Backups

How to Create a Backup in Plesk

Creating regular backups is essential for protecting your website, email, and data against accidental loss, hacking, or server failure. Plesk makes it easy to create backups manually or on a schedule. This guide covers both methods. Creating a Manual Backup 1. Log in to Plesk. 2. Go to Websites & Domains. 3. Click Backup Manager. 4. Click Back Up. 5. Configure the backup settings: - Backup type: Full (complete copy) or Incremental (only changed data since last backup — faster and uses less space). - Storage location: Choose the default server storage or a configured remote storage (FTP/SFTP). - Backup scope: Choose whether to back up the configuration only (settings and metadata) or configuration and content (includes website files, emails, databases). - Exclude specific files: Optionally exclude log files, statistics, or mail from the backup. - Send notification email: Enter your email to receive a notification when the backup is complete. - Password protection: Optionally set a password to encrypt the backup contents. 6. Click OK to start the backup. 7. A confirmation message will appear when the backup is complete. Scheduling Automatic Backups 1. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 2. Click Scheduled Backup Settings. 3. Configure the schedule: - Active: Select Switch on scheduled backups. - Run at: Set the day and time (e.g., "Daily at 02:00"). - Backup type: Full or Incremental. - Keep backup files for: Set how many days of backups to keep. - Storage: Choose server storage or remote FTP storage. 4. Click OK. Downloading a Backup 1. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 2. Find the backup you want to download. 3. Click the Download icon (green arrow). 4. If the backup is not password-protected, Plesk will ask if you want to protect it. Optionally enter a password. 5. The backup file will be downloaded to your computer. Important Notes - Full backups include everything: website files, databases, email, and configuration. Incremental backups only include changes since the last full backup. - Backups count towards your subscription disk space. Remove old backups to free up space. - Always store a copy of your backup off-server (your computer or cloud storage). Troubleshooting Backup fails with an error: - Ensure you have sufficient disk space. - Contact your hosting provider if the issue persists. "Scheduled Backup Settings" option is not visible: - Your hosting provider may not have enabled scheduled backups for your plan. Contact support.

How to Restore from a Backup in Plesk

If your website has been hacked, files were accidentally deleted, or you need to revert to a previous state, you can restore from a backup. Plesk allows you to restore the entire account or only specific components. This guide covers the restoration process. Restoring All Data from a Backup 1. Log in to Plesk. 2. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 3. Find the backup you want to restore from. Click on the backup date to open it. 4. Select All objects to restore everything. 5. Choose a conflict resolution policy: - Do not overwrite: Skip any files or settings that already exist. - Overwrite: Replace existing files and settings with the backup version. 6. If the backup is password-protected, enter the password. 7. Optionally enter your email for a completion notification. 8. Click Restore. 9. Wait for the restoration to complete. Your website may be briefly unavailable during this process. Restoring Specific Objects 1. Open the backup by clicking its date. 2. Select Selected objects. 3. Choose the type of object to restore: - Subscription — Restore the entire subscription configuration and content. - Site — Restore only website files. - Database — Restore a specific database. - Mail account — Restore email accounts and messages. - DNS zone — Restore DNS records. - SSL/TLS certificate — Restore certificates. 4. Select the specific objects from the list. 5. Click Restore. Uploading and Restoring a Downloaded Backup 1. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 2. Click Upload. 3. Select the backup file from your computer. 4. If the backup was password-protected, enter the password. 5. Click OK. 6. Once uploaded, the backup will appear in the list. Click on it to restore. Important Notes - Restoring a backup overwrites existing data. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost. - Always download a backup before performing major changes (updates, redesigns). - If you forget the backup password, some data (like database passwords) may not be restored properly. Troubleshooting Restore fails with a conflict: - Choose Overwrite as the conflict resolution policy. - If the error persists, contact your hosting provider. Upload fails or takes too long: - Large backup files may take a while. Be patient and do not navigate away from the page. - FTP upload may be faster for large files. Contact your hosting provider for assistance.

