My Account | Contact Us | +33 1 76 23 10 11 |
FR FR
← Back to site

Back up a site (cPanel)

Back up files and MySQL databases for a hosted site via cPanel, JetBackup, and local download.

~9 min read Beginner #backup #cpanel #backup #hosting

Back up a site (cPanel)

Regular backups of your site on HolyCloud shared hosting protect against failed updates, compromises, and accidental deletions. This guide uses common cPanel tools (JetBackup, Backup Wizard, phpMyAdmin).

Prerequisites

  • cPanel access from the HolyCloud client area
  • Enough disk space for a local archive (plan quota)
  • Optional FTP credentials to export to your PC

What to back up?

| Component | Content |

|-----------|---------|

| Files | public_html, subdomains, .htaccess, uploads |

| MySQL database | WordPress / shop / custom tables |

| Email | If critical: separate export (webmail / IMAP) |

Full backup (Backup Wizard)

  1. Panel → Files → Backup Wizard.
  2. Backup → Full Backup (files + DB + mail config — heavy) or partial backups.
  3. Full Backup:

- Destination: Home Directory (then download) or Remote FTP Server if configured.

- Generate Backup — wait for the completion email.

  1. Download from Backups / list of generated archives.

Full backups can be long and large; on big sites, prefer separate files + DB.

Files-only backup

  1. File Manager → select public_html.
  2. Compress → type Zip Archive → backup-site-2026-06-21.zip.
  3. Download to your computer.
  4. Delete the ZIP on the server after download to free quota.

FTP alternative:

lftp -u utilisateur,password ftp.votredomaine.fr -e "mirror /public_html ./backup-local; quit"

Database backup (phpMyAdmin)

  1. Databases → phpMyAdmin.
  2. Select the database (e.g. hcuser_wp123).
  3. Export tab.
  4. Quick method, SQL format → Go.
  5. Keep the .sql file with the date in the name.

Command-line export if Terminal is available:

mysqldump -u utilisateur -p nom_base > backup-$(date +%F).sql

JetBackup / HolyCloud automatic backups

Depending on your plan, JetBackup or equivalent appears in cPanel:

  1. JetBackup 5 (or Backup and Restore).
  2. Restore and Download or Backups tab.
  3. Choose the restore point (files, DB, cron).
  4. Download an archive or Restore to the account (warning: overwrites current data).

Check retention (7 days, 30 days) in your hosting plan description.

WordPress backup (complement)

  • UpdraftPlus or Duplicator plugin: export to Google Drive / S3 / FTP.
  • Complements panel backups for granular restore (plugin only).

| Site type | Files | Database |

|--------------|----------|-----------------|

| Brochure blog | Weekly | Weekly |

| Active shop | Daily | Daily |

| Before update | Immediate | Immediate |

Restore (overview)

  1. Files: upload ZIP via File Manager → Extract into public_html (after backing up existing content).
  2. DB: phpMyAdmin → Import → choose the .sql (max size per plan — split if needed).
  3. JetBackup: point-in-time restore wizard.

After WordPress restore: Settings → Permalinks → Save.

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Action |

|----------|--------|

| Backup Wizard fails | Disk quota full — delete old archives |

| SQL import too large | Compression; split import; request limit increase |

| JetBackup empty | Plan without retention; use manual Backup Wizard |

| Site broken after restore | Check wp-config.php (DB name, user, host localhost) |

Archive security

  • ZIP/SQL files contain passwords — store encrypted off the public web.
  • Do not leave backup.sql in downloadable public_html.

Need help?

Open a ticket with the domain name, backup type (full / DB), and phpMyAdmin or JetBackup error message.