Backup Wizard is the cPanel tool for backing up and restoring your hosting account. A full backup creates a single archive of every file, database, and configuration on your site — ideal for migrating to a new server or keeping a local archive. This article walks you through creating a full backup and explains how full backups differ from partial backups.
About full vs. partial backups
Backup Wizard offers two kinds of backups: full and partial. The right choice depends on what you plan to do with the file.
Backup type | What it includes | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
Full backup | All files, databases, email accounts, and configurations on your account, in one archive. | Migrating to a new server, archiving the entire account, or sending a backup to support. |
Partial backup | One of: home directory, MySQL databases, email forwarders, or email filters. | Restoring a specific piece of your account from inside cPanel. |
Warning: You cannot restore a full backup through the cPanel interface. To restore individual parts, you must download the archive, decompress it, and upload the relevant piece — or create a partial backup instead.
Before you begin
- An active Exact Hosting cPanel hosting plan. Backup Wizard is included with cPanel hosting.
- Enough free disk space. The backup archive is roughly the size of your account's data. Check your usage before generating a large backup.
- (Optional) Remote storage credentials. If you want to send the backup off-server, have your FTP, SCP, or other remote destination details ready.
Step 1: Open Backup Wizard
- Sign in to cPanel. See Managing cPanel Access, or go directly to yourdomain.tld/cpanel.
- In the Files section, click Backup Wizard.
Step 2: Start a full backup
- Click Back Up.
- Click Full Backup.
Step 3: Choose a destination and start the backup
You can save the backup to your account's home directory or send it directly to a remote server.
- In Backup Destination, choose one of:\n
- Home Directory. Saves the archive to your account so you can download it later from File Manager or FTP.
- Remote FTP Server / SCP / WebDAV. Sends the backup directly to a remote location. Enter the connection details when prompted.
- (Optional) Enter an email address to receive a notification when the backup finishes.
- Click Generate Backup.
Backup Wizard starts the backup and displays a progress page.
Note: Backup generation can take several minutes to hours depending on the size of your account. You don't need to keep the page open — the backup continues in the background.
Step 4: Verify and download the backup
- Once the backup completes (or once you get the notification email), click Go Back in Backup Wizard.
- Review the list of Available Backups at the bottom of the page.
- Click a backup file to download it to your local computer if you stored it in the home directory.
Next steps
- Schedule recurring backups. See Managing Cron Jobs in cPanel for automating regular backups.
- Create a partial backup if you only need one piece. Partial backups can be restored inside cPanel.
- Read the cPanel reference. See the official cPanel Backup Wizard documentation.
- Store backups off-server. Keep a copy of important backups on a separate computer or cloud storage service so you can recover from server-side problems.
Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.
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