Restore WordPress from a backup

Restore WordPress from a backup

An overview of the ways to restore once you have an archive + installer.php.

Choose the right mode

Situation	Recommended mode
Empty destination site (new server)	Classic Install
Destination has WordPress and you want to overwrite it	Overwrite Install
Destination has WordPress, restoring into staging	Import Install
You only want to restore the database	Database Install
Very large site / shared hosting	Two-Part Install
The main site is broken	Recovery Point

General process

1. Prepare the destination server:

   • An empty database with a user that has ALL PRIVILEGES
   • A writable web root
   • PHP that meets the requirements (see Quick Start)

2. Upload the files:

   • installer.php + the archive into the web root
   • Or use the Import feature if the archive is already in storage

3. Open installer.php in your browser

4. Enter the database details in step 2

5. Verify in step 4 → the installer deletes its temporary files

After restoring

• Log in to wp-admin and check the site
• Verify the file/folder permissions
• Test the main pages, forms and checkout
• Check email sent from the site (contact form, sign-up, …)

Domain migration

If the new domain differs from the old one, the installer automatically searches and replaces URLs in the database. But you still need to check:

• Hardcoded URLs in theme files
• CDN configuration
• Sitemap / robots.txt
• Email templates
• Plugins with their own internal cache

See: Migrating WordPress.