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How to back up and restore WordPress

Maxim Tsitsejev
Updated

Applies to: All plans

Before you start: You need access to your client area and to cPanel. For a plugin-based backup you also need to be able to log in to your WordPress dashboard.

There are two ways to protect a WordPress site at Maxinodes: our server-side backups (JetBackup in cPanel, which back up your whole hosting account) and a WordPress backup plugin (which backs up just one site from inside WordPress). You can use either, but we recommend keeping at least one independent copy of your site that does not live only on our servers.

This article explains both. For how our backups are scheduled and kept, see How backups work and Backup retention by plan.

Option 1: Server-side backups (JetBackup)

We back up your account automatically with JetBackup, written to off-site storage (Backblaze B2). This is the quickest way to recover because the snapshots already exist — you just restore from one. What you can restore depends on your line:

  • Self-Managed plans get self-service restore in cPanel. Retention is weekly on Self-Managed Lite, 7 days on Self-Managed Plus, and 14 days on Self-Managed Pro. You can upgrade Self-Managed to daily, 30-day, off-site backups with the Managed Backups add-on (EUR 5/mo).
  • Managed plans get daily, off-site backups kept for 30 days, managed by us. You can self-restore too, or open a ticket and we will handle it.

Restore a WordPress site from a snapshot

  1. Log in to cPanel from your service in the client area.
  2. Open the JetBackup section (look for the JetBackup tile, usually under Files or Backups).
  3. Choose what to restore:
    • Full Backups / Full Account to roll the whole account back to a snapshot.
    • File Backups to restore your WordPress files (for example the public_html folder or wp-content).
    • Database Backups to restore the site's MySQL database.
  4. Pick the snapshot date you want, select the item, and start the restore. JetBackup overwrites the current files or database with the chosen version.

Result: Your files and/or database are returned to the state they were in on the snapshot date.

For step-by-step detail on each restore type, see Restore a file or folder, Restore a database, and Restore a full account or website. To keep a copy off our platform, see How to download a backup of your site.

Tip: A WordPress site is its files and its database. If you restore one without the other, the site can break — restore both from the same snapshot date when in doubt.

Option 2: Back up from inside WordPress (a plugin)

A backup plugin is handy when you want an on-demand copy before a big change (a theme switch, a plugin update, an edit to wp-config.php), or a copy stored in your own cloud account.

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins -> Add New and install a reputable backup plugin.
  2. Open the plugin's settings and create a backup. Most plugins let you back up files and the database together.
  3. Send the backup to remote storage (your own cloud drive or object storage), not just to your hosting account — that keeps it safe even if the account is unavailable.
  4. To restore, use the same plugin's restore function and point it at the backup you created.

Result: You have an independent, downloadable copy of your site that you control.

A few Maxinodes-specific notes:

  • Backups count against your plan's storage. Large archives use disk space — check yours under disk usage and file count and delete old local archives once they are safely stored elsewhere.
  • A big backup or restore can briefly use a lot of CPU, memory or I/O. If the job stalls or you see a 508 error, it is hitting your CloudLinux resource limits — run it at a quiet time or let JetBackup do the heavy lifting instead.
  • If a plugin tries to email you a backup link, send WordPress mail through an SMTP plugin pointed at your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mailbox. We do not host mailboxes on the hosting server.

Which should I use?

Use JetBackup for fast recovery — the snapshots are already there and it covers the whole account. Use a plugin when you want an on-demand snapshot before a risky change or an extra copy kept in your own storage. Best practice is to use both.

Troubleshooting this task

  • I can't find JetBackup in cPanel. Use the cPanel search box at the top and type "JetBackup". If it still isn't there, contact us.
  • My restore failed or stalled. It may have hit a resource limit. Try again at a quieter time, or restore a smaller scope (one folder or just the database). On Managed plans, open a ticket and we will run it for you.
  • The site looks broken after a partial restore. You probably restored files or the database but not both. Restore the matching item from the same snapshot date.
  • I'm not sure which snapshot to use. Pick the most recent snapshot from before the problem started.

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