How to Restore a Backup in cPanel
Something broke or was deleted? How you restore depends on what kind of backup you have. Here are the three common restore paths.
Step-by-step
- Restore site files from a zip/home-directory backup: upload the archive via File Manager, extract it in a temporary folder, then move the needed files into place (or extract straight over public_html to overwrite everything).
- Restore a database from a .sql/.sql.gz dump: open Databases → phpMyAdmin → select the database → Import tab → choose the dump file → Go. For big dumps, gzip format uploads faster. (Details: import/export guide.)
- Restore from a partial backup made in the Backup tool: Files → Backup → Restore a Home Directory Backup (or MySQL section) → choose the file → Restore.
- Full-account .tar.gz restores must be performed server-side — contact EconomicalHost support (011-46563177) with the backup file ready; we restore it for you.
- After any restore, hard-refresh the site (Ctrl+F5), test forms and admin logins, and check the site in a private window.
- No backup of your own? Contact support about a courtesy-backup restore — note this is chargeable and depends on availability.
💡 Good to know
- Restore files OR database to match the same point in time — a mismatch can break dynamic sites.
- Before restoring over a live site, take a fresh backup of the broken state; it preserves anything created since the last good backup.
- Test restores on a staging subdomain when unsure.