What is backed up on shared hosting, and how often

Assumption: You already have a Hostworld shared, WordPress or reseller hosting account and can log in to cPanel.

You get daily off‑site backups of your cPanel account powered by JetBackup. We generally keep one restoration point per night and strive to ensure there are at least three daily backups available. You can restore files, databases and mail yourself in cPanel, and you can create on‑demand snapshots before you change anything.

Before you start

• What is included: website files, databases and email stored on our servers. Backups are transferred over SFTP to a separate server, so a fault on the live server does not remove the backups.
• Where to access: log in to cPanel and open the JetBackup interface to view restoration points, restore items, or take on‑demand snapshots.
• How far back: there is usually one restoration point per night. We aim to keep at least three daily backups. The first backup after you sign up can take up to 24 hours to appear in JetBackup.
• What host backups are for: safety and rollback. JetBackup does not give you a download of your site as it is right now. It gives access to the scheduled backups we have already taken. End‑user access can be unavailable for maintenance at short notice. Keep your own independent backups.
• Encryption and policy choices: in cPanel you can choose Regular or Encrypted backups, or select No Backups. You can also opt in to Right to be Forgotten after closure. If you enable encrypted backups, per‑item restores may not be available and you may need a full account restore instead.
• Key risk: if you choose Encrypted Backups with a Remote Encryption Key and lose that key, neither you nor we can restore those backups. Store it securely and test your storage method.
• Restore order matters: when rolling back a site, restore files first, then databases. This keeps application code and schema aligned.
• Full‑account restores roll back everything in the cPanel account to that date, including mailboxes. Anything newer is lost. Take an on‑demand snapshot first so you can undo.
• Manual take‑home copies: you can generate and download full or partial backups in cPanel. cPanel cannot automatically restore a Full Backup file. For full‑account restores, ask us. For partial items, use cPanel’s own restore options.

Step 1: Find your backups in cPanel

Open cPanel for your hosting account and look for the JetBackup interface. This is where you will see your restoration points, create on‑demand snapshots and perform restores of files, databases and email items. WordPress hosting and reseller hosting on our shