Regular backups are essential for protecting your WordPress site against data loss from hacking, server failures, or accidental changes. cPanel provides built-in tools to create full backups of your website, including files and databases. This guide covers multiple backup methods.

### Method 1: Full cPanel Backup (Recommended)

This creates a complete backup of your entire hosting account, including WordPress files, databases, emails, and settings:

1. Log in to your **cPanel** account.
2. Go to **Files** → **Backup**.
3. Under **Full Backup**, click **Download a Full Account Backup**.
4. Select a backup destination (choose **Home Directory** to store it on the server).
5. Optionally enter an email address to receive a notification when the backup is complete.
6. Click **Generate Backup**.
7. Once complete, download the backup file from your **Home Directory** via File Manager or FTP.

### Method 2: Partial Backup (Files + Database)

If you only need to back up your WordPress site (not emails or other accounts):

1. In cPanel, go to **Files** → **Backup**.

**Step A: Back up WordPress files**

2. Under **Partial Backups** → **Home Directory**, click the directory backup link to download your files (this includes `public_html`).

**Step B: Back up the database**

3. Under **Download a MySQL Database Backup**, click the name of your WordPress database.
4. The database backup will be downloaded as a `.sql.gz` file.

### Method 3: Backup via phpMyAdmin (Database Only)

1. In cPanel, go to **Databases** → **phpMyAdmin**.
2. Select your WordPress database from the left sidebar.
3. Click the **Export** tab.
4. Select **Quick** and ensure the format is **SQL**.
5. Click **Go** to download the backup file.

### Method 4: Compress public\_html via File Manager

For a quick file-only backup:

1. In cPanel, go to **Files** → **File Manager**.
2. Navigate to the **Home Directory**.
3. Select the `public_html` folder.
4. Click **Compress** and choose `Zip` or `tar.gz`.
5. Download the compressed archive.

### How Often Should You Back Up?

- **Before any update** (WordPress core, plugins, themes) — always.
- **Before making design changes** or modifying code.
- **Weekly** for active sites with regular content updates.
- **Monthly** at minimum for low-activity sites.

### Important Notes

- Store backup files in a **separate location** from your server (your computer, external drive, or cloud storage).
- Full backups can be large. Ensure you have enough disk space on your computer to download them.
- You can also restore backups through the same **Backup** page in cPanel.
- Some hosting providers offer automatic daily backups. Check with your hosting provider.

### Troubleshooting

**Backup generation is taking too long:**

- Large accounts with many files or emails can take significant time. Wait for the process to complete.
- You will receive an email notification when the backup is ready.

**"Backup Wizard" is not available in cPanel:**

- Your hosting provider may have disabled it. Contact support or use the manual methods (phpMyAdmin + File Manager).

**Backup file is corrupted or will not restore:**

- The backup may not have completed fully. Try generating it again.
- Check your available disk space before generating a backup.

### Related Guides

- [Secure the site](/hc/help/en/articles/how-to-secure-your-wordpress-site-in-cpanel)
- [Update safely](/hc/help/en/articles/how-to-update-wordpress-plugins-and-themes-safely)
- [Recover from a DB error](/hc/help/en/articles/how-to-fix-database-connection-errors-in-wordpress)