A full account backup packages your website files, databases, email accounts, and configuration into an archive you can store off the server or use to restore or move your site later. Taking a backup before any major change, such as a WordPress update or theme switch, is the simplest way to protect yourself against something going wrong.
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open the Backup tool.
- Under Full Account Backup, click Download or Generate a Full Account Backup.
- Choose a backup destination. Home Directory is fine if you'll download it afterward; leave the email notification field filled in so you're notified when the archive is ready.
- Click Generate Backup. Larger accounts can take some time to process.
- Once you get the completion email, return to the Backup page and download the archive to your computer, then delete it from the server to free up space.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and open Backup/Restore.
- Under Create Backup, tick the domains, databases, and email accounts you want included, or select all for a full backup.
- Choose where to store the backup. Local storage on your hosting account works if you plan to download it right after.
- Click Create Backup and wait for the job to finish.
- Go to Restore/Move or the file manager to download the finished archive, then remove it from the server once saved locally.
Full backups can be large, especially with a big mailbox or media library. Keep at least one recent copy stored somewhere off your hosting account, such as your own computer or cloud storage, rather than relying only on copies left on the server.
If you only need to back up part of your account, such as a single database or the files in public_html, both control panels also offer partial backup options on the same Backup page, which produce smaller, faster downloads.