How to Set Up Remote FTP Backup Storage in Plesk

In addition to storing backups on the Plesk server, you can configure an external FTP/SFTP storage to keep backups off-server. This provides an extra layer of protection in case the server fails. This guide covers setting up remote backup storage. Configuring Remote FTP Storage 1. Log in to Plesk. 2. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 3. Click Remote Storage Settings. 4. Select Use an FTP/SFTP storage. 5. Fill in the FTP/SFTP connection details: - Host: The FTP server hostname or IP address. - Port: 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP. - Login: The FTP username. - Password: The FTP password. - Directory: The remote directory where backups will be stored (e.g., /backups/). - Use passive mode: Check this if you have firewall issues with active FTP connections. - Use SFTP: Check this for encrypted file transfers (recommended). 6. Click OK. 7. Plesk will test the connection and confirm the storage is accessible. Storing Backups to Remote Storage 1. When creating a backup (manual or scheduled), select the remote storage as the destination. 2. Backups will be sent directly to the FTP server. 3. You can also copy existing server-stored backups to remote storage from Backup Manager. Important Notes - Remote storage requires a separate FTP/SFTP account on an external server. - SFTP is recommended over FTP for better security (encrypted connection). - Ensure the remote server has sufficient disk space for your backups. - Network speed affects how quickly backups are transferred. Large backups may take time. Troubleshooting Connection test fails: - Verify the FTP hostname, port, username, and password are correct. - Check if the remote server firewall allows FTP/SFTP connections. - Try enabling passive mode. "Remote Storage Settings" option is not visible: - Your hosting provider may not have enabled remote backup storage. Contact support.

How to Remove Old Backups in Plesk

Backups occupy disk space on your hosting account. Removing old or unnecessary backups frees up space for your website and email. This guide explains how to manage and remove backup files in Plesk. Removing a Single Backup 1. Log in to Plesk. 2. Go to Websites & Domains → Backup Manager. 3. Find the backup you want to remove. 4. Select the checkbox next to the backup. 5. Click Remove. 6. Confirm the deletion. Removing Multiple Backups 1. In Backup Manager, select the checkboxes for all backups you want to remove. 2. Click Remove and confirm. Automating Backup Cleanup To automatically remove old backups: 1. Go to Backup Manager → Scheduled Backup Settings. 2. Set Keep backup files for: to the number of days you want to retain (e.g., 30 days). 3. Backups older than this will be automatically deleted. Important Notes - Removed backups cannot be recovered. Always download a backup to your computer before removing it from the server. - Check that you no longer need a backup before removing it. - If your account is running low on disk space, removing old backups is often the quickest way to free up space. Troubleshooting Cannot remove a backup: - The backup may be in use by a restore or backup operation. Wait for the operation to complete. - Contact your hosting provider if the error persists. Disk space is not freed after removing backups: - Allow a few minutes for the server to recalculate disk usage. - Check if backups are stored in remote storage as well.

Understanding Backup Types in Plesk: Full vs Incremental

Plesk supports two types of backups: full and incremental. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right backup strategy for your needs. Full Backup A full backup contains a complete copy of all your data: - Website files and configuration. - Databases and database content. - Email accounts and messages. - DNS settings. - SSL certificates. Pros: Self-contained — can be restored independently of any other backup. Cons: Takes longer to create and uses more disk space. Incremental Backup An incremental backup contains only data that has changed since the last backup was created: - Faster to create than a full backup. - Uses significantly less disk space. - Requires the preceding full backup to restore. How it works: Plesk creates a full backup first. Subsequent incremental backups only store the differences. When restoring an incremental backup, Plesk automatically applies the full backup and all incremental backups made before the one you selected. Which Should You Choose? - Full backup: Best for one-time backups before major changes (updates, migrations). Provides the most reliable restore. - Incremental backup: Best for scheduled daily backups. Faster and uses less space, ideal for automated backup routines. Important Notes - If the original full backup is deleted, incremental backups made after it cannot be restored. - Restoring an incremental backup takes longer than restoring a full backup, because Plesk must apply all intermediate backups. - For critical data, always maintain at least one recent full backup. Troubleshooting Incremental restore fails: - The original full backup may be missing or corrupted. Check that all backups in the chain are present.

How to Restore a Database from a Plesk Backup

If your database got corrupted, accidentally modified, or you need to roll back to an earlier version, Plesk lets you restore a single database from a backup without affecting the rest of your account. Method 1: Restore from a subscription backup If you have a full subscription backup that includes databases, you can pull out just the database you need: 1. Log in to your Plesk panel. 2. Go to Websites & Domains > Backup Manager. 3. Click the backup that contains the database version you want. 4. Under What do you want to restore?, select Selected objects. 5. In the Type of object to restore dropdown, choose Database. 6. From the Available list, click the database you want to restore. It will move to the Selected column. 7. Under Restore, choose what to bring back: - Configuration only — restores the database structure and user accounts, but not the actual data. - Configuration and content — restores everything including all tables and data. 8. If the backup is password-protected, enter the password. 9. Click Restore. Method 2: Restore from a database dump (SQL file) If you exported a database dump earlier (an .sql file), you can import it back: 1. Go to Websites & Domains > Databases. 2. Click on the database you want to restore into. 3. Click Import Dump. 4. Choose the .sql file from your computer or select one already uploaded to the server. 5. Click OK. The dump file must match the database type — you can't import a MySQL dump into a PostgreSQL database. Important things to know - Restoring a database overwrites the current one. All existing tables and data in that database will be replaced with the backup version. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost. - Database users are restored too. When restoring with configuration, the associated database user accounts are included. - One object type at a time. If you also need to restore files, you'll need to run a separate restore for those. - Check your site after restoring. Make sure your application (WordPress, Joomla, etc.) connects properly. If the database username or password changed, update your site's configuration file. How to export a database dump for safekeeping It's good practice to export a quick dump before making database changes: 1. Go to Websites & Domains > Databases. 2. Click the database name. 3. Click Export Dump. 4. The .sql file will be saved to your server. You can then download it from File Manager.

