Security and Backups

Create and download a WordPress backup to my PC

Updated last month

Generate a backup of your WordPress site from cPanel and download it to save a local copy on your computer. A backup of a WordPress installation includes the website files and its database, and is different from the full account backup and daily automatic backups.

Before you begin, you need access to your cPanel. If you don't know how to access it, see how to log in to the cPanel control panel.

Create the backup from WordPress Management

WordPress Management is available in the cPanel sidebar and allows you to manage each WordPress installation in your account.

  1. Log in to your cPanel.

  2. In the sidebar, select WordPress Management.

  3. Locate the WordPress installation you want to back up.

  4. Create a backup of that installation (files and database).

The process may take a few minutes and displays a progress bar. If you prefer the detailed creation process with screenshots, see how to create and restore backups in Softaculous.

Download the backup

You can download the backup immediately after creating it or return later from the backup page.

  1. When finished, use the link to the backup page that appears at the end of the process.

  2. From the list of backups, download the backup file you need.

If you return later, log in to your cPanel, open WordPress Management, and access the installation's backup list to download the saved backup.

Where the file is stored

Backups are stored by default in the wordpress-backups folder, within the root directory of your account. You can locate them using the cPanel File Manager or an FTP client such as FileZilla, and download them to your computer.

Saved backups use space in your account. Once you have the local copy, you can delete any backups you no longer need to free up space.

Differences from other backups

This backup includes only the WordPress installation (files and database). To save the entire account—email, settings, and other domains—use the full account backup. Daily automatic backups are managed by Duplika and restored from JetBackup or Acronis.

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