JetBackup 5 is the backup management tool built into your cPanel dashboard. WPCloud runs two separate backup jobs daily for your account with 90 days of retention, stored in two geographically separate Canadian data centres. You do not need to configure anything. This guide covers how to use JetBackup 5 to browse, restore, and download your backups.

Accessing JetBackup 5

Log in to your cPanel account and scroll down to the Files section. Click JetBackup 5.

The dashboard shows an overview of your backups, including total backup snapshots available, recent alerts, and shortcuts to each backup type.

What Gets Backed Up

Your backups include your home directory (all files, including your WordPress site in public_html), MariaDB databases, cron jobs, DNS zones, SSL certificates, and FTP accounts. Backups go back 90 days, giving you three full months of restore points.

Choosing a Backup Date

When you select a backup type, JetBackup 5 shows a table of available backup snapshots listed by date. The most recent backup is selected by default and highlighted in orange. To restore from an older date, click Choose Other Backup and select the date you need.

Pick a date from before the problem started. If you broke something on Tuesday, restore from Monday’s backup.

Restoring Files (Home Directory)

This is the most common restore type. Use it to recover specific files or folders, for example a plugin directory you accidentally deleted, a corrupted theme file, or your wp-config.php.

1. In JetBackup 5, click Restore & Download in the sidebar
2. Click Home Directory
3. Select the backup date you want to restore from
4. Click Change File Selection to open the file browser
5. Navigate to the file or folder you need (your WordPress site files are in public_html)
6. Tick the checkbox next to the items you want to restore. You can select multiple files and folders.
7. Click Select Files to confirm your selection
8. Click Restore, review the restore summary, and click Restore Selected Items to confirm
9. Monitor progress in the Queue (sidebar)

A file restore overwrites only the files you selected. Everything else on your account stays untouched.

Restoring a Database

Use this when your WordPress database has been corrupted, you accidentally deleted content that is not in the WordPress trash, or a plugin update damaged your data.

1. In JetBackup 5, click Restore & Download
2. Click Databases
3. Find your database using the search bar. If you are not sure of the name, it is in your site’s wp-config.php file on the line that reads define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');
4. Click the database row to select it (it highlights in orange)
5. To use an older backup date, click Choose Other Backup
6. Click Restore, review the summary, and click Restore Selected Items
7. Monitor progress in the Queue

Important: A database restore replaces the entire database with the backup copy. Any content, orders, form submissions, or user registrations added after the backup date will be lost. Restoring a database does not affect your files; they remain unchanged.

After a database restore, clear your WordPress cache (LiteSpeed Cache > Purge All) to avoid serving stale content.

Full Account Restore

A full account restore rolls back everything: files, databases, cron jobs, DNS zones, SSL certificates, and FTP accounts. Use this only when you need to revert your entire account to a previous state.

1. In JetBackup 5, click Restore & Download
2. Click Full Backups
3. Select the backup date
4. Click Restore. A list of items to restore appears (Home Directory, Databases, Cron Jobs, DNS Zones, SSL Certificates, etc.)
5. Leave all items selected to restore everything, or deselect items you do not need (for example, you could restore files and databases but leave DNS zones untouched)
6. Click Restore Selected Items and confirm

Important: A full account restore overwrites the current state of your account. Anything added or changed after the backup date is lost. Full restores can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on your account size. Do not use your site while a restore is in progress.

There is a Merge backup data with live account data option. When enabled, JetBackup preserves your existing data and only adds what is missing from the backup. When disabled (the default), it replaces everything. If you are unsure which to use, contact WPCloud support before proceeding.

Restoring Other Items

JetBackup 5 can also restore cron jobs, DNS zones, SSL certificates, database users, and FTP accounts individually. The process is the same for each: go to Restore & Download, select the backup type, choose a date, select the item, and click Restore.

Downloading a Backup Copy

Instead of restoring directly, you can download a copy of your backup to your local computer. This is useful if you want to keep a local copy for your records or inspect the backup before deciding whether to restore.

1. Select your backup type and date as you would for a restore
2. Instead of clicking Restore, click Download
3. Click Download Selected Items
4. Go to the Downloads section in the sidebar to access the file when it is ready

Downloads are not instant. Backups are stored off-site, so JetBackup needs to retrieve the data before making it available. This typically takes a few minutes. You will see a notification when the download is ready.

Before downloading, make sure your hosting account has enough available disk space. The downloaded backup file is temporarily stored on the server before you save it to your computer, and a large backup can consume significant space. If you are low on disk space, contact WPCloud support and we can help.

The key difference: a restore writes backup data back to your live account and overwrites current data. A download gives you a file on your computer and does not change anything on the server.

Checking Restore Status

All restores and downloads run in the background. Click Queue in the sidebar to see the status of your jobs.

Each job shows its type (restore or download), what is being restored, and its current status: Pending (waiting to start), Processing (running), Completed (finished, shown in green), Failed (error, shown in red), or Cancelled.

You can cancel a job while it is Pending or Processing by clicking the job and selecting Stop Items. If a restore has already partially overwritten live data before you cancel it, the overwritten data cannot be recovered automatically. You would need to restore again from a different backup date.

How Long Restores Take

Restore times depend on the size of what is being restored. A single file restore typically completes in 1 to 5 minutes. A small database (under 100 MB) takes 2 to 10 minutes. A large database or partial home directory restore can take 10 to 30 minutes. A full account restore can take 30 minutes to several hours.

If a restore has been running for more than an hour without completing, contact WPCloud support so we can check that the job is progressing.

Before You Restore: What to Know

Restores overwrite data. A database restore from five days ago means anything added to the database in the last five days (posts, pages, WooCommerce orders, contact form entries, new user accounts) is gone. Make sure you understand what you will lose before confirming.

File restores are targeted. Only the files you select are overwritten. Your database and all other files are unaffected. This is the safest restore option.

Database restores replace the entire database. JetBackup does not restore individual tables or rows. The whole database is replaced. If you need table-level recovery, contact WPCloud support.

If a restore fails or is interrupted, your account may be in a mixed state (some data restored, some not). Do not try to use the site. Contact WPCloud support immediately and we will sort it out.

If you are unsure, download first. Download a copy of the backup, review it, and then decide whether to restore. This way you have the backup without risking any changes to your live site.

Need Help?

If you would prefer WPCloud to handle a restore for you, open a support ticket at support.wpcloud.ca. Let us know the domain name, the backup date you want to restore from, and what you need restored (files, database, or both). We will confirm the details with you before making any changes.

For more information about how WPCloud’s backup system works, see WPCloud’s Robust Backup Policy.