How to Restore Individual Files from a Plesk Backup

You don't always need to restore an entire backup. If you accidentally deleted or overwrote a specific file, Plesk lets you restore individual files and directories from a backup without affecting the rest of your website. Step 1: Open the Backup Manager Log in to your Plesk control panel. Go to Websites & Domains and click Backup Manager. Step 2: Select the backup You will see a list of available backups with their creation dates. Click the date of the backup that contains the file you want to restore. If you are restoring from an incremental backup, Plesk will automatically include data from the corresponding full backup and all incremental backups in between. Step 3: Choose "Selected objects" On the restoration page, under Backup content, select Selected objects instead of "All objects". Step 4: Select "Files and directories" From the object type dropdown, choose Files and directories. Step 5: Pick your subscription In the Subscription dropdown, select the domain or subscription that contains the file you want to restore. Start typing the domain name to filter the list. Step 6: Select the files to restore Browse through the file tree and tick the checkboxes next to the specific files or folders you want to restore. You can select multiple items at once. Step 7: Configure restoration options - Conflicts resolution policy: Choose what happens if the file already exists on the server. "Overwrite" replaces the current version with the backup copy. - Email notification: Enter your email address to receive a notification when the restoration completes. - Backup password: If the backup was password-protected, enter the password here. Step 8: Start the restoration Click Restore. Plesk will restore only the selected files, leaving everything else untouched. Step 9: Verify the restored files After the restoration completes, check your website to confirm the files are back. You can use the Plesk File Manager to browse to the restored files and verify their content and modification date. Important notes - Restored files overwrite existing files with the same name. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost for those specific files. - You can only restore objects of one type per restoration session. If you need to restore both files and a database, you will need to run two separate restorations. - Only backups created in Plesk Onyx 17.0 or later can be restored. - Consider creating a fresh backup before restoring, so you have a snapshot of the current state as a safety net. Troubleshooting - "Files and directories" option not available: The backup may only contain configuration data. You need a backup that was created with User files and databases selected. - Cannot find the file in the tree: The file may not have existed when the backup was created, or it may have been excluded from the backup. - Restoration fails with a signature warning: This happens if the backup was created on a different server or before Plesk 11.5. Tick Restore backup file despite a corrupted signature to proceed, but only if you trust the backup source. - Password required: If you forgot the backup password, clear the Provide the password option. The files will be restored, but some sensitive data like user passwords may be replaced with random values.

How to Download a Backup to Your Local Computer in Plesk

Keeping a local copy of your website backup is one of the smartest things you can do. If anything goes wrong on the server, you've got a copy sitting safely on your own machine. Here's how to download a backup from Plesk to your computer. Before you start You need at least one existing backup in Plesk. If you haven't created one yet, go to Websites & Domains > Backup Manager > Back Up and create one first. Steps to download a backup 1. Log in to your Plesk control panel. 2. Go to Websites & Domains > Backup Manager. 3. You'll see a list of all available backups with their dates and sizes. Click on the backup you want to download. 4. Click the Download button. 5. Plesk will ask if you want to protect the backup with a password. We recommend setting a password — if the backup file ever falls into the wrong hands, your data stays protected. 6. If you don't want password protection, clear the "Use password protection" checkbox. 7. Click OK. 8. Your browser will start downloading the backup file to your default Downloads folder. Things to keep in mind - Large backups take time. If your site has several gigabytes of data, the download could take a while depending on your internet speed. Don't close the browser tab while the download is in progress. - Disk space on the server matters. Plesk creates a temporary archive during the download process. If your server is low on disk space, the download may fail. Free up space or contact support if this happens. - Store backups safely. Once downloaded, move the file to a secure location — an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another safe spot. Don't leave it sitting in your Downloads folder indefinitely. - You can re-upload later. If you ever need to restore from a downloaded backup, go to Backup Manager > Upload to send it back to the server and restore from there. How often should you download backups? That depends on how often your site changes. If you update content daily, download a backup at least once a week. For mostly static sites, once a month is usually enough. The key is having a recent local copy available when you need it — server backups alone aren't enough if the server itself becomes unavailable.

