Complete Guide to WordPress Website Restoration: 3 Recovery Solutions with Baota Panel / cPanel / Plugin

Previously, we introducedComplete Guide to WordPress Website Backup. Today, we will introduceComplete Guide to WordPress Website Restoration. The value of website backup lies in the ability to quickly restore website data when problems occur. Many website owners set up backups but never test the restoration process. When data restoration is truly needed, they are at a loss. This article will detail website restoration methods for various scenarios, ensuring your backups truly serve their purpose.

Why Website Restoration is as Important as Backup

Backup and restoration are two sides of the same coin, both indispensable:

Having backup without restoration = data cannot be recoveredIf backup files cannot be successfully restored, they are merely files taking up space. Regularly testing the restoration process to ensure backup availability is the real security guarantee.

Different scenarios require different restoration methodsAccidental deletion of a single file, deletion of the entire site, server crash, or changing hosting providers—each situation requires a different restoration strategy. Mastering multiple restoration methods allows you to respond calmly in various emergencies.

Quick restoration reduces business lossesEvery minute a website is down may mean traffic loss and order loss. Familiarity with the restoration process enables you to bring the website back online in the shortest time.

Forms a complete loop with the backup articleBackup addresses the question of "how to save data," while restoration addresses "how to recover data." Together, they form a complete website data protection plan.

📌 Recommended Reading: It is recommended to first understandComplete Guide to WordPress Website Backup. This article focuses on explaining restoration operations.

Preparations Before Website Restoration

Confirm Recovery Scenario

Different problems require different restoration strategies. First, clarify the situation you are facing:

Prepare Recovery Environment

Before starting the recovery, ensure the target environment is ready:

1. Check server space: Ensure there is enough space to store the recovered files
2. Create a new database: Prepare database name, username, password
3. Prepare domain name resolution: If changing servers, set up the domain name pointing in advance
4. Backup current status: If there is still some data in the current environment, back it up first just in case.

Some friends have purchased server space that is relatively small. If the website data is large, plus the backup data decompression, the existing website data + backup files + temporary files during backup decompression will greatly exceed the server limits, which can lead to restoration failure.

Creating a new database is the best option when a website is hacked or infected, to avoid directly overwriting the existing database. Keep it temporarily for unexpected needs (in case there are issues with the restored data and the database needs troubleshooting).

Pre-Recovery Checklist

• [ ] Confirm backup file integrity (whether the file size is normal, whether it can be decompressed)
• [ ] Record the original website configuration information (database name, username, table prefix, etc.)
• [ ] Prepare database account and password (can be distinguished from the previous database)
• [ ] Test PHP version compatibility in the new environment (recommended to be consistent with or higher than the original environment)

Option 1: Website Restoration via Baota Panel

Baota Panelis the server website management panel that Naiba has always recommended to beginners, and it is also very simple to operate.

Where are Baota Panel Backup Files Located?

Baota Panel supports two backup methods: local backup and remote backup:

Local backup location

/www/backup/

• site Folder: Website file backup
• database Folder: Database backup

Remote backupIf automatic backup to FTP is set up, you need to log in to the FTP server to download the backup file.

Backup File Naming Rules

• web_网站名_日期.tar.gz: Website File Backup
• db_数据库名_日期.sql.gz: Database Backup

Note: If you haven't previouslymanually set up website and database backups in Baota Panel, you may not have backup files, making it impossible to restore website data.

How to Recover a Site Accidentally Deleted in Baota

Emergency Situation Alert: If you have just deleted a site,do not immediately create a site with the same nameto avoid data being overwritten!

Step 1: Log in to Baota Panel, open the File function, navigate to the /www/wwwroot directory, and check if the folder for your previous website still exists.

If you see the website folder is still there, it means the website files are intact and can be restored directly. If not, check the backup folder or file recycle bin for website data. If neither contains it, restoration is not possible.

