Complete Guide to Managing Your Website Backups
Overview
JetBackup 4 is an integrated backup solution that automatically creates backups twice daily and retains them for 30 days. This guide will walk you through accessing and using JetBackup 4 within your cPanel to manage and restore backups.
Prerequisites
- Active hosting account
- cPanel login credentials
- Basic understanding of website files and databases
Accessing JetBackup 4
- Log in to your cPanel account
- Locate the JetBackup section in cPanel
- Click into the JetBackup interface
[Insert Image — Alt: “JetBackup icon/section within cPanel.”]
Understanding the JetBackup 4 Interface
The JetBackup 4 dashboard contains the following main sections:
- Full Account Backups: Complete backups of your entire hosting account
- File Backups: Individual file and directory backups
- Database Backups: MySQL database backups
- Queue: Shows current backup and restore operations
- Snapshots: Point-in-time backup copies
Viewing Available Backups
- Select the desired backup type from the menu
- Browse through the available backup dates
- Each backup shows:
- Creation date and time
- Backup size
- Status (completed/failed)
- Available actions
Restoring a Full Backup
- Click on Full Account Backup
- Select the desired backup date
- Click the Restore button
- Choose restore options:
- Full restore
- Select specific items
- Confirm the restoration
Restoring Specific Items
- Select the appropriate backup type (File Backups or Database Backups)
- Choose the backup date
- Click Browse to view backup contents
- Select specific files or databases
- Click Restore Selected
- Confirm the restoration
Understanding and Using Snapshots
What are Snapshots?
Snapshots are point-in-time copies of your entire website environment that you can create manually before making significant changes. Unlike scheduled backups, snapshots are user-initiated and provide immediate backup protection before performing potentially risky operations.
Creating a Snapshot
- Navigate to the Snapshots section in JetBackup
- Click Create New Snapshot
- The system will automatically create a complete snapshot of your environment
- Monitor the snapshot creation progress in the Queue section
- If the status appears unchanged, try closing and reopening the Queue
- Wait for Completed status
Accessing and Using Snapshots
Once completed, snapshots are available in multiple locations:
- Snapshots section (main view)
- Full Account Backups section
- File Backups section
- Database Backups section
For each snapshot, you have two main actions:
- Restore
- Generate Download
Downloading Backups
- Select the desired backup
- Click the Download button
- Choose download options:
- Full backup
- Selected items only
- Important: Before downloading, ensure you have sufficient disk space in your cPanel account
- Downloaded backups are stored in your cPanel and count towards your disk space quota
- Consider downloading specific items rather than full backups when possible
- Alternatively, you can request our support team to prepare and provide the download for you
- Wait for the backup to prepare
- Download the backup file to your local computer
Real-World Restoration Scenarios
Scenario 1: Single File Change
Situation: You edited a CSS or PHP file and need to revert changes
- Inefficient Approach: Performing a full account restore
- Recommended Approach: Use File Backup restoration to restore only the specific file
- Benefits: Restoration completes in minutes instead of hours
- Example: Restoring a modified
header.phpfile from your theme
Scenario 2: Plugin Updates Gone Wrong
Situation: A plugin update caused issues
- Inefficient Approach: Performing a full account restore
- Recommended Approach:
- Restore only the specific plugin directory from File Backups
- If needed, restore the database separately
- Benefits: Minimizes downtime and resource usage
- Example: Restoring WooCommerce plugin directory and database after a problematic update
Scenario 3: Unknown Changes
Situation: Site issues but uncertain what changed
- This is when a full account restore makes sense
- Note: Be prepared for longer restoration times based on your site’s size
Impact of Disk Space on Restoration
Important Considerations:
- Full restore duration directly correlates with your site’s disk space usage
- Example timing estimates:
- 2GB site: ~30 minutes
- 10GB site: Several hours
- 20GB+ site: Can take many hours
Best Practices for Large Sites:
- Always identify what specifically needs restoration
- Use targeted restores whenever possible:
- Individual files
- Specific directories
- Single database tables
- Consider timing of restoration:
- Plan large restores during off-peak hours
- Communicate with users if site downtime is necessary
Restoration Decision Guide
Ask yourself these questions before restoring:
- Do I know exactly what changed?
- Yes: Restore specific files/directories
- No: Consider full restore
- When did the issue start?
- Select backup from before the issue occurred
- What type of change caused the issue?
- Plugin update → Restore plugin directory
- Theme edit → Restore theme file/directory
- Content changes → Restore database
- Unknown → Full restore
Support Team Assistance
Backup Restoration Service
Our support team is happy to perform JetBackup restorations on your behalf. Simply submit a support request specifying:
- Which backup date you need restored
- What specific items need restoration (if applicable)
- Any relevant details about why the restoration is needed
Backup Download Service
If you need a backup download, our support team can handle this for you:
- Request a backup download through support
- Specify the backup date needed
- The team will prepare and provide you with the download
- This prevents you from using your cPanel disk space for downloads
Note: These support services are part of our standard support offering at no additional cost.
Important Notes
- Backups are created automatically twice daily
- Retention period is 30 days
- Backups are stored offsite in redundant data centres
- No additional backup plugins are required
- Support team is available 24/7 if assistance is needed
Getting Help
If you encounter any issues with JetBackup 4 or would prefer assistance with any backup operations:
- Contact support through:
- Support portal – https://support.wpcloud.ca/clientarea.php
- Email – support@wpcloud.ca
- When requesting backup assistance, please provide:
- Backup date needed
- Type of restoration/download required
- Any specific files/directories if applicable
- Description of the issue (if restoration is due to a problem)
- Our support team can:
- Perform the restoration for you
- Prepare and send backup downloads
- Guide you through the process if you prefer to do it yourself
- Answer any questions about the backup/restore process