How to restore a backup

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

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.

Empty-server migration (Pro)

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.
5. Deploy — Plugin selection, safe mode, wp-config / htaccess policy.
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.
• 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).

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 engine 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).

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 (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.

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.