How to Exclude Specific Files or Folders from Plesk Backups

Not everything on your hosting account needs to be in every backup. Large media folders, cache directories, or temporary files can bloat your backup size and slow the process down. Plesk lets you exclude specific files and folders so your backups stay lean and fast. How to exclude files from a domain backup 1. Log in to your Plesk control panel. 2. Go to Websites & Domains > Backup Manager. 3. Click Back Up to start a new backup. 4. Choose your backup type (full or incremental). 5. Tick the "Exclude specific files from the backup" checkbox. 6. Enter the paths of files or folders you want to exclude in the text box that appears. Enter one path per line. 7. Click OK to start the backup. Path format and examples All paths must be relative to your subscription root — not absolute server paths. Here are common examples: - Exclude a single file: httpdocs/images/old-photo.jpg - Exclude an entire folder and its contents: httpdocs/cache - Exclude all files inside a folder (but keep the empty folder): httpdocs/tmp/* - Exclude files by extension: httpdocs/uploads/*.log What to consider excluding - Cache folders — for example, httpdocs/wp-content/cache for WordPress sites. These regenerate automatically and don't need to be backed up. - Log files — Plesk often has a built-in option to exclude logs. Tick "Exclude log files" separately if available. - Large media archives — if you have gigabytes of video or image files that are already stored and backed up elsewhere, there's no need to include them again. - Temporary and staging files — anything in /tmp or development folders you don't need to preserve. Important notes - The wildcard * matches files within a single directory level only. It won't recurse into subfolders automatically. - Excluded files won't be available for restore from that particular backup. Make sure anything you exclude is either expendable or backed up through another method. - If you regularly exclude the same paths, Plesk remembers your exclusion settings for future backups of that domain. You won't need to re-enter them each time. - Excluding large folders can significantly reduce both backup time and storage usage on the server.

How to Schedule Automatic Backups in Plesk

Regular backups protect your website files, databases, emails, and settings from accidental loss. Plesk's Backup Manager lets you schedule automatic backups so you never have to remember to do it manually. Setting up a scheduled backup 1. Log in to your Plesk control panel. 2. Go to Websites & Domains and select the domain you want to back up. 3. Click Backup Manager from the domain dashboard. 4. Click the Schedule tab. 5. Tick the Activate this backup task checkbox. 6. Configure the schedule: - Run this backup task: Choose Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Weekly is a good default for most sites. - Time: Pick a low-traffic period (e.g., 2:00 AM). - Use incremental backup: Leave ticked. Incremental backups only save changes since the last backup, saving disk space. - Perform full backup: Set how often a complete backup is created (e.g., weekly or monthly). 7. Under Backup settings, choose what to include: - User files and databases — website files, databases, and email. - Only configuration — settings only (domain config, email accounts, DNS). 8. Set Keep backup files for to control retention. For daily backups, 7–14 days is usually sufficient. 9. Choose the Store in location (defaults to local server storage). 10. Click Save (or OK) to activate. Setting up remote storage (recommended) Storing backups only on the same server defeats the purpose if the server fails. Plesk supports several remote options: 1. In Backup Manager, click Remote Storage Settings. 2. Choose a storage type: FTP/FTPS, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3. Cloud options require their respective Plesk extensions. 3. Enter your credentials and test the connection. 4. Return to the Schedule tab and select the remote storage under Store in. Optional settings - Exclude log files: Reduces backup size by skipping server logs. - Exclude specific files: Add paths to directories you don't need (cache folders, temp files). - Email notifications: Enable error notifications so you'll know immediately if a backup fails. - Suspend domains during backup: Only use this for active e-commerce databases that need perfect consistency. It causes brief downtime. Important notes - Backups consume disk space. Use incremental backups and set a retention period to automatically remove old ones. - Always keep at least one backup copy off-server — remote FTP, cloud storage, or downloaded locally. - Test your backups periodically by restoring to a staging environment. A backup you can't restore is worthless. - Scheduled backups run whether your site is live or not. Deactivate the schedule if you take a site offline permanently. Troubleshooting - Backup fails with "not enough disk space": Delete old backups from Backup Manager or switch to remote storage. - Schedule doesn't run: Confirm "Activate this backup task" is ticked and that you saved the settings. - Remote storage connection fails: Check credentials, enable passive mode and FTPS if required, and verify the remote server is reachable.