Backup Basics
Backing Up a Website Manually: Files, Database, and Where to Keep Copies
Every website is really two things to back up — the files that make it look right and the database that makes it work — and both need a copy off the server.
Daily
Backups included automatically on your account
3-2-1
Backup rule: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 off-site
24/7
Human support if a manual backup gets stuck
30-day
Money-back guarantee to test your workflow
In short
Backing up a website means saving two separate things: the files, including HTML, images, CMS core, themes, and plugins, and the database, which holds posts, users, settings, and orders. Download files through your host's cPanel-style file manager or an FTP client, and export the database as a .sql file through phpMyAdmin. Keep at least one copy entirely off the server, since a backup sitting next to the live site won't survive a server-level failure.
Following the 3-2-1 rule — three copies, on two different types of storage, with one kept off-site — turns a single backup file into an actual safety net.
This process applies to any website, regardless of whether it runs on WordPress, a custom PHP application, or plain HTML. Relying only on your host's automatic backups isn't quite the same as having your own independent, portable copy — one you control, can move between hosts, and can pull from before making a risky change like a major redesign or a migration.
Hosting Cheap already runs daily backups automatically on every account as a baseline, but the cPanel-style panel also puts a file manager and phpMyAdmin one click away, so exporting your own copy doesn't mean hunting through an unfamiliar control panel. If a large database export ever stalls partway through, 24/7 human support is there, and the 30-day money-back guarantee gives you room to test the whole workflow before committing.
Downloading Your Website's Files
In your host's cPanel-style file manager, compress the site's root folder into a single .zip archive, then download it. For larger sites, an FTP client such as FileZilla can pull files down folder by folder, which avoids timeouts that a single giant archive sometimes hits. This backup should include core CMS files, theme or template files, plugins or modules, all uploaded media, and any configuration file that stores your database credentials — a file worth keeping secured, since it contains sensitive login details.
Do this during a low-traffic period if the site is large, and verify the download actually completed by comparing the downloaded file size against your server's disk usage. A truncated download looks like a backup right up until the moment you actually need it and discover it's corrupted.
Exporting the Database With phpMyAdmin
Open phpMyAdmin from your cPanel-style panel, select the site's database, and use the Export tab, choosing either the quick option or the custom option for more control, with SQL as the output format. For larger databases, such as an e-commerce store with years of order history, use the custom export with compression enabled to keep the resulting file manageable, since phpMyAdmin does have upload and export size limits that very large databases can bump into.
Name the exported file with the date and site name so you can find the right version months later, and always keep a files backup paired with the database backup taken at the same point in time — restoring one without the other is how you end up with pages referencing content that no longer exists in the database, or vice versa.
Applying the 3-2-1 Rule to Where You Store Copies
The 3-2-1 rule means keeping three total copies of your backup, stored across two different types of media, with at least one copy kept off-site. A backup sitting only on the same server as the live site doesn't protect you from a server-level failure or account-level problem — it needs somewhere entirely separate to actually count as a safety net.
A practical setup looks like this: one copy on your own computer, one copy in a cloud storage folder such as Google Drive or Dropbox, and the host's own daily backups functioning as a third layer you didn't have to build yourself.
How Often to Repeat the Process
Back up manually before any major change — a redesign, a plugin or module update, a migration — and on a regular schedule that matches how often the site's content actually changes. A blog updated weekly needs a fresher backup rhythm than a brochure site that changes twice a year.
Test a restore occasionally by extracting the zip and opening the .sql file to confirm both are intact, since an untested backup is really just an assumption. Between your own manual sessions, the host's daily backups and 24/7 human support fill the gap if something needs recovering sooner than expected.
A Host That Already Handles the Server Side
Manual backups protect what you control, but the account underneath them matters just as much. Hosting Cheap runs daily backups automatically, so there's always a recent recovery point even between your own manual exports, and the cPanel-style panel puts file manager and phpMyAdmin one click away rather than buried in a hard-to-navigate interface.
Pure NVMe SSD with LiteSpeed keeps large file compressions and database exports moving quickly instead of timing out on a big media library or years of order history, and 24/7 human support is there if an export stalls midway.
- Daily backups running automatically, independent of your manual copies
- cPanel-style file manager and phpMyAdmin for direct file and database access
- NVMe SSD speed for compressing and exporting large sites without timeouts
- 24/7 human support if a backup or export doesn't complete
Why Hosting Cheap
What you get
Daily backups baked in
A server-level recovery point exists automatically, even between your own manual exports.
cPanel-style panel access
File manager and phpMyAdmin sit one click away, not buried behind a confusing interface.
NVMe SSD + LiteSpeed
Large file compressions and database exports finish quickly instead of timing out.
Free managed migration
Useful when moving hosts using a backup you've already taken yourself.
24/7 human support
Help on hand if a manual file or database export stalls or fails.
30-day money-back guarantee
Time to test your full backup workflow on the account risk-free.
How It Works
Get set up in a few steps
Download all website files
Use the file manager or an FTP client to pull core files, themes, plugins, and media.
Export the database in phpMyAdmin
Save a .sql file matching the same point in time as your files backup.
Store copies following the 3-2-1 rule
Keep three copies across two media types, with one stored entirely off-site.
Included
Everything you need, on every plan
- All files downloaded: core, themes or templates, plugins, uploads
- Configuration file with database credentials backed up securely
- Database exported as a .sql file through phpMyAdmin
- Large databases exported with compression or split by table
- Files and database backups labeled with matching dates
- At least one copy stored entirely off the server
- 3-2-1 rule followed: 3 copies, 2 media types, 1 off-site
- Backup tested by extracting or opening it before relying on it
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between backing up files and the database?
Files are the CMS core, themes, plugins, and uploaded media that make up how a site looks and runs. The database holds the actual content — posts, users, settings, and orders. A complete backup needs both, taken at the same point in time.
Can I back up a website without cPanel access?
Yes, an FTP client can download files directly, and most database servers support export tools outside of phpMyAdmin, such as command-line exports over SSH if you have that level of access.
How do I back up a very large database that times out in phpMyAdmin?
Use the custom export option with compression enabled, or split the export by table if the database is especially large. A command-line export is a more reliable option for databases that consistently time out through the browser.
Where should I store my website backups?
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three total copies, across two different storage media, with at least one kept off-site such as a cloud storage account or an external drive separate from the hosting server.
How often should I manually back up my website?
Before any major change, and on a schedule matching how often content updates — weekly for an actively updated site, less often for a mostly static one.
Does my host already back up my site automatically?
Hosting Cheap runs daily backups automatically on every account, which acts as a baseline safety net alongside any manual backups you take yourself.
Related hosting
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