Restore WordPress Backups Manually: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re on this blog, you’re probably looking for a way to restore WordPress backups manually.  Maybe your site crashed, or you need to revert changes. Whatever the case, this guide shows you exactly how to get your site back online. 

We’ll also introduce you to a simple-to-use WordPress backup plugin that can help restore WordPress backup in a few clicks. 

Understanding Backups and Restoring WordPress

Before we get into the entire WordPress backup and restoration process, it’s good to understand the basics.

There are two main approaches. The simplest method for most users is to use backup plugins like WP Umbrella, which offers one-click backup and restore.

Alternatively, you can create manual backups by separately saving your database (where your content lives) and your WordPress files (themes, plugins, uploads). Here’s how to backup your WordPress website without a plugin. 

Many WordPress users opt for partial backups to save space and backup only essential components like their theme, uploads directory, and database. While this reduces backup size, it does make the restoration process slightly more involved.

The fundamental restoration steps follow the same pattern regardless of how you created your backup. The method you’ll need to use depends on what type of backup you have available.

Common Ways To Restore WordPress Backups

You can restore WordPress backups in several ways, each with its advantages and limitations.

Restoration Method	Pros	Cons	Best For
Backup Plugins (WP Umbrella, UpdraftPlus)	– User-friendly interface – Scheduled automatic backups – One-click restore option – Technical support available	– Limited free version features – Requires admin access for restoration – Potential additional costs	– Regular maintenance – Quick recoveries – Users with limited technical skills
Hosting Provider Backups	– Often included in hosting plans – Simple restoration process – Technical support available – Fast restoration times	– Backups stored on same server – Limited retention periods – Limited control over backups	– Server-level issues – When you need support assistance
Manual Restoration	– Complete control over process – Works when other methods fail – Independent of WordPress admin – Suitable for large files	– More technical knowledge required – Time-consuming process – Potential for human error	– Critical site failures – When admin access is lost – Maximum reliability needed – You need to quickly restore critical tables of your database
External cloud storage services (Dropbox, Google Drive)	– Independent from your hosting – Accessible from anywhere – Often more secure – Scalable storage options	– Manual upload/download required – No automatic restoration – Requires separate backup creation	– Redundant backups – Long-term storage – Maximum security concerns

Many site owners use plugins like UpdraftPlus or WP Umbrella. These tools make backups of multiple sites easy—and ensure you can restore your site quickly in one click.

Your hosting provider is another option. Many hosts include backup services in their plans or offer them as add-ons with one-click restoration. The downside is that these backups often live on the same server as your website. If that server fails or gets hacked, you could lose both your site and its backup at once. This is, for example, what happened to OVH’s users when their data center burnt. 

That’s why saving your latest backup to your personal computer or a separate cloud storage account is crucial. This gives you a safety net when all other methods fail.

Manual restoration might seem intimidating compared to plugin or host-based options. But sometimes, it’s your most reliable choice—or your only option.

How to Manually Restore WordPress Backup Using FTP and phpMyAdmin

If you need to manually restore your WordPress website, you’ll be working with your database and WordPress files. This process involves using phpMyAdmin for the database and an FTP client (such as FileZilla) for your website files.

Step 1: Access phpMyAdmin Through Your Hosting Account

First, log into your hosting account dashboard.

Look for phpMyAdmin. This is the database management tool WordPress uses. If you’re using cPanel, you’ll find the phpMyAdmin icon in the Databases section. Other hosting platforms will have it somewhere in their interface—check their support documentation if you can’t spot it.

Once inside phpMyAdmin, click on the Databases tab at the top.

Step 2: Import Your Database Backup

Before restoring, you can either empty your existing database and import your backup into it or delete your current database and create a new one. If you choose the latter option, update the new credentials in your wp-config.php file.

Locate the database where you want to restore your backup.

Next, click Import and Choose File.

Scroll down and make sure the format is SQL.

Then click Import.

This might take a few minutes, depending on your database size. Once complete, all your posts, pages, and settings should be restored.

Step 3: Install and Log in to Your FTP Client

With your database restored, it’s time to tackle your WordPress files. You’ll need either your host’s file manager or an FTP client like FileZilla.

If using FileZilla, you’ll need your FTP login details from your hosting account to connect to the server.

After downloading FileZilla:

1. Enter your FTP username, password, and server address
2. Click Quickconnect
3. Look for Directory listing successful in the status area to confirm the connection

Step 4: Upload Your WordPress Files

On the left side of FileZilla, locate the folder on your local computer that contains your WordPress backup files (these should be unzipped).

On the right side, navigate to your WordPress root directory (typically /public_html/ or /www/).

Carefully delete all files and folders in the WordPress root directory except for the wp-config.php file and the wp-content directory.

Drag and drop files from the left panel (local computer) to the right panel (server). Alternatively, use the Upload option if available in your FTP client.

Check the Queued Files, Failed Transfers, and Successful Transfers tabs at the bottom of FileZilla. Files move through Queued files to Successful transfers as they upload. When the queue reaches zero, you’re done.

Step 5: Verify Your Site Works Properly

After the file transfer completes:

1. Visit your site to check if it loads correctly
2. Verify your plugins are working (you might need to reactivate some)
3. Check your permalinks by going to Settings > Permalinks in your dashboard
4. Change your admin password for security
5. Consider resetting all user passwords, especially if recovering from a hack

Smarter Way to Handle WordPress Backups

Now that your site is restored, it’s the perfect time to set up a better backup system so you’re prepared for the future. While manual restoration is an essential skill, it’s time-consuming and prone to errors—especially in high-pressure situations like site crashes or security breaches.

That’s where WP Umbrella comes in. 

WP Umbrella: Beyond Basic Backups

WP Umbrella transforms how you protect your WordPress sites with a comprehensive approach beyond simple backups.

The platform runs incremental backups in the background, tracking only the changes to minimize the impact on your site’s performance. You can schedule these to run hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly, based on your needs. When trouble strikes, restoration happens with just one click.

Your data stays secure with full encryption and GDPR-compliant storage on European servers for 50 days. You won’t deal with resource-heavy backups that slow down your site or server.

How to Restore WordPress Backups Using WP Umbrella

Restoring WordPress backups with WP Umbrella takes only a few clicks. Here’s what you need to do:

Navigate to the Backups tab of your website in the WP Umbrella dashboard

Pick the backup version you want to restore

Choose what needs recovery by clicking Actions:

Click on the desired backup and that’s it! The restoration process will begin immediately.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to restore your Website with WP Umbrella

WordPress Backups + Comprehensive WordPress Monitoring Tool 

But WP Umbrella isn’t just about backups. It’s a comprehensive WordPress monitoring tool that scans for security vulnerabilities every 6 hours. If anything goes wrong, you’ll get real-time alerts through email or Slack before your clients even notice a problem.

The platform also provides proactive security insights by checking for outdated PHP versions, expired SSL certificates, indexation issues, and inactive plugins that could create security gaps.

The manual restoration process we covered is a crucial skill, but WP Umbrella gives you protection that works before problems happen. With constant monitoring and one-click restoration, you can focus on growing your site instead of fixing it.

For WordPress site owners who value security and simplicity, WP Umbrella provides comprehensive protection that manual processes simply can’t match.