How to Restore a Backup in cPanel

How you restore a backup in cPanel depends on the type of backup you have. Home Directory, MySQL database, Email Forwarders and Email Filters backups can each be restored separately, by you, from cPanel's Backup or Backup Wizard tool. A Full Account Backup (cpmove) can't be restored from the cPanel interface: it needs server administrator access in WHM, so on Domain Name API Reseller Hosting it's done by the support team.

Written by: Domain Name API Hosting Support Team · Reviewed by: Technical Operations / Hosting Team · Last updated: 5 October 2026

This guide covers restoring a backup you already have to a cPanel account. If you're moving a site from another hosting company, follow How to Migrate a Website to cPanel Reseller Hosting instead; it also covers DNS, testing and closing the old account.

Examples use example.com as the domain, olduser as the old cPanel username and newuser as the new one. These are placeholder values; use your own domain and username.

Quick start: a safe restore in 5 steps

Whatever the backup type, a safe restore follows the same five steps. A restore can overwrite existing files or a database, so the first job is to protect what's there now.

1. Identify the backup type. Open the archive on your computer and look at the folders inside (Figure 1).
2. Back up the current account. Download a backup of today's files and databases from cPanel › Files › Backup.
3. Check disk space and the target account. Make sure you're in the right cPanel account and there's enough free space to extract the backup.
4. Restore only the part you need. Home Directory for files, MySQL for a database, Forwarders for forwarding rules, Filters for filter rules.
5. Verify the result. Work through the checklist: site, admin area, database connection, email, PHP version, Cron Jobs and SSL.

Which type of backup do you have?

cPanel produces two main kinds of backup: a Full Account Backup that contains the whole account, and Partial Backups that each contain one part of it. There are four partial backups: Home Directory, MySQL database, Email Forwarders and Email Filters. You'll also often see archives and SQL dumps made by plugins or developers. Each one is restored differently.

File names are a hint, but they vary with the cPanel version and the tool that made the backup. A full backup and a Home Directory backup can both start with backup- and end in .tar.gz. The reliable way to tell them apart is to look inside: a full backup contains folders such as homedir and mysql, while a Home Directory backup shows folders like public_html, mail and etc directly.

What's the difference between a full and a partial backup?

A full account backup and a partial backup aren't restored the same way. A Full Account Backup is designed to rebuild a cPanel account with all its settings, and it can only be restored from WHM. Partial backups each carry one part of the account and are restored separately by the cPanel user.

Before you restore: safety check

Back up the current account before you restore anything. A restore writes the backup's files and databases into the account and can overwrite files with the same name and the same database. If you start without protecting what's there now, you'll have nothing to go back to if the restore goes wrong.

• Have you backed up the current account? From cPanel › Files › Backup, download at least the Home Directory and the databases involved.
• Does the backup belong to the right domain and account? Check the files in public_html or the database name inside the archive.
• Is the backup date right? Check the date in the file name or the modified dates of the files in the archive. That's the point you'll return to.
• Is there enough free disk quota? The archive is uploaded first, then extracted, so the archive and its extracted contents can take up space at the same time. If the quota is too small, enlarge the package in WHM as the reseller.
• Is it a problem if existing files are overwritten? If files were changed or added after the backup date, copy them somewhere first.
• Have you backed up the current database? A database restore overwrites its tables.
• Does the site generate data all the time? If it's an online shop, membership, booking or CRM site, read the data loss warning below.
• Are you in the right cPanel account? If you switched from WHM › List Accounts, check the username and main domain shown in cPanel.

How do I restore a Home Directory backup?

A Home Directory backup is uploaded in cPanel › Files › Backup, under Restore a Home Directory Backup. It brings back the files in your home directory: public_html, addon domain folders, hidden files and email for your domains. It doesn't bring back databases, email forwarders, account-level filters or Cron Jobs.

Step by step

1. Log in to cPanel. As a reseller, you can switch to a customer's cPanel from WHM › List Accounts using the cP icon next to the account.
2. Open Files › Backup. You can do the same from Files › Backup Wizard › Restore › Home Directory.
3. Under Partial Backups, find Restore a Home Directory Backup.
4. Click Choose File and select the Home Directory backup on your computer (usually a .tar.gz file).
5. Click Upload. How long it takes depends on the file size and your connection; don't close the browser tab.
6. When it finishes, you'll see a message confirming the restore. Then open public_html in File Manager and check the files.

How do I restore a MySQL database backup?

If you have a MySQL backup downloaded from cPanel and the target account has the same username, use cPanel › Files › Backup › Restore a MySQL Database Backup. If you have a .sql dump made with another tool, or the username has changed, create the database with MySQL Database Wizard and import it with phpMyAdmin › Import.

