Plesk gives you two ways to back up a database — the built-in Export Dump tool or phpMyAdmin. Both produce a downloadable SQL file you can use to restore your data later.
Method 1: using the Export Dump tool
- Log in to your Plesk control panel.
- Go to Websites & Domains > Databases.
- Find the database you want to back up.
- Click Export Dump next to the database name.
- Choose where to save the dump file on the server (the default root directory is fine).
- Tick Automatically download dump after creation if you want a local copy on your computer.
- Click OK.
- Once the export finishes, you'll see a confirmation with a download link at the bottom right of the page.
The exported file is saved as a .zip archive containing the SQL dump.
Method 2: using phpMyAdmin
- Go to Websites & Domains > Databases.
- Click phpMyAdmin next to your database. This opens phpMyAdmin and logs you in automatically.
- Click the Export tab at the top.
- For a quick backup: leave the method as Quick and format as SQL, then click Go.
- For a compressed backup: choose Custom, scroll down to Compression, select zipped or gzipped, then click Go.
Important notes
- Always download a copy of your backup to your local computer — don't rely only on server-stored copies.
- Never save exports to a web-accessible directory like
httpdocs. Anyone could download your database. - For large databases, use the compressed export option in phpMyAdmin to reduce file size and download time.
- Schedule regular backups before making changes to your website or updating CMS software.
Restoring from a backup
To restore, go to Databases and click Import Dump. Upload your SQL or ZIP file and click OK. If the database doesn't exist yet, tick Create a new database during import.
Troubleshooting
- Export Dump button missing? Your database might not have a user account assigned. Go to User Management, create a new database user linked to that database, then try again.
- phpMyAdmin times out on large databases? Use the Export Dump method instead — it handles large databases more reliably.
- Import fails with errors? Make sure you're importing into the same database type (e.g., MySQL dump into a MySQL database).
