DirectAdmin Backup: How to Back Up and Restore Your Site

A directadmin backup gives you a copy of your website files, databases, email and account settings before an update or mistake causes trouble. This guide shows how to create a full backup, download it away from the server, restore selected data, and build a simple routine you can follow.

Why keep your own backups

Your website is more than the files you see in File Manager. A typical WordPress site needs both its files and its database: the files contain WordPress, themes, plugins and uploads, while the database contains posts, pages, settings and other content. Email accounts and messages are separate again.

DirectAdmin’s user-level backup tool is useful because it can package these parts into one account backup. The official DirectAdmin backup documentation describes the user-level backup as a .tar.gz file containing account data such as domains, databases and email. It is a self-service backup tool, not a promise that a server-side copy will always be available.

Data	Why it matters	Select when
Website data	WordPress core, themes, plugins, uploads and other site files	You want the site to look and work as before
Database settings and data	Posts, pages, users, orders and configuration	You run WordPress or another database-driven site
Email accounts and email data	Mailboxes, messages, filters and forwarding details	You use email on your domain
FTP accounts and settings	Your FTP users and access configuration	You use FTP to manage files

Keep at least one copy away from the hosting account. If every copy sits on the same server, deleting the account or losing access can remove both the live site and its backup.

What you need before starting

You need four things:

1. Your DirectAdmin login details and the panel address supplied by your host. HostKarle customers can use the DirectAdmin hosting panel.
2. Enough free space for the temporary archive. A full account backup can be large, especially if the site has many images or email messages.
3. A computer or cloud drive where you can keep the downloaded archive. Do not treat the copy in the server’s backups folder as your only copy.
4. A short maintenance window if the site is busy. Creating a backup normally does not change your site, but you should avoid editing content while taking a critical backup so the files and database represent roughly the same moment.

Step 1: Open the DirectAdmin backup tool

Why: The user-level backup screen lets you choose the parts of your hosting account to include.

1. Open your DirectAdmin panel and sign in.
2. On the user dashboard, find Advanced Features.
3. Select Create/Restore Backups. Some DirectAdmin themes may label the same area Site Backup or show it through the search box.

You should now see checkboxes for website data, email, FTP and databases. If you see an administrator-only Admin Backup/Transfer page instead, go back to the user dashboard. Shared hosting customers normally use the user-level screen.

Step 2: Create a full backup in DirectAdmin

Why: A full account copy is the safest starting point when you need to recover a complete website.

On Create/Restore Backups, select the available options for:

• Website data, including the domains directory and subdomain information.
• Database settings and database data for every database used by the site.
• Email accounts and email data if you use domain email.
• FTP accounts and FTP settings if you need those users later.
• Other account settings you recognise and need, such as forwarders or autoresponders.

For a complete account copy, use the panel’s All option if it is available, then check the selections before continuing. If you only need to protect a WordPress site, do not forget the database: copying public_html or a domain folder alone does not copy the posts and settings stored in MySQL.

Click Create Backup or the equivalent button at the bottom of the page. DirectAdmin usually places the job in a queue. Wait for the success message or the new archive to appear; do not assume that clicking the button means the archive is ready immediately.

The user-level backup is normally stored in the account’s backups directory, shown in DirectAdmin’s documentation as /home/USERNAME/backups/. The exact filename and visible path may differ with the host’s setup. A successful result is a dated .tar.gz archive listed in the backup screen or File Manager.

Step 3: Download the backup to your computer or cloud drive

Why: A backup on the same hosting account cannot protect you if you lose access to that account.

After the archive is ready:

1. Open File Manager in DirectAdmin.
2. Go to the backups folder in your account’s home directory.
3. Select the new .tar.gz file and choose Download.
4. Save it in a clearly named folder on your computer, for example website-backups/your-domain/.
5. Copy it to a second location such as an encrypted external drive or a trusted cloud drive.

If your host provides FTP access, you can also download the archive with an FTP client. Use the account’s secure connection details when available, and do not paste hosting passwords into an untrusted tool. If the archive is large, let the download finish and compare the local file size with the size shown in File Manager before deleting any server copy.

For a small WordPress site, a practical target is three to five recent backups in different places. The WordPress backup guidance also stresses that a complete WordPress backup needs both files and the database, and suggests more frequent backups for sites that change daily.

Step 4: Restore files, databases or email

Why: Restoring only the affected component can be quicker, but a full restore is better when several parts of the account changed together.

Before restoring an older archive, create a fresh backup of the current account if the site is still accessible. This gives you a way back if the older copy is not the one you intended to use. Remember that a restore can replace current files or data.

Restore a full account backup

1. Open Advanced Features → Create/Restore Backups.
2. Find the archive in the list and choose Restore.
3. Select all required components, or use the panel’s full-selection option.
4. Confirm the restore and wait for DirectAdmin to finish processing it.
5. Visit the website, sign in to WordPress, open a few pages, check images, and send a test email before declaring the restore complete.

The available choices can vary with the DirectAdmin version and hosting configuration. If the archive is not listed, upload it back into the account’s backups folder with File Manager or FTP, then return to the restore screen.

Restore website files only

Use the website or domains selection when the database is correct but files were deleted or changed. This is useful after accidentally replacing a theme file or removing an upload. Check the site’s front end and admin area afterwards, because the restored files must still match the database and the PHP version in use.

Restore a database

Select both Database settings and Database data when you need to bring back a WordPress database. Selecting only website files will not restore posts, pages or plugin settings. If the site still shows a database connection error after the restore, check that wp-config.php contains the database name, username, password and host expected by the restored database.

Restore email accounts or messages

Select Email accounts for the mailboxes and Email data for the messages and folders. Include email settings, forwarders or autoresponders if those are important to the business. Test both webmail and an email client after the restore, and confirm that new messages can be sent and received.

Step 5: WordPress-only backup with a plugin

Why: A WordPress backup plugin can make frequent, site-specific copies, while DirectAdmin protects the wider hosting account.

If you only manage one WordPress installation, you can also use a backup plugin from the official WordPress plugin directory. Choose one that can save both the database and files, offers a schedule that matches how often your site changes, and can send a copy to storage outside the hosting account.

The general process is:

1. In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New and choose a maintained backup plugin.
2. Configure it to include the database, plugins, themes, media uploads and other important files.
3. Choose a remote destination, or download the completed archive to your computer.
4. Run one manual backup and confirm that both a database file and site files are included.
5. Keep the plugin copy separate from your DirectAdmin account backup.

This method is not a replacement for a full account backup when you use domain email or several sites under one hosting account. A sensible setup is a DirectAdmin backup before major changes, plus a WordPress schedule for content that changes often. You can also follow HostKarle’s more detailed guide on backing up a WordPress blog.

A simple backup routine

Use this routine as a starting point and adjust it to how often your site changes:

When	What to do	Keep
Before every major update	Create a full DirectAdmin backup and download it	The pre-update archive until testing is complete
Once a week	Create a full backup for a small brochure site	Three to five recent copies
Every day for an active shop or blog	Run a WordPress database-and-files backup	Daily copies long enough to cover your editing cycle
Once a month	Download a copy, check its size and review older files	One monthly copy in a separate location
After a restore	Open the site, admin, images and email	A note of which archive worked

Use dates in filenames, such as example-in-2026-10-17-directadmin.tar.gz, when saving downloads locally. Keep your backup folders private because archives can contain database content, email messages and configuration details.

Verify that your backup is usable

Creating an archive is only one part of backup work. After downloading it, check that:

1. The download completed and its local file size is sensible.
2. The archive opens in your computer’s archive utility without an error.
3. You can identify the website files, database backup and any email data you selected.
4. You know which DirectAdmin account and domain it belongs to.
5. You have written down where the copy is stored and when it was created.

For a non-critical site, perform a trial restore occasionally. For a live business site, make the current backup first and plan the test so you can quickly return to the working version. A backup you have never checked is only an assumption about recovery.

Common DirectAdmin backup problems

The backup is still processing

Large websites and mailboxes take longer to package. Wait for the completion message, refresh the backup screen, and check File Manager before clicking Create Backup again. If the job repeatedly fails, check available hosting space and reduce old server-side copies after you have downloaded the ones you need.

The archive is missing the WordPress content

Make sure you selected both website data and database data. Website files alone cannot recreate posts, pages, comments or many plugin settings.

The website loads but looks old after restore

The restore may have brought back an older database or cached pages. Clear the site’s cache if you use one, then check that the restored database and files came from the same backup date.

Email accounts returned but messages did not

Email account settings and email messages are separate choices. Restore Email data as well as the account list, then test webmail and an email client.

You cannot find the restore file

Look in the account’s backups folder, confirm that the upload finished, and return to Create/Restore Backups. If DirectAdmin does not recognise the archive, do not rename or edit it; check that it was created by the DirectAdmin backup system and contact your hosting provider with the filename.

FAQ

Does a DirectAdmin backup include the database?

Yes, if you select Database settings and Database data when creating the backup. For WordPress, the database is essential because it contains posts, pages, users and settings that are not stored in the website folder.

Where is a DirectAdmin backup stored?

User-level backups are normally kept in the account’s backups directory, commonly shown as /home/USERNAME/backups/. Download the archive to your computer or cloud storage as well, because the server copy should not be your only copy.

How often should I create a website backup?

Create one before every major update. A small site that changes weekly can use a weekly full backup, while a busy shop or blog should back up its database and files more often, potentially every day.

Can I restore only a database or email?

Usually, yes: DirectAdmin’s user-level restore screen provides separate choices for website data, databases and email. Select only the component you need, but make a current full backup first because a restore can change existing data.

Is a WordPress plugin backup enough?

It can protect one WordPress site when it saves both files and the database to storage outside the server. A full DirectAdmin backup is still useful for domain email, FTP settings and other sites or account data, so keeping both gives you broader recovery options.

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