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Restore guide

How to restore a backup

Restore on the same server, import an archive on a new host, or land on a blank VPS with the Pro installer. Follow the path that matches your destination — then validate before go-live.

Choose your path

SituationMethod
Backup listed in BackupsSame-server restore
Upload archive from diskImport upload (Free)
Import from cloud or URLCloud import (Pro)
Empty server (PHP + MySQL only)Installer (Pro)

Same-server restore

  1. Backups → select row → Restore.
  2. Confirm overwrite warning.
  3. Choose Full, Database only, or Files only.
  4. Start restore. Optional safety snapshot runs first if enabled.
Backups → Restore

Import upload (Free)

Upload a local .zip, .daf, or .venc archive:

  1. Import & Restore → Import → Upload.
  2. Enter passphrase if .venc.
  3. Review manifest → map multisite domains if needed → start import.
Import — local upload (free edition; cloud cards locked)

Cloud import (Pro)

Pull a backup from Google Drive, Dropbox, S3, SFTP, or a direct URL without a prior local copy:

  1. Import & Restore → Import → choose cloud source or Backup URL.
  2. Review manifest, blog domain mapping, and import options (DB/files/both).
  3. Start the chunked import job.
Cloud import — manifest and domain mapping (Pro license)

Empty-server migration (Pro)

Target has PHP + MySQL but no WordPress yet.

  1. Create an empty MySQL database and user.
  2. Upload the backup archive and multisite-migrate-installer.php (or mm-installer-*.php) to the web root — from the Pro archive or Import → Empty-server migration download.
  3. Open the installer URL in a browser. No manual extraction required.
Installer — setup step

Web installer steps

Guided flow (completed steps in the header are clickable to go back):

  1. Check — PHP extensions, disk space, archive readable.
  2. Setup — Database credentials; standard (empty DB) or overwrite (WordPress on disk); .venc passphrase.
  3. Overwrite — File and database actions when WordPress already exists.
  4. Import — Database tables (optional per-table skip list).
  5. Extract — Unpack the backup archive.
  6. Files — Restore wp-content and core files.
  7. Migrate — URL search-replace and custom replacement pairs.
  8. Deploy — Plugin selection, safe mode, wp-config/htaccess policy.
  9. Finish — Report, installer lock, optional autocleanup. Log in at /wp-admin/.
Setup — database and archive
Preflight checks
Overwrite mode (existing WordPress)
Import — database tables
Extract — unpack archive
Files — restore wp-content
Migrate — URL search-replace
Deploy — plugin selection

Multisite restore (Free)

  • Full network — Target must match multisite mode (subdomain or subdirectory).
  • Selected subsites — Map domains in import if hostnames change.
  • After restore: Network Admin → Sites, flush permalinks if links 404.

Staging (Pro, single-site)

  1. Import & Restore → Staging — create or select a staging site.
  2. Push a backup archive to staging (chunked upload).
  3. Multisite: use network backup + restore instead of staging clone.

Subsite admin access (Plus/Pro)

Network admin grants subsite admins backup/restore under Settings → Site access. Subsite admins see Backups only for their site. Requires Plus (up to 3 subsite seats) or Pro (up to 10). Each enabled subsite uses one seat — see Understanding site limits.

Settings → Site access — subsite seat counter

Encrypted backups (.venc)

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

After restore

  1. Verify Settings → General URLs.
  2. Re-save permalinks. Run a new Backup now.
  3. Remove installer files from the web root when done.

Troubleshooting

Restore failed mid-job
Do not start a second restore on a half-imported database. Retry from a known-good backup.
Wrong URLs
Re-run search-replace from Import & Restore tools or WP-CLI (Pro).
Incremental restore fails
Restore the base full backup first — incrementals need it on the same server.

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.