WHM's Backup Restoration interface allows you to restore cPanel accounts from existing backups. This is essential for recovering from data loss, account corruption, or accidental deletions. Backups must already exist on the server (via WHM's configured backup system) for restoration to be possible.
Step 1: Log in to WHM
Open your browser and navigate to https://your-server-ip:2087. Enter your root credentials to access the WHM dashboard.
Step 2: Open Backup Restoration
In the left-hand sidebar, navigate to Home » Backup » Backup Restoration.
Step 3: Select a Restoration Type
Choose the type of backup you wish to restore from. The options available depend on your server's backup configuration:
- Daily — The most recent daily backup
- Weekly — The most recent weekly backup
- Monthly — The most recent monthly backup
Step 4: Select the Account and Date
Browse the available backups or use the search bar to find a specific cPanel account by username. Click on the account to expand it and view the available backup dates. Select the date of the backup you want to restore from.
Step 5: Add Account to Queue
Click the Add Account to Queue button. The account will be added to the restoration queue. Note: you can only restore one account at a time.
Step 6: Start the Restoration
Once all desired accounts are in the queue, click the Restore button to begin the restoration process. WHM will restore the selected accounts from their backups.
The restoration process runs in the background. You can monitor its progress on the Backup Restoration page. Large accounts may take some time to complete.
Important Notes
- Restoring a backup will overwrite the account's current data with the backup data. Any changes made since the backup was created will be lost.
- Ensure that backups are configured and running in WHM » Backup » Backup Configuration before attempting a restoration.
- The target account must either not exist on the server, or the existing account must have enough disk space for the restored data.
- Restoring a database-intensive or large account can temporarily increase server load. Consider performing restorations during off-peak hours.
- If you have remote backup destinations configured (e.g., Amazon S3, FTP), you may need to download the backup locally first, or use the Legacy Backup restoration method.
Troubleshooting
- No backups available: Verify that backups are enabled and running in Backup Configuration. Check the backup retention settings and available disk space on the backup destination.
- Account not listed: The account may not have been included in the backup at the selected date. Try a different restoration type (daily, weekly, monthly) or check if the account existed at that time.
- Restoration fails with disk space error: Ensure the destination partition has sufficient free space. You may need to free up disk space or restore to a different partition.
- Restoration fails with a timeout error: Large accounts may exceed the restoration time limit. Try restoring via SSH with the
/scripts/restorepkgcommand.
