{"id":717,"date":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:50:00","slug":"back-up-and-restore-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"sfl-hero sfl-hero-s\"><div class=\"sfl-w\"><div class=\"sfl-bc\"><a href=\"\/learn\/\">Learn<\/a> \/ <a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/\">How-To Guides<\/a><\/div><h1>How to Back Up and Restore a <em>WordPress Website<\/em><\/h1><div class=\"sfl-lead\"><p>A backup is a saved copy of your website that you can bring back if something goes wrong. In this guide you will learn what a complete WordPress backup includes, how to make one with cPanel or a plugin, and how to restore it.<\/p><p>Websites break for ordinary reasons: a bad update, a hacked password, an accidental deletion or a server problem. With a recent backup, a bad day becomes a short fix instead of a rebuild. Without one, you may lose years of pages, orders and customer details.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"sfl-meta\"><span>\u23f1 30 minutes<\/span><span>\u25ce Intermediate<\/span><span>\u2630 8 steps<\/span><span>\u21bb Updated Oct 2026<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"sfl-w sfl-art sfl-art3\"><nav class=\"sfl-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><b>On this page<\/b><a href=\"#need\">What you need<\/a><a href=\"#steps\">Steps<\/a><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common mistakes<\/a><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/nav><article class=\"sfl-prose\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-need\" id=\"need\"><h4>What you need<\/h4><ul><li>WordPress admin access<\/li><li>cPanel login, or a backup plugin<\/li><li>Off-site storage, such as a cloud drive<\/li><\/ul><\/div><h2 id=\"steps\">Steps<\/h2><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>1<\/b><div><h3>Know what a full backup includes<\/h3><p>Every WordPress site has two parts, and you need both. The files include WordPress itself, your themes, plugins, uploaded images and the wp-config.php settings file. The database holds your pages, posts, menus, settings, users and, for online stores, orders. A backup of only the files or only the database cannot rebuild your site on its own.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>2<\/b><div><h3>Check what your host already does<\/h3><p>Many hosting plans include automatic backups. Ask your host, or check your hosting dashboard, for three answers: how often backups run, how many days they keep, and whether copies are stored on a different server. In cPanel, look under Files for a tool such as Backup or a host-provided backup manager. Host backups are a helpful safety net, but you should still keep copies you control.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>3<\/b><div><h3>Make a manual backup in cPanel<\/h3><p>In cPanel, open Files, then Backup Wizard, and click Back Up. Under the partial backup options, click Home Directory and download the file. Go back and do the same for MySQL Databases, clicking the database your site uses. You can find its name on the DB_NAME line in wp-config.php. Save both files to your computer or a cloud drive.<\/p><div class=\"sfl-tip\"><b>Tip:<\/b> cPanel&#8217;s Full Backup option is useful for archives, but it cannot be restored through cPanel itself, so your host has to restore it.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>4<\/b><div><h3>Or schedule backups with a plugin<\/h3><p>A backup plugin can save your files and database on a schedule and send them to cloud storage automatically. Well-known options include UpdraftPlus, BackWPup and Jetpack Backup. Install one from Plugins, then Add New, connect a storage service such as Google Drive, Dropbox or Amazon S3, and set a schedule. Daily backups suit busy sites and stores. Weekly is usually enough for sites that rarely change.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>5<\/b><div><h3>Store copies off the server<\/h3><p>A backup saved only on your hosting account disappears along with it if the account is hacked, suspended or lost. Keep at least one copy somewhere else, like a cloud drive or your office computer. Hold on to several dated versions, not just the latest. If a problem goes unnoticed for a week, you will want a backup from before it started.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>6<\/b><div><h3>Restore with your plugin or host tool<\/h3><p>If you use a backup plugin or your host&#8217;s backup manager, restoring is usually a matter of picking a date and clicking Restore. Most tools let you choose which parts to bring back, such as only the database or only the plugins folder. Before you restore, take a fresh backup of the current broken site in case you need something from it later.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>7<\/b><div><h3>Restore manually in cPanel<\/h3><p>For a manual restore, open Files, then Backup Wizard, and click Restore. Choose Home Directory and upload your saved home directory file, then repeat with MySQL Databases and your database file. Restoring overwrites what is there now. If the database file is large, your host may need to restore it for you, or you can use the Import tab in phpMyAdmin.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-step\"><b>8<\/b><div><h3>Test the restored site<\/h3><p>Log in to WordPress and check your homepage, menus, contact forms and any checkout pages. If links show errors, go to Settings, then Permalinks, and click Save Changes to refresh them. Clear any caching plugin and your browser cache. A few times a year, practice a restore on a staging site so you know your backups actually work before you need them.<\/p><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"mistakes\">Common Mistakes<\/h2><ul class=\"sfl-mk\"><li>Backing up only the files or only the database, then discovering the backup cannot rebuild the site.<\/li><li>Keeping every backup on the same hosting account the backups are meant to protect.<\/li><li>Never testing a restore, then learning during an emergency that backups were failing or incomplete.<\/li><\/ul><h2 id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2><details class=\"sfl-faq\" open><summary>How often should I back up my WordPress site?<\/summary><p>Match the schedule to how often your site changes. An online store or a site with daily posts should be backed up every day. A brochure site that changes a few times a month can be backed up weekly. Always take an extra backup right before updates, theme changes or any major edits.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>Are my hosting company&#8217;s backups enough?<\/summary><p>They help, but they should not be your only copy. Host backups may run less often than you expect, be kept for only a short time, or live on the same system as your site. Ask your host how theirs work, then keep your own copies in a separate location so the business always controls its data.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"sfl-faq\"><summary>Will running backups slow down my website?<\/summary><p>Backups use some server resources while they run, which can briefly slow a busy site on a small hosting plan. Most plugins let you schedule backups for late at night when traffic is low. For large sites, backing up the database daily and the full files weekly is a common, lighter approach.<\/p><\/details><\/article><aside class=\"sfl-aside\"><div class=\"sfl-box sfl-box-o\"><h4>Need this done right?<\/h4><p>Fixed-price websites from $800, built and launched for you in as little as 5 days.<\/p><a class=\"sfl-btn sfl-btn-w\" href=\"\/web-design-development\/#pricing\">See website packages<\/a><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>Terms in this guide<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel\"><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/backup\/\">Backup<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/restore-point\/\">Restore point<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/wordpress\/\">WordPress<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/database\/\">Database<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/mysql\/\">MySQL<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/cpanel\/\">cPanel<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/plugin\/\">Plugin<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/glossary\/staging-site\/\">Staging site<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sfl-box\"><h4>More guides<\/h4><div class=\"sfl-rel sfl-col\"><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/choose-and-register-a-domain-name\/\">How to Choose and Register a Domain Name for Your Business<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/point-your-domain-to-your-website\/\">How to Point Your Domain to Your Website (DNS Records Explained)<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-business-email-on-your-domain\/\">How to Set Up Business Email on Your Own Domain<\/a><a href=\"\/learn\/guides\/set-up-spf-dkim-dmarc\/\">How to Set Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC So Your Emails Don&#8217;t Land in Spam<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/aside><\/div><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How often should I back up my WordPress site?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Match the schedule to how often your site changes. An online store or a site with daily posts should be backed up every day. A brochure site that changes a few times a month can be backed up weekly. Always take an extra backup right before updates, theme changes or any major edits.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are my hosting company's backups enough?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"They help, but they should not be your only copy. Host backups may run less often than you expect, be kept for only a short time, or live on the same system as your site. Ask your host how theirs work, then keep your own copies in a separate location so the business always controls its data.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Will running backups slow down my website?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Backups use some server resources while they run, which can briefly slow a busy site on a small hosting plan. Most plugins let you schedule backups for late at night when traffic is low. For large sites, backing up the database daily and the full files weekly is a common, lighter approach.\"}}]}<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn \/ How-To Guides How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website A backup is a saved copy of your website that you can bring back if something goes wrong. In this guide you will learn what a complete WordPress backup includes, how to make one with cPanel or a plugin, and how to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":533,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sitefitters-canvas.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.","sfb_learn":"1","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-717","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.7 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sitefitters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-26T03:50:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Website 101\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How-To Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/learn\\\/guides\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sitefitters\",\"description\":\"Custom Websites, Apps &amp; WHMCS experts\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Sitefitters\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/sitefitters-logo-elephant-dot.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/sitefitters-logo-elephant-dot.png\",\"width\":717,\"height\":140,\"caption\":\"Sitefitters\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sitefitters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website","description":"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website","og_description":"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.","og_url":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/","og_site_name":"Sitefitters","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/","url":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/","name":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-10-26T03:50:00+00:00","description":"Back up your WordPress files and database with cPanel or a backup plugin, store copies safely off the server, and restore your site quickly when trouble hits.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/back-up-and-restore-wordpress\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Website 101","item":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How-To Guides","item":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/learn\/guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to Back Up and Restore a WordPress Website"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/","name":"Sitefitters","description":"Custom Websites, Apps &amp; WHMCS experts","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#organization","name":"Sitefitters","url":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sitefitters-logo-elephant-dot.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/sitefitters-logo-elephant-dot.png","width":717,"height":140,"caption":"Sitefitters"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/717\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitefitters.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}