Step 2: Check if the database still exists.

In the Baota Panel backend, go to Databases and see if the database for the mistakenly deleted website is still present. If not, try looking in the Baota backup folder for a database backup. If found, it can be restored; if not, restoration is not possible.

Step 3: Create a New Website

Click Websites → Create New Website → Enter your domain name → Do not create a database

After creation, the normal website folder should be the one found in Step 1. If not, manually move all contents from the folder found in Step 1 to the new website folder.

Since the previous database hasn't been deleted, wp-config.php already contains the previous database information by default. No manual modification is needed; simply visit the website domain to open the site. The mistakenly deleted website is now successfully restored.

Standard Baota Panel Recovery Process

If you have previously backed up your website and database using Baota Panel, the restoration process is very simple.

I. Restore Website Data

In the Baota Panel backend, go to the website backup data folder /www/backup/site, find the latest backup file, right-click, and extract it.

Then select all the extracted files and folders, cut them, switch to your website folder in the file manager at /www/wwwroot/your-website-folder, paste, and choose to overwrite all files. (Alternatively, you can delete the previous files first and then paste.)

II. Restore Database

Restoring the database is simpler than restoring website files. Go to the database interface in the Baota Panel backend, find the database you want to restore, click on backup data, and select restore.

This completes the restoration of website files and the database. If everything is normal, you can open your website by visiting your domain in a browser.

Using Baota Migration API for Recovery When Changing Servers

If you need to change servers and want to restore website data from the old server to a new server, and the new server also has Baota Panel installed, you can use the one-click migration feature of Baota Panel to restore the website.

1. On the old server, go to the App Store, search for „One-Click Migration,“ install and open it.

2. On the new server, go to Settings → API Interface → enter the old server's IP.

3. On the old server's one-click migration interface, fill in the new server's API data, then follow the prompts to complete the data migration.

Note: Do not manually create a website on the new server before migration. If a website and database have already been created, delete them first before migrating.

Option 2: Website Restoration via cPanel/Shared Hosting

If you are using specialized WordPress hosting like SiteGround or Hostinger, you can find the backup restore button in their backend website backup interface. It's very simple—just click the mouse to restore directly.

If your hosting uses a cPanel panel, you need to have manually downloaded backup data locally beforehand, then you can restore via the backup function in cPanel, as it requires you to manually upload the data to be restored; it is not saved on the server by default.

This is also why it is recommended to purchaseSiteGround、Hostingerthis type of managed hosting—it considers beginners more and is simpler to operate.

SiteGround Recovery

SiteGround provides both automatic and manual backup methods:

Automatic Backup Restore

1. log in to the SiteGround Admin Dashboard
2. Go to "Speed" → "Backups"
3. Select the date to restore
4. Choose the restore scope (full restore or partial restore)
5. Confirm restore

Manual Backup Restore

1. Upload backup files to public_html via FTP
2. Import the database using phpMyAdmin
3. Update wp-config.php configuration

Hostinger Recovery

Hostinger provides daily automatic backups:

1. Log in to hPanel
2. Go to "Websites" → select the website
3. Click "Backups"
4. Select the backup date
5. Choose to restore files or database
6. Click the restore button

Option 3: WordPress Plugin Restoration (Universal for WP Sites)

If your previous backup was created using a WordPress backup plugin, the quickest method is to restore it directly from the WordPress Admin Dashboard using the plugin's one-click restore feature. You don't need to worry about server backups, Baota Panel backups, or cPanel backups, because any WordPress website backed up with a plugin can be restored from that plugin.

UpdraftPlus Recovery Tutorial

UpdraftPlus is the most popular backup plugin for WordPress, and its restore process is simple and intuitive:

Preparations

1. Install WordPress on the new website (if performing a fresh restore)
2. Install and activate the UpdraftPlus plugin
3. Prepare the backup files (typically including: database, plugins, themes, uploads, others)

Restore Steps

1. Go to WordPress Admin Dashboard → UpdraftPlus → Backups/Restore
2. If the backup files are already uploaded to the server, they will be displayed directly in the list
3. If the backup is stored locally or remotely, click "Upload backup files"
4. Select the backup to restore and click the "Restore" button
5. Select the content to restore (usually select all):
   • [x] Database
   • [x] Plugins
   • [x] Themes
   • [x] Uploads
   • [x] Others (wp-config.php, etc.)
6. Click "Restore" to begin the restoration process
7. Wait for the restoration to complete and follow the prompts

Post-Restoration Actions

1. Log back into WordPress (you may need to use the original site's username and password)
2. Check the Permalink settings (Settings → Permalinks → Save)
3. Check if all functions are working properly

All-in-One WP Migration Recovery

All-in-One WP Migration is known for its simple import and export functionality:

Restore Steps

1. Install WordPress on the new website
2. Install the All-in-One WP Migration plugin
3. Go to the plugin → Import
4. Select the import method:
   • Import from file (select the .wpress backup file)
   • Import from URL
   • Import from other storage
5. Wait for the import to complete (large files may take a long time)
6. Complete the restoration as prompted

Handle import size limits

If the backup file exceeds the upload limit:

1. Install All-in-One WP Migration File Extension (paid)
2. Or modify php.ini to increase the upload limit:

upload_max_filesize = 512M
post_max_size = 512M

If modifying the code is ineffective, you can use the All-in-One WP Migration File Extension, which Naibabiji hasA usable cracked version for 9.9provided.

Other plugin backup and restoration methods are similar.

Manual Website Restoration Method (No Plugin/No Panel)

This method was essential for veteran webmasters years ago when panels like Baota Panel were not yet popular; for today's beginners, the operation is not user-friendly, so just understanding it is sufficient.

First, similarly, you need to have the backup files and backup database locally.

First, upload the backup website data to the server via FTP software, then use server commands to decompress it and configure file and folder permissions.

Then upload the backup database file via phpMyAdmin.

Finally, modify the database information in wp-config.php in the website root directory.

Finally, the website is successfully restored.

Special Scenario Recovery Solutions

Only Database, No Files

This situation usually occurs when Theme/Plugin files are corrupted, but the database is intact:

1. Reinstall WordPress
   • Download the latest version of WordPress
   • Upload core files
2. Import the database
   • Use phpMyAdmin to import the original database (or directly restore the database via Baota Panel backend)
3. Reinstall Themes and Plugins
   • Log in to the Admin Dashboard, reinstall the previously used Theme
   • Install and configure Plugins one by one
4. Upload the images folder
   • Restore the wp-content/uploads folder from any available backup
   • Or use data recovery tools to try to retrieve it

Only Files, No Database

This situation is less common and more difficult to recover from. Apart from meaningful materials like uploaded website images, it's equivalent to having backed up nothing. The most important aspects of a website—page design, Posts—are stored in the database.

So, if you encounter a situation where you only have file backups and no database backup, the simplest solution is to rebuild the website, except that all images can be found from the backup files, so you don't need to recreate the graphics.

Restoration After Changing Domain

Additional URL handling is required when changing domains:

Method 1: Use the Better Search Replace plugin

1. Install the Better Search Replace plugin
2. Go to Tools → Better Search Replace
3. Search: olddomain.com
4. Replace with: newdomain.com
5. Select all data tables
6. First run a "Dry Run" to check
7. Run the "Replace" after confirming it"s correct

Method 2: Manual SQL replacement

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'https://旧域名.com', 'https://新域名.com') WHERE option_name = 'home' OR option_name = 'siteurl';

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'https://旧域名.com', 'https://新域名.com');

UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value, 'https://旧域名.com', 'https://新域名.com');

301 Redirect Setup

Add a 301 redirect from the old domain website to the new domain to preserve SEO authority.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)