You don't always need to restore an entire backup. If you accidentally deleted or overwrote a specific file, Plesk lets you restore individual files and directories from a backup without affecting the rest of your website.
Step 1: Open the Backup Manager
Log in to your Plesk control panel. Go to Websites & Domains and click Backup Manager.
Step 2: Select the backup
You will see a list of available backups with their creation dates. Click the date of the backup that contains the file you want to restore.
If you are restoring from an incremental backup, Plesk will automatically include data from the corresponding full backup and all incremental backups in between.
Step 3: Choose "Selected objects"
On the restoration page, under Backup content, select Selected objects instead of "All objects".
Step 4: Select "Files and directories"
From the object type dropdown, choose Files and directories.
Step 5: Pick your subscription
In the Subscription dropdown, select the domain or subscription that contains the file you want to restore. Start typing the domain name to filter the list.
Step 6: Select the files to restore
Browse through the file tree and tick the checkboxes next to the specific files or folders you want to restore. You can select multiple items at once.
Step 7: Configure restoration options
- Conflicts resolution policy: Choose what happens if the file already exists on the server. "Overwrite" replaces the current version with the backup copy.
- Email notification: Enter your email address to receive a notification when the restoration completes.
- Backup password: If the backup was password-protected, enter the password here.
Step 8: Start the restoration
Click Restore. Plesk will restore only the selected files, leaving everything else untouched.
Step 9: Verify the restored files
After the restoration completes, check your website to confirm the files are back. You can use the Plesk File Manager to browse to the restored files and verify their content and modification date.
Important notes
- Restored files overwrite existing files with the same name. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost for those specific files.
- You can only restore objects of one type per restoration session. If you need to restore both files and a database, you will need to run two separate restorations.
- Only backups created in Plesk Onyx 17.0 or later can be restored.
- Consider creating a fresh backup before restoring, so you have a snapshot of the current state as a safety net.
Troubleshooting
- "Files and directories" option not available: The backup may only contain configuration data. You need a backup that was created with User files and databases selected.
- Cannot find the file in the tree: The file may not have existed when the backup was created, or it may have been excluded from the backup.
- Restoration fails with a signature warning: This happens if the backup was created on a different server or before Plesk 11.5. Tick Restore backup file despite a corrupted signature to proceed, but only if you trust the backup source.
- Password required: If you forgot the backup password, clear the Provide the password option. The files will be restored, but some sensitive data like user passwords may be replaced with random values.
