cPanel Backup Tutorial

- A Step by Step Guide to CPanel's Backup Process

What files do you need to backup? 

Your website files (html, images, scripts, css, downloadable files, etc.), mysql databases, aliases and filters.

With the cPanel backup feature, you are able to simplify this process as all of the above files are contained within the cPanel backup page.
 

Let's start.

1. Access cPanel on your other providers server.  You normally do this with the following link: 
   
   http://www.yourdomain.com:2082 (change "yourdomain" to yours)
2. You will be needing your hosting username and password here.
    
3. Once inside, you will see something like this:

Important: If your CPanel doesn't look like the above, don't worry.  You will be able to see all the things you need to do here but in a different image only.  They all function the same.

Within your cPanel, you will see a link to the cPanel Backup function, go ahead and click this link to see the available backup options that are available to you.

Like this:

At this point it is a good idea to create a directory on your computer for each domain/user that you will download any cPanel backups for.

Once you clicked the link to the Backup page, you will see something like this:

NOTE: Before we proceed, let's dissect the above backup page screenshot so you will know what are all these backup files are worth to you. 

You will see that on top, there is what they call here System Backups and Full Backups.  And below you will see the links to download Home Directory, MySQL databases, Aliases and Filters.

What's the difference?

OK, so that it will be clear, they are all backups of your site but here is the main difference.

The first cluster of System and Full site backups (hereinafter referred to as "Server Backups") can only be restored by your hosting provider and contains all data needed to restore your account, web content, email settings, aliases, mysql databases (in .MYI format, just as they would be within /var/lib/mysql/user_database) and all system files necessary to recreate your account, should data be lost or your account terminated.

This is what we call cpanel Server Backups

while the second batch i.e. Home directory, MYSQL, Aliases and Filters (hereinafter referred to as Webmaster Backups) can be restored by you alone (through cPanel's restore function) without the help of your host. These files also contain all data you need to restore your account, web content, email settings, aliases, mysql databases (in .gz or zipped format) and all system files necessary to recreate your account, should data be lost or your account terminated.

This is what we call cPanel Webmaster Backups

So why I bother to explain this?

Because you have to be in control of your website.  If you download the wrong backup files say the Server Backup files, you might not be able to restore it yourself when your site needs to be restored on the same or another server. 

However, if your host is willing (I'd say 50% of them are willing to do restore System and Full site backups if you transfer to them because of the risks involved here. they have to trust you and the file you want them to uncompress on their server), then you can download and maintain the Server Backups.

But for purposes of this tutorial, we want you to concentrate on the Webmaster Backups only because this is something every webmaster can control and restore anytime to any Cpanel server in case of problems with your host.

Here are some detailed descriptions of what you are actually downloading:

Download a Home Directory Backup - Home Backup

This backup option will create a compressed file containing all of the data needed to restore the following:

• Web content (html, images, css, scripts and all other files contained in your public_html directory in Cpanel.
• Password Protected Directories settings.
• Additional pop email accounts and webmail data.
• Webstats History.

The /home backup simply compresses a copy of your /home/user directory, which contains all of the data that we have covered above. You should be able create a /home backup and then download the resulting compressed file to your computer if you wish to use the cPanel backup feature to transfer and restore the data to another host.

Download Alias / Filter Backup

Download MySQL Database Backups - MySQL backup

*Note to those with Resellers Account: Please note that to create and download MySQL database backups, you must access the accounts cPanel using the account's real password, not your reseller accounts password.

The MySQL backup contains all of your individual MySQL database backups. There will be 1 backup file for each MySQL database.

You should create a MySQL backup for each database and then download the resulting files to your computer if you wish to use the cPanel restore feature to transfer later the data to another host.

We are almost done here.

Normally, the biggest file you will download from the Webmaster Backups is the Home Directory file. Please make sure you let all the download to fully finish to get a restorable backup. If you fail to take note of this (say your connection to the internet is disconnected during the process), you might get an incomplete backup which will not work upon restore in Cpanel.

You will become aware of how big is your website once you are doing this backup process periodically and from time to time compare the file sizes in the directory you saved them.

Be organized and save your backup files in their proper domain directory. And within that domain directory, it is wise to create a separate directory for your database, alias and filters backup files.

You should view and checkup backup files from time to time in your backup directory like these:

Now you are in Control!

Once you have downloaded the above cPanel's Webmaster backup files to your computer, you can now be restful and confident that whatever happens to your webhost, you will not be affected.  When worse comes to worst, then you can simply point your domain to a new hosting provider with cPanel and upload / restore all of the backup files you have and presto, you'll get back online in no time as if nothing happened.

You are in control and that is a great feeling!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manny R. Jao II is self-taught webmaster whose aim is to improve the lives and working habits of other netrepreneurs just like him. He is the developer and owner of the first automatic backup software for CPanel-powered websites named CPSiteSaver which you can see at

Want to order CPSiteSaver?

If you want to automate the backup process above, try CPSitesaver today!