How to Use Backup and Restore in DirectAdmin
Select domains and data to create a backup, wait for it to finish, and restore only the content you need to recover.
Backup and Restore creates copies of your account data and allows you to recover it later. The backup contains only the categories you select; a partial backup is not a complete copy of all services.
The panel address, server name, domain, username, versions, limits, and available tools may vary depending on your service. Use the details in your hosting welcome email.
1. Open the tool
On the dashboard, open Advanced Features → Backup and Restore. The Create Backup section lets you choose what to include in the file.
2. Select domains and data
Under Domains, choose All Domains or Selected Domains and review your selection. Under Options, select the categories you need to keep.
Website data: domain directory and subdomain lists.
Email: accounts, messages and folders, settings, forwarders, autoresponders, vacation messages, and lists, depending on your selections.
FTP: accounts and settings.
Database: settings and data are separate selections.
Trash: includes deleted data when selected.
Check that your account has enough space to generate the backup. To recover an application that uses a database, you will normally need its files and database data from a consistent point in time.
3. Request the backup and wait for it to finish
Click Backup. The notice that backup creation has been added to the queue confirms the request; the backup may still be running. Wait for the completion message and check that the file appears among the available backups.
Under Restore Backup, View Current Backups opens the backup folder in the File Manager. From there, you can check the file and download a copy to your computer. Keep another copy outside the same account and treat the file as private information, as it may contain data and credentials for your services.
4. Select a backup to restore
Open Restore Backup. Under Backup, choose the file by its name and date. Review the Options contained in that file and select only the categories you want to recover.
5. Run and verify the restoration
Click Restore Backup. The restoration runs in the background: wait for its completion message before modifying the same data again or requesting another restoration.
Check the result in the appropriate tool: open the recovered files, visit the site, and, if you selected databases or email, check those services too. Acceptance of the request alone does not confirm that all data has been restored correctly.
If the file does not appear or the task reports an error, check that the backup exists and is valid, that you have enough space, and which categories it contains. Keep the error message so you can request help without sharing the entire file through public channels.