Scenario A: a MySQL backup from cPanel, same username

1. First download a backup of the current database from cPanel › Files › Backup › Download a MySQL Database Backup.
2. On the same screen, under Restore a MySQL Database Backup, click Choose File and select the backup (usually database_name.sql.gz).
3. Click Upload and wait for the result message.
4. In cPanel › Databases › MySQL Databases, check that the database is listed and assigned to a user.

This brings back the database contents; it doesn't always bring back the database user and password. If the site can't connect, check under MySQL Databases › Privileged Users that the user is assigned to the database with ALL PRIVILEGES. If the database prefix in the backup differs from the target account's prefix, use Scenario B; it gives more predictable results.

Scenario B: only a .sql or .sql.gz dump, or a different username

1. Open cPanel › Databases › MySQL Database Wizard and create the database. cPanel adds the prefix automatically, for example newuser_wp.
2. In the wizard's second step, create a database user with a strong password, for example newuser_wpuser.
3. In the third step, give the user ALL PRIVILEGES and save with Make Changes.
4. Open cPanel › Databases › phpMyAdmin, select the new database on the left and go to the Import tab.
5. Choose the dump and click Import. The screen shows the maximum file size; if your dump is bigger, compress it as .sql.gz.
6. Update the database name, username and password in the site's config file. On cPanel, the database host is usually localhost.

// wp-config.php – example: old and new values
define( 'DB_NAME', 'newuser_wp' );      // old: olduser_wp
define( 'DB_USER', 'newuser_wpuser' );  // old: olduser_wpuser
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'new-password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

How do I restore an email backup?

Restoring email depends on what you want back. Messages in mailboxes come back with a Home Directory backup. Forwarding rules come back with an Email Forwarders backup and filter rules with an Email Filters backup, each restored separately.

• Restoring a forwarder backup doesn't bring back mailbox messages. It only brings back the forwarding rules.
• Restoring a filter backup doesn't bring back email. It only brings back the filter rules.
• An Email Filters backup only contains account-level filters. User filters set up for a single mailbox aren't included.

Restoring Forwarders and Filters backups

1. Open cPanel › Files › Backup.
2. For a forwarder backup, find Restore Email Forwarders; for a filter backup, find Restore Email Filters.
3. Click Choose File, select the file and click Upload.
4. Check that the rules are listed in cPanel › Email › Forwarders and Email Filters.

How do I restore a Full Account Backup (cpmove)?

Short answer: as a reseller or a customer, you can't restore a Full Account Backup from cPanel. A full account restore needs server administrator access in WHM. On Domain Name API Reseller Hosting, you prepare the backup file and open a support ticket; the support team does the restore.

Preparing your support ticket

1. Keep the backup file on your computer and note its size. The support team will tell you in reply to the ticket how to send the file.
2. State the domain to restore and the target cPanel username.
3. If an account with the same username already exists, say so clearly and state whether it should be overwritten. Download a backup of that account first.
4. Check that the target package's disk quota is large enough for the extracted backup.
5. After the restore, work through the verification checklist below.

Only need part of a full backup?

If you don't need the whole backup, for example only the site files or one database, open the archive on your computer. cPanel's documentation suggests this route too. Compress the site files from the homedir folder and upload them with File Manager, and import the .sql file from the mysql folder with phpMyAdmin using Scenario B. You can't safely bring back email, Cron Jobs or DNS this way; open a ticket for those.

How do I restore a manual web archive (.zip)?

An archive such as site.zip isn't a cPanel backup; you upload and extract it with File Manager. Open the target folder in cPanel › Files › File Manager (usually public_html for the main domain), use Upload to add the archive, right-click it, choose Extract, and delete the archive when you're done. If the archive contains a subfolder, the files end up in a folder like public_html/site/; move them up one level.

Large backups and disk quota

If a large backup won't upload, the cause is usually disk quota, the browser upload limit or a dropped connection. Start with the Disk Usage figure on the cPanel home page: both the archive and its extracted contents need to fit. As the reseller, you can raise the account's quota temporarily in WHM › Packages › Edit a Package or Modify an Account.

• Large database dump: compress it as .sql.gz. If it's still over the phpMyAdmin Import limit, open a support ticket.
• Very large Home Directory backup: a browser upload may stop halfway. First consider restoring only the part you need, such as the site files. If the upload still fails, open a ticket and include the file size.
• How long a restore takes: it depends on the file size and server load. Small backups finish in a few minutes; backups of several GB take longer. Don't close the tab until it's finished, even if the screen looks unresponsive.

I've restored the backup. What should I check now?

A "restore complete" message doesn't mean the site works. Run the checks below in order. If something your backup type doesn't include is missing, that isn't an error; it needs its own restore.

