back up public_html and the database as above — that combination fully covers a WordPress site.

Make it a habit

Once a month, or before any big change (updates, new plugins, redesigns), run the partial backup. Store it off-site. When you need it, restoring is straightforward.

Was this article helpful?

Your feedback helps us improve our guides.

Still need a hand?

Contact WebFulHost Support — our team is available 24/7.