Home Security & Backups How to Restore a Website from Backup: A Complete Customer Guide

How to Restore a Website from Backup: A Complete Customer Guide

Last updated on Jul 24, 2025

How to Restore a Website from Backup: A Complete Customer Guide

Description:
This guide walks you through restoring your website files, databases, and configurations using popular backup plugins like UpdraftPlus and the built-in JetBackup tool on Eco Web Hosting shared hosting accounts. Whether you need to recover from accidental changes, restore lost content, or roll back to a previous site version, this article will help you do it confidently — no server admin access required.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of Backup & Restore Options

Eco Web Hosting provides multiple ways for shared hosting customers to restore their website:

  • JetBackup: Built into your hosting control panel; restores full accounts, files, databases, and more.
  • UpdraftPlus: A popular WordPress plugin for restoring WordPress sites and content.
  • Manual Uploads: For advanced users, restore files using File Manager or FTP.

> Tip: JetBackup is included automatically on all hosting accounts.

2. Restoring Your Site with JetBackup

JetBackup is the easiest way to restore your website to a previous state. You can restore your entire account, specific files/folders, or just your database.

Accessing JetBackup

  1. Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel or StackCP).
  2. Locate and click the JetBackup icon in your dashboard.

A. Full Account Restore

Restore your entire website (files, databases, emails, settings) to a previous backup point:

  1. In JetBackup, click Full Account Backups.
  2. Select a backup date from the available list.
  3. Click Restore.
  4. Confirm the action.

This will overwrite your current site with the backup version for all files and databases.

B. Restore Website Files (Home Directory)

Restore only website files — ideal if you uploaded something by mistake or deleted files:

  1. Click File Backups or Home Directory in JetBackup.
  2. Browse or search for the files/folders you want to restore.
  3. Select the items to restore.
  4. Click Restore Selected and confirm.

C. Restore a Database

Perfect for rolling back WordPress or other database-driven sites:

  1. Go to Database Backups in JetBackup.
  2. Locate the database you wish to restore (e.g., yourdb_wp123).
  3. Choose a backup date.
  4. Click Restore and confirm.

Only the selected database will be affected.

D. Download a Backup Copy

To keep an offline backup:

  1. In JetBackup (Files, Databases, or Full Account section), select a backup.
  2. Click Generate Download.
  3. When ready, download the compressed backup file.

Example: Restore a Single File

If you accidentally deleted index.php:

  1. Go to File Backups.
  2. Search for index.php.
  3. Select it, click Restore Selected, and confirm.

3. Restoring with UpdraftPlus (WordPress)

If you use UpdraftPlus for WordPress backups:

A. Restore via WordPress Dashboard

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
  2. Go to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups.
  3. Under Existing Backups, find your desired backup.
  4. Click Restore and choose what to restore (files, database, plugins, themes).
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for completion.

B. Manual Restore (from downloaded files)

If you have backup files downloaded, upload them to the WordPress wp-content/updraft folder via File Manager or FTP, then repeat the steps above to restore.

Typical Files Handled by UpdraftPlus

  • Database (.gz or .sql)
  • Plugins, Themes, Uploads (.zip)
  • Others (e.g., others.zip for miscellaneous files)

4. Troubleshooting Common Restore Issues

A. Restore Isn’t Working or Fails

  • Check disk space in your hosting account. Insufficient space can block restores.
  • Ensure the backup date includes the content you want.
  • If restoring via JetBackup, refresh the page after several minutes — some restores take longer.

B. WordPress Site Still Broken After Restore

  • Clear any caching plugins or browser cache.
  • If only files were restored, try restoring the database as well.
  • Check your .htaccess file for custom rules that might need to be reverted.

C. Permissions Issues

If files don’t appear or work after restore, fix permissions via File Manager:

# For most PHP sites
chmod 644 filename.php
chmod 755 foldername/

> You can use the File Manager’s interface to set permissions — right-click the file/folder and choose "Change Permissions".

5. FAQs & Further Assistance

How far back do JetBackup backups go?

  • Typically, backups are retained for up to 28 days (may vary by hosting plan).

Need more help?

If you’re unsure or run into problems, open a support ticket via your Eco Web Hosting client area with details. Include:

  • The domain affected
  • What you’ve tried
  • Any error messages

Remember:
You can always preview and manage your backups safely using JetBackup before making changes. For additional guidance, browse our Knowledge Base or reach out via support ticket for assistance.