Troubleshooting

Most problems come from the wrong backup type, a missing database, a database name with a changed prefix, or the PHP version. Try the fix you can do yourself first; open a support ticket when you don't have the access you need.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a Full Account Backup and a Home Directory backup are the same thing.
• Not backing up the current account before restoring.
• Restoring to the wrong cPanel account.
• Not checking the backup date and going back further than intended.
• Uploading a large backup without checking disk space.
• Restoring only the website files and forgetting the database.
• Restoring the database without checking the user and ALL PRIVILEGES.
• Treating a forwarder restore as a mailbox restore.
• Not checking the PHP version after the restore.
• Assuming Cron Jobs come back with a partial backup.
• Restoring an old database straight over a live online shop and deleting the orders placed since the backup.

Frequently asked questions

How do I restore a backup in cPanel?

First identify the backup type. You can restore Home Directory, MySQL, Email Forwarders and Email Filters backups yourself: open cPanel › Files › Backup, choose the file in the matching Restore section and click Upload. A Full Account Backup can't be restored from cPanel; on Domain Name API Reseller Hosting you open a support ticket for it. Back up the current account before you restore.

Can I restore a full backup from cPanel?

No. According to cPanel's documentation, a full account backup can't be restored automatically from the cPanel interface; the function only exists in WHM and needs server administrator access. As a reseller, prepare the backup file and open a support ticket. If you only need the files or one database, extract that part from the archive and restore it with the partial method.

How do I restore a cpmove file?

A cpmove file is a full account backup and is restored in WHM with server administrator access. On Domain Name API Reseller Hosting, open a support ticket with the domain, the target cPanel username, the file size and whether an existing account with the same name should be overwritten. Download a backup of the target account before the restore.

What does a Home Directory backup restore?

A Home Directory backup restores the files in the cPanel account's home directory: public_html, addon domain folders, hidden files such as .htaccess, and the email for your domains. It doesn't restore databases, email forwarders, account-level filters, Cron Jobs, domain definitions or the selected PHP version; you set those up separately.

How do I restore a MySQL backup?

If the account username is the same, upload the cPanel MySQL backup in cPanel › Files › Backup › Restore a MySQL Database Backup. If the username is different, create a new database and user with MySQL Database Wizard, give the user ALL PRIVILEGES, import the dump with phpMyAdmin Import and update the site's config file with the new details.

How do I upload a .sql file to cPanel?

Create a database and user with cPanel's MySQL Database Wizard and give the user ALL PRIVILEGES. Then select that database in phpMyAdmin and import the file from the Import tab. If the file is larger than the limit shown on the Import screen, compress it as .sql.gz. Finally, update the database details in the site's config file.

Does restoring a backup delete existing files?

A Home Directory restore writes the backup's files and overwrites files with the same name; files that aren't in the backup are expected to stay. A MySQL restore replaces the database contents with the version in the backup. That's why backing up the current files and database before restoring is the safest approach.

Does restoring a backup bring back my emails?

It depends on the backup type. A Home Directory backup and a Full Account Backup contain mailbox messages. MySQL, Email Forwarders and Email Filters backups contain no messages. Restoring a Home Directory backup for a few emails also overwrites the site's files, so for a single mailbox it's safer to open a support ticket.

What does a Forwarders backup restore?

An Email Forwarders backup restores only the forwarding rules, for example passing mail for info@ on to another address. It doesn't restore mailboxes, messages or filters. You upload it in cPanel › Files › Backup › Restore Email Forwarders and check the result in Email › Forwarders.

Why can't I see the restore option?

If there's no Restore section, the Backup feature may be turned off in the account's feature list; as the reseller, check WHM Feature Manager. For a Full Account Backup, not seeing a restore option is expected, because full backups can't be restored from cPanel. In that case, open a ticket with Domain Name API support.

How do I restore a large backup file?

First check that the disk quota fits both the archive and its extracted contents; enlarge the package in WHM if needed. Consider restoring only the part you need rather than the whole backup, and compress database dumps as .sql.gz. If the browser upload still stops halfway, open a support ticket and include the file size.

How long does a cPanel restore take?

It depends on the backup size, the number of files, your connection speed and server load. A small site restores in a few minutes; backups of several GB take longer to upload and extract. Keep the browser tab open until the process finishes and wait for the result message.

Why won't my site load after a restore?

The most common causes are a database that wasn't restored, an old database prefix left in the config file, a different PHP version and files extracted into the wrong folder. Read the log in cPanel › Metrics › Errors, check the database and user privileges, and set the PHP version used when the backup was taken.

How do I restore a WordPress backup to cPanel?

A WordPress backup has two parts: files and database. Restore the files with a Home Directory backup or by extracting the archive in File Manager, and the database with a MySQL backup or phpMyAdmin Import. Then check DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD and DB_HOST in wp-config.php and save the Permalinks setting once.

Related guides

• How to Migrate a Website to cPanel Reseller Hosting
• How to Create a Package in WHM
• How to Create a Customer Account in WHM
• First Login to Your Reseller Package: How to Access WHM
• How to Create Private Nameservers on cPanel Reseller Hosting