Regular backups are the single most important safeguard for your website. Whether you face a hacking incident, a faulty plugin update, accidental file deletion, or server issues, a recent backup allows you to restore your website quickly and completely. cPanel provides built-in backup tools that every SakuraHost user should understand and use regularly.
Types of cPanel Backups
Full Account Backup
A full backup creates a complete compressed archive of your entire hosting account, including all files in your home directory, all MySQL databases, email accounts and data, email forwarders, email filters, and DNS zone configurations. Full backups are downloaded as a single .tar.gz file and are the most comprehensive backup option.
Partial Backups
Partial backups allow you to download specific components of your account individually. This includes your home directory (all files), individual MySQL databases, email forwarders configuration, and email filters configuration. Partial backups are smaller, faster to download, and can be restored directly through cPanel.
Creating a Full Backup
Creating Partial Backups
Database Backup
On the Backup page, scroll to Download a MySQL Database Backup. Click the name of the database you want to back up. A .sql.gz file will download containing the complete database structure and data.
Home Directory Backup
Under Partial Backups, click Download a Home Directory Backup. This creates a compressed archive of all files in your home directory, which is typically the largest portion of your backup.
Using the Backup Wizard
cPanel also offers a Backup Wizard (found under Files → Backup Wizard) that provides a simplified, step-by-step interface for both creating and restoring backups. The wizard walks you through three steps:
Restoring from Backup
Restoring a Database
.sql or .sql.gz backup file.Restoring Files
To restore files from a home directory backup, upload the backup archive to your home directory, then use File Manager to extract it. Be aware that extracted files will overwrite existing files with the same names.
For WordPress sites, you can also restore database backups using phpMyAdmin. Navigate to Databases → phpMyAdmin, select your database, click the Import tab, choose your SQL backup file, and click Go.
WordPress-Specific Backup Solutions
If your website runs on WordPress, consider using a backup plugin alongside cPanel backups for added convenience. Popular options include:
UpdraftPlus: The most popular WordPress backup plugin. Supports scheduled backups to remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3). The free version handles most use cases. One-click restore functionality makes recovery straightforward.
All-in-One WP Migration: Excellent for creating portable backups that can be easily imported to another WordPress installation. Ideal for staging and migration workflows.
Backup Best Practices
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: Keep at least 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage media, with 1 copy stored offsite (not on the same server as your website).
Schedule regular backups: Create backups before making significant changes (plugin updates, theme changes, content migrations). For active websites, weekly backups are the minimum recommended frequency. E-commerce sites should back up daily.
Test your backups: A backup is only useful if it can be successfully restored. Periodically test your backup files by restoring them to a staging environment to verify their integrity.
Clean up old backups: Backup files stored on your hosting account consume disk space. Download them to local storage and remove them from the server to avoid running out of disk space.
Document your backup procedures: Maintain a written record of what is backed up, where backups are stored, how often they are created, and the steps required to perform a restore.
For more information about cPanel backup features, visit the official cPanel Backup documentation. For enterprise backup solutions or assistance with restoration, contact SakuraHost support at billing.sakurahost.co.tz.