Create and restore backupsSelf-managed via the Plesk backup manager

Published on October 20, 2026

How backups work with web hosting

A clear statement up front, so that there are no misunderstandings: we do not create automatic backups of your web hosting. Backing up your content is up to you - for this, the backup manager in Plesk is fully at your disposal, and you decide yourself what is backed up when and where the copies end up.

In practice, this is not a disadvantage but a matter of habit: anyone who takes a backup before every major change and additionally stores a copy outside the web hosting at regular intervals is better positioned than someone who relies on an automatic backup they have never restored.

What belongs in a complete backup

A copy of the files alone is not enough. A usable backup comprises three components:

• Files: the content of the document root - i.e. CMS, theme, plugins and all uploaded images.
• Database: all content, settings and user accounts. Without it, a restored site is empty.
• Mail accounts: if you use mailboxes under your domain and the messages are stored on the server via IMAP.

The backup manager in Plesk covers all three areas in one run - that is the main advantage over a plain file download via FTP.

Create a backup in Plesk

1. Open the Backup Manager in Plesk.
2. Click Back Up.
3. Choose the scope: configuration, content or both. For a complete backup, choose configuration and content.
4. Enter a description if needed - with several backups, you will find the right one much faster later.
5. Start the backup. Depending on the amount of data, the process takes from a few seconds to a few minutes.

Keep an eye on your free storage: a backup stored on the web hosting itself takes up space there. If the process aborts without a message, that is the most likely cause.

Store backups outside the web hosting

A backup stored on the same web hosting as the original protects against the most common case - a failed update or an accidentally deleted file. It does not protect against the rare but expensive case that the web hosting itself is affected.

So also download your important backups. In the Backup Manager, you can retrieve a created backup directly as a file and store it locally or in separate storage. For small sites, it is entirely sufficient to do this once a month and before every major change.

Restore

1. In the Backup Manager, select the desired backup.
2. Click Restore.
3. Choose the scope - you can restore everything or specifically only one database or individual objects.
4. Confirm and wait for the process to finish.

Important: restoring overwrites the current data. Everything created since the backup - new posts, orders, comments - is lost. So, if the situation allows, take a backup of the current state immediately before restoring.

For problems you cannot get back yourself, support helps via the ticket system.

A strategy that works in everyday use

• Before every change. PHP switch, CMS update, new plugin, theme change: back up first. That is the backup you really need most often - and if something does go wrong, Fix WordPress errors helps narrow down the cause.
• Regularly, according to how often things change. A company site that rarely changes does not need a daily version. A blog with several posts a week does.
• Keep several versions. Some damage only becomes apparent after days. If only the latest backup exists, the error has long been in it.
• One copy outside. See above.
• Test once. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption. Try the restore once on a subdomain before you need it for the first time in an emergency.

Backup plugins in the CMS

The WordPress plugins commonly used for backups also work on the web hosting. Keep two things in mind:

• Many plugins store their archives on the web hosting by default and do not clean up old versions. After a few months, that is often several gigabytes - and in the event of damage, the backup lies exactly where the problem is. So configure an external storage location.
• A plugin only backs up what lies within the WordPress installation. It does not cover mail accounts and further domains on the same web hosting - the Plesk backup manager remains responsible for those.

If you need a backup before a move, it is part of the process described in Migrate a website.

Frequently asked questions