Keeping your website safe starts with a reliable backup strategy. Hosting Chilli offers several backup options depending on what you need to protect — from individual files to your entire hosting account.
1. Partial cPanel Backup
Want a quick backup of just your website files or email?
- Use this if you don’t need a full account backup.
- Includes: Home Directory (website files, emails), Databases, and Email Forwarders/Filters.
- Great for quick file saves before updates.
2. Database Backup (via cPanel or phpMyAdmin)
Need to save your MySQL database?
- cPanel Backup Tool lets you download a .sql.gz file with one click.
- phpMyAdmin gives more control — export your database manually or make custom backups.
3. Full cPanel Backup
Want to back up everything?
- This includes files, databases, email, settings, and more.
- Use this before major changes, migrations, or to archive your hosting account.
4. FTP Backup (for Large Accounts)
Running a large site?
- Built-in backup tools may timeout or be limited.
- You can use an FTP client to manually download your entire public_html folder and databases.
Great for advanced users or developers who prefer full control.
5. Backup Before Editing a File
Making changes to a config or core file?
- Always download a copy of the file before editing.
- This ensures a quick rollback in case anything goes wrong.
6. Softaculous App Backup
Using Softaculous to install your CMS?
- You can easily backup and restore applications like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal.
- Go to Softaculous > Installations > Backup.
Perfect for quick saves before updating plugins, themes, or the CMS itself.
Best Practice
- Backup regularly, especially before updates.
- Store copies off-site (your computer or cloud storage).
- Combine file + database backups for complete safety.
Important: Check Your Hosting Plan’s Storage Capacity
Before starting a backup, especially a full cPanel backup, make sure your hosting plan has enough available storage space.
- Backups take up disk space — if your account is close to its limit, the process may fail.
- Consider downloading the backup to your local device right after creation to free up space.
If you're unsure about your current storage usage, you can view it inside cPanel > Disk Usage.
