How to restore a backup

How do I restore a Multisite Migrate backup?

Multisite Migrate restores in place from Backups, imports a local archive on Free+, pulls from cloud/URL on Pro, or lands on a blank host with the Pro empty-server installer. Same-server restore and local import work without a paid plan for typical WordPress-to-WordPress paths. Choose the path table below, then follow the matching wizard.

Choose your path

Situation	Method	Plan
Backup already listed under Backups	Same-server restore wizard	Free+
Upload archive from your computer / disk	Local import	Free+
Pull archive from cloud or a direct URL	Remote import	Pro
Empty server (PHP + MySQL, no WordPress yet)	Empty-server installer	Pro
Clone to a staging site (single-site)	Staging	Pro
Network → separate single-site installs	Network split / extract	Pro

Same-server restore

All plans. Opens the restore wizard from a row in Backups.

Wizard UI steps

1. Intent — Choose Same server (restore in place, no URL changes) or Migration (move to a new domain / URL).
2. Migration (only if intent is Migration) — Set old/new site URL and home URL, optional passphrase for .venc, preview URL changes, and on multisite map subsite domains when needed.
3. Options — Full, database only, or files only; safety snapshot and other restore options when offered.
4. Confirm — Acknowledge overwrite → Start restore.

Engine steps (after Confirm)

1. Extract — Unpack the archive.
2. Database — Import tables.
3. Post-import search-replace — Runs when the job is a migration.
4. Files — Restore wp-content / selected files.
5. Cleanup → Migration finalize (migration jobs).

Import upload (Free+)

Free, Plus, and Pro. Upload a local .zip, .daf, or .venc without using cloud import.

1. Import & Restore → Import → choose local Upload.
2. Enter the passphrase if the archive is .venc.
3. Review the manifest → map multisite domains if hostnames changed → start the import (then restore as needed).

Cloud / remote import (Pro)

Pro only. Plus can upload backups to cloud; only Pro can import from Drive, Dropbox, S3, SFTP, or a backup URL without a prior local copy.

1. Import & Restore → Import → choose a cloud source or Backup URL.
2. Authenticate / pick the remote object (or paste the URL).
3. Review manifest, blog domain mapping, and import options (database / files / both).
4. Start the chunked download + import job.

Can I migrate Multisite to an empty server?

Yes — with Pro. Empty-server migration targets hosts that have PHP + MySQL but no WordPress yet (or you intentionally overwrite). Upload the Pro archive and installer PHP, open the installer URL, and complete the guided Check → Setup → Migrate → Deploy → Extract → Import → Finish flow. Multisite network tables and domain mapping are supported.

Pro only. Target has PHP + MySQL but no WordPress yet (or you intentionally overwrite an existing install).

1. Create an empty MySQL database and user on the target host.
2. Obtain the backup archive and the installer PHP file (multisite-migrate-installer.php / mm-installer-*.php) — from a Pro archive that embedded the installer, or download from Import → Empty-server migration.
3. Upload both to the web root (or the folder that should become the site root).
4. Open the installer URL in a browser. No manual WordPress install is required.

Web installer steps (Pro)

Guided flow in the standalone installer. Completed steps in the header can be used to go back. Order matches the plugin installer:

1. Check (preflight) — PHP extensions, disk space, archive readable.
2. Setup — Database credentials; standard (empty DB) or overwrite mode; .venc passphrase when needed.
3. Overwrite — File and database actions when WordPress already exists on disk (skipped in pure empty-server mode).
4. Migrate — URL search-replace pairs and topology choices (subsite on network, network into a subsite slot, extract one site).
5. Deploy — Plugin selection, safe mode, wp-config / htaccess policy, and shared users merge when landing on an existing network.
6. Extract — Unpack the backup archive.
7. Import — Load database tables (optional per-table skip list).
8. Finalize — Database finalize after import.
9. Scan — Post-import scan / verification.
10. Files — Restore wp-content and packaged core files.
11. Finish — Report, installer lock, optional autocleanup. Log in at /wp-admin/.

Multisite restore (Free+)

• Full network — Target must match multisite mode (subdomain or subdirectory).
• Selected subsites — Map domains in the migration / import UI if hostnames change.
• Import as subsite on this network / Import into this subsite slot — Pro topology options when the archive should land on an existing network without wiping other sites. Enable shared users merge so archive accounts merge into the shared users table.
• After restore: verify Network Admin → Sites, flush permalinks if links 404.
• Network-wide backup and restore of multisite is included in Free for network admins. Subsite-admin self-service needs seats (Plus/Pro).

Shared users merge (Pro)

Multisite keeps one shared users / usermeta table for the whole network. When you import a site onto an existing network, archive user IDs almost never match the destination. Shared users merge (Pro) treats users as a merge problem, not a blind SQL overwrite.

Available for topology modes Import as subsite on this network and Import into this subsite slot — in the restore wizard, empty-server installer Deploy step, and WP-CLI. On by default for those modes; turn it off only if you intentionally want archive users to replace shared accounts.

1. Destination network users are protected before the archive database import runs.
2. After import, archive users are matched by login or non-empty email. Existing accounts are reused (destination password kept); new accounts are created with the archive password hash.
3. Post authors (post_author) and user-ID postmeta (always includes WooCommerce _customer_user; add more keys in the UI) are remapped to the new IDs.
4. Optional: reset passwords for merged/created users, and email WordPress reset links when mail is available.

Full-site overwrite (standalone or whole-network replace) does not run merge — those paths replace the destination database as before. CLI flags: see WP-CLI restore.

Staging (Pro, single-site)

Pro only.

1. Import & Restore → Staging — create or select a staging site.
2. Push a backup archive to staging (chunked). Cloud access may be required depending on how the push is configured.
3. On multisite, prefer network backup + restore instead of the single-site staging clone flow.

Subsite admin access (Plus/Pro)

Network admin grants subsite admins backup/restore under Settings → Site access. Subsite admins then see Backups for their site only.

• Free — 0 seats (network admin only).
• Plus — up to 3 seats.
• Pro — up to 10 seats.

Details: Understanding site limits.

Encrypted backups (.venc)

All plans can create and restore encrypted archives.

1. Use the passphrase from Settings → Backup Settings → Security layers on the source site.
2. Enter it in the restore / import wizard or installer Setup step.

After restore

1. Verify Settings → General URLs (and multisite domains).
2. Re-save permalinks. Run a fresh Backup now.
3. Remove installer PHP files from the web root when finished (Pro empty-server path).

Extract one site as standalone (Pro)

Use a network-scope archive on a single-site destination (plugin restore or empty-server installer).

1. Choose topology Extract one site as standalone and pick the source site from the archive.
2. Map old → new URL for that site only. Repeat the same archive for each destination install.
3. Blog 1 is supported; main-site uploads usually sit under uploads/, not uploads/sites/1/.
4. After success, use the Next site from this archive CTA (or re-open restore with Extract) for remaining blogs.
5. Then verify leftover URLs (Search & Replace / migration-verify).

Requires Pro plan capability network_split (and installer for empty-server). Full walkthrough: Network split guide — Extract. Alternative: Backup → One archive per site (split).

Verify leftovers, then repair (Pro)

After migration, scan for leftover old URLs, review the report, then confirm search-replace (UI tools, WP-CLI migration-verify / search-replace, or MCP). Never blind auto-fix.

Troubleshooting

Restore failed mid-job

Do not start a second restore on a half-imported database. Retry from a known-good backup or recovery point.

Wrong URLs

Re-run search-replace from Import & Restore tools, or WP-CLI / MCP migration-verify then confirmed search-replace (Pro).

Incremental restore fails

Restore the base full backup first — incrementals need it on the same server (Plus+).

Cloud import locked

Remote import requires Pro. Plus only covers cloud upload during backup.

Authors or customers point at the wrong users after network import

Re-run with shared users merge enabled (default on for network-landing topologies). Add custom user-ID postmeta keys if a plugin stores authors outside post_author.

Extract / split locked

Network split and extract-to-standalone require an active Pro license with network_split. Re-activate or refresh the license if the option is missing.

Next: How to create a backup

Restore FAQ

Answers for same-server restore, import, empty-server installer, and staging.

Can I restore on the same site without a paid plan?

Yes. Same-server restore and archive import between WordPress sites are available on Free for typical migration paths.

When do I need the empty-server installer?

When the destination has no WordPress yet — blank VPS or empty panel. That guided installer is a Pro workflow; see the installer section above.

Will search-replace update my URLs?

The restore/import wizards include URL and path updates so the site boots on the new domain. Always verify permalinks and serialized data after a move.

How do I restore from cloud storage?

Pro can import from remote archives without downloading multi-gigabyte ZIPs first. Plus focuses on uploading backups to your cloud; Pro adds remote import.

Is staging included?

Staging push is Pro. Use it to validate plugins and content before go-live, then promote when ready.

Can I take a safety backup before restore?

Yes. The restore flow can create an optional pre-restore backup so you can roll back if something looks wrong after overwrite.

What is shared users merge on network import?

Pro merges archive users into the destination Multisite shared users table by login or email, remaps post authors and user-ID postmeta, and keeps existing network passwords when accounts match. It is on by default for Import as subsite on this network and Import into this subsite slot.