Table of contents

Know what kind of backup you have Restore a WordPress site with your hosting provider Restore a WordPress site using a backup plugin Manually restore WordPress using FTP and phpMyAdmin Common restore issues and how to fix them Test your restored site before going live Getting started Additional resources

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WordPress Guide → Security → Restore SIte From Backup

How to restore a WordPress site from a backup

A reliable backup can save your site from disaster—but only if you know how to restore it. Whether you’re recovering from a hacked site, a broken plugin update, or a deleted database, restoring your WordPress site from a backup doesn’t have to be complicated.

Let’s walk through your options step-by-step.

Know what kind of backup you have

Before restoring, you need to identify what you’re working with.

Full site backups vs. partial backups

A full site backup includes all your WordPress files and the MySQL database. A partial backup might include only the files or only the database. You’ll need both to do a full restoration.

WordPress files: themes, plugins, media, core files
WordPress database: posts, pages, users, settings, etc.

Backup location and method

Where and how you created your backup will determine your restore process:

Hosting provider backups (via cPanel or custom dashboard)
Backup plugins (UpdraftPlus, Jetpack, BlogVault, etc.)
Manual backups using FTP and phpMyAdmin
Cloud storage backups (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3)

If you’re not sure what kind of backup you have, start by checking your hosting provider. Log into your hosting control panel (such as cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard) and look for a section labeled “Backups,” “JetBackup,” or “Site Management.” Most managed WordPress hosts automatically generate daily backups, and you can usually see these listed by date.

If you’re using a backup plugin, log into your WordPress admin area and check Plugins > Installed Plugins to see what’s active. Look for names like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, WPvivid, or Jetpack. These plugins often store backups in your server, or push them to cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Still unsure? Search your email inbox for terms like “WordPress backup complete” or the name of a plugin or hosting provider. These confirmation emails often include where the backup is stored and how to access it.

Restore a WordPress site with your hosting provider

Many hosting providers include automated backup and restore tools.

cPanel or hosting dashboard restore

Log into your hosting control panel (like cPanel or Plesk).
Look for options like JetBackup, Softaculous, or Backup Manager.
Choose the latest backup version.
Select whether to restore files, database, or both.
Confirm and wait for the restore process to complete.

If you don’t see backup tools, ask your host—they may have custom options.

Ask support for help

If you have a managed hosting for WordPress arrangement, your hosting provider will perform the restore for you. Just open a support ticket with the date you want to roll back to.

Restore a WordPress site using a backup plugin

Backup plugins usually let you restore directly from the WordPress dashboard. Here’s how it works for the most common tools:

UpdraftPlus

Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups in your WordPress admin.
Scroll to Existing Backups and find the version you want.
Click Restore.
Choose which components to restore (plugins, themes, uploads, others, database).
Follow the prompts and wait for completion.

Jetpack Backup

Go to WordPress.com > Jetpack > Activity Log.
Select the backup point you want to restore.
Click Restore Site.
Jetpack will handle the rest (no manual upload needed).

Other plugin tools

Plugins like BlogVault and WPvivid have similar restore flows. Log into their dashboard, select a backup version, and follow the prompts to restore your files and database.

Manually restore WordPress using FTP and phpMyAdmin

If you’re restoring from a manual backup (ZIP file + SQL export), you’ll need access to your hosting account.

Restore WordPress files with FTP or File Manager

Use FTP (like FileZilla) or your host’s File Manager.
Navigate to your root directory (usually /public_html/).
Delete or rename the existing wp-content folder if needed.
Upload the wp-content, wp-includes, and wp-admin folders from your backup.
Upload the root files (like wp-config.php, .htaccess, index.php).

Restore the database via phpMyAdmin

Log into phpMyAdmin from your hosting control panel.
Select the database tied to your WordPress site.
Optional: Click Check All > Drop to clear current tables if you’re replacing everything.
Click Import.
Upload your .sql backup file and start the import.

Update wp-config.php if needed

Make sure the database name, username, and password in wp-config.php match the database you just imported. If your site moved to a new domain, update the WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL values.

Common restore issues and how to fix them

Restores don’t always go smoothly. Here’s how to troubleshoot:

White screen of death: Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php to see errors.
Database connection errors: Double-check database credentials and host.
Broken layouts or plugin conflicts: Disable plugins by renaming the /wp-content/plugins/ folder.
Permalinks not working: Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes to flush rewrite rules.

Test your restored site before going live

Always verify your site after restoring.

Visit your homepage and a few blog posts.
Test admin login, media library, and key plugins.
Clear your browser, plugin, and server cache to avoid false issues.

Next steps for restoring a WordPress site from a backup

Restoring a WordPress site is a critical skill for anyone managing their own website. Whether you’re fixing a major error or recovering lost content, knowing how to get your site back online quickly can prevent data loss and downtime.

Set up automated daily backups now if you haven’t already. Use a reliable backup plugin and make sure you can access both files and the database. And practice restoring on a staging site if possible.

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