How to Back Up Your Website Using cPanel

Rob Smith
25 Oct, 2026

Creating a backup in cPanel is one of the best ways to protect your website data. Even if your hosting provider keeps server-level backups, it is still smart to download your own copy. That way, you can restore your website quickly if files are deleted, a script breaks, or you need to move to another server.

This guide explains how to generate a full website backup in cPanel, download it to your local computer, and remove the backup file from the server to save disk space.

Why You Should Keep Your Own cPanel Backup

A full cPanel backup can include:

Website files
Email accounts and forwarders
Databases
Domain and account configuration data

Having your own backup is useful when you want to:

Restore your site after accidental changes
Migrate to another cPanel server
Keep an offline copy for safety
Recover quickly during unexpected issues

A good rule is simple: the more important your website is, the more important your own backups become.

How to Create a Full Backup in cPanel

Follow these steps to generate a complete backup of your account.

Step 1: Log in to cPanel
Open your browser and sign in to your cPanel account with your username and password.

Step 2: Open the Backup tool
In cPanel, go to the Files section and click Backup.

On some themes, you may also see Backup Wizard. Both can be used to create backups, but this guide focuses on the standard Backup option.

Step 3: Choose Full Backup
Click Download a Full Account Backup or the option for a complete website backup.

A full backup is the best choice when you want a complete copy of your account, not just selected files or a single database.

Step 4: Select the backup destination
For the backup destination, choose Home Directory.

This stores the backup file inside your hosting account so you can download it afterward.

Step 5: Generate the backup
Confirm the settings and start the backup process.

Depending on the size of your website, this may take a few minutes or longer. You can refresh the page after some time to check whether the backup file is ready.

How to Download the Backup

Once the backup has been created:

1. Go back to the Backup page in cPanel, or open File Manager
2. Look for a compressed backup file, usually in `.tar.gz` format
3. Download the file to your computer
4. Store it in a safe local folder or external storage location

This `.tar.gz` file can be used later to restore your account on a compatible cPanel server.

Important: Delete the Backup from the Server After Downloading

After you have successfully downloaded the backup to your computer, delete it from the server.

Why this matters:

Backup files can be large
Leaving them in the home directory can use up disk space quickly
Too little free space can affect website and email performance

How to delete the backup file

Open File Manager in cPanel

Go to the Home directory
Find the backup file
Delete it
Empty the Trash in File Manager to fully free the disk space

Always confirm that the download is complete before deleting the server copy.

Full Backup vs Partial Backup

cPanel may also allow partial backups, such as:

Home directory only
MySQL databases
Email forwarders
Email filters

Use a full backup when you want complete account protection.

Use a partial backup when you only need one specific item, such as a single database.

Best Practices for cPanel Backups

Download and store backups outside the server
Keep more than one recent copy when possible
Name or organize backup files by date
Delete old backup files from the server after downloading
Test your restore process if your website is business-critical
Create a fresh backup before major website changes or migrations

Making a full backup in cPanel is a simple process and an important part of website maintenance. Log in to cPanel, create a full account backup, download the .tar.gz file to your computer, and remove it from the server once the download is complete.

By keeping your own backup copy, you stay better prepared for restores, migrations, and unexpected issues.

If you need help with backup creation or restoration, contact the bodHOST support team for assistance.