Website security is essential in the digital age. Unexpected events like server failures or accidental removals can lower your internet presence. Even on a shared hosting server, a good backup and restoration plan is essential. This blog  will guide you through backing up and restoring your shared hosting server website for peace of mind and quick recovery in an emergency.

Process of Backing up and Restoring your Website on a Shared Hosting Server

1. Assess Your Hosting Provider’s Backup Policies

Prior to delving into the creation of backups, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your hosting provider’s backup policies. Regular backups are often included in the service of many shared hosting providers. However, these backups may not be as frequent or comprehensive as you require. Consult your provider to gain insight into their backup frequency, retention period, and restoration process.

2. Choose a Backup Method

There are several methods to backup your website on a shared hosting server. Here are some common ones:

• Manual Backups: This involves downloading your website files and databases manually via FTP or a control panel like cPanel.

• Automatic Backups: Some hosting providers offer automatic backup solutions that can be configured to run at regular intervals.

• Backup Plugins: If you’re using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, there are numerous backup plugins available that simplify the backup process.

Choose the method that best suits your technical expertise and requirements.

3. Backup Your Website Files

Regardless of the method you choose, the first step is to backup your website files. Follow these steps:

• Access Your Hosting Control Panel: Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel).

• Navigate to File Manager: Locate the File Manager tool and access your website’s root directory.

• Select All Files: Select all files and folders within your website directory.

• Compress Files: Compress the selected files into a single archive (e.g., zip or tar.gz).

• Download Backup: Download the compressed file to your local machine.

4. Backup Your Database (if applicable)

If your website relies on a database (e.g., MySQL), you’ll need to backup the database separately. Follow these steps:

• Access Database Management Tool: In your hosting control panel, locate the database management tool (e.g., phpMyAdmin).

• Select Database: Select the database associated with your website.

• Export Database: Choose the export option and export the database to a downloadable SQL file.

5. Store Your Backups Securely

After creating backups of your website files and database, it is crucial to ensure their secure storage. Consider utilizing cloud storage services such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or offline storage solutions like external hard drives.

6. Test Your Backups

Regularly test your backups to ensure they are complete and functional. Perform a restoration on a test environment to confirm the functionality of your backups.

7. Restoring Your Website

In the event of a website failure or data loss, you’ll need to restore your website from the backups. Follow these general steps:

• Access Hosting Control Panel: Log in to your hosting control panel.

• Upload Files: Upload the backup of your website files to the appropriate directory using File Manager or FTP.

• Import Database: If applicable, import the backed-up database using the database management tool.

• Verify Restoration: Once the restoration is complete, thoroughly test your website to ensure everything is functioning correctly.

Backing up and restoring your website on a shared hosting server is a critical aspect of website management. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can safeguard your website against data loss and minimize downtime in the event of unexpected issues.

If you run into any issues or hiccups throughout “How to Backup and Restore Your Website on a Shared Hosting Server” our Support Team members are here to help.