How to Manually Create a Website Backup in cPanel Without Using the Backup Option?

You can manually back up your website using cPanel File Manager and phpMyAdmin without using the cPanel Backup feature.

Step 1: Backup Website Files

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. Open File Manager.
3. Navigate to your website directory, usually public_html.
4. Select all website files and folders.
5. Click Compress and select Zip Archive.
6. Enter a name such as website-backup.zip and click Compress Files.
7. Once completed, download the ZIP file to your computer.

Step 2: Backup the Database

For WordPress and other database-driven websites:

1. Open cPanel → phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your website's database from the left side.
3. Click Export.
4. Select Quick as the export method and SQL as the format.
5. Click Export to download the .sql database backup.

Important

Your complete manual website backup should include both:

Website Files (.zip) + Database (.sql)

Download both files to your computer or another secure location. Do not rely on backups stored inside your hosting account, as they may be lost if the account is reset, suspended, terminated, or affected by a server/website issue.