Download and Restore MySQL Database Backup
Backups are a very important part of maintaining a website. It is important to back up your files and databases on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis or before making any major changes so that a backup is available in the event of data loss.
A MySQL database backup will backup all data in a specific database. This can be useful for backing up the valuable data of various scripts; however, it is only a partial backup. It will not include DNS, home directory files, or other system files and settings. If you would prefer to generate a full backup, please see the following article:
Create a MySQL Database Backup
To create a backup of your MySQL Database:
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the Files section, click on the Backups icon.
- Under Partial Backups, look for Download a MySQL Database Backup, and then click the name of the specific database you want to backup.
- Wait for the download to complete.
The backup file will be downloaded in a .sql.gz file, which can be opened with the Linux command line. The file can also be unzipped from a Windows-based machine with the appropriate software.
Restore a Home Directory Backup
A MySQL database backup can be restored in cPanel, in the same place where the backup was created.
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the Files section, click on the Backups icon.
- Under Partial Backups, look for Restore a MySQL Database Backup, and then click on the Browse button.
- Navigate to the appropriate destination in the popup that appears and select the backup file you intend to use.
- Click Open.
- Click Upload.
- A pop-up will show displaying the database name and status of the database restore. This is only for confirmation purposes and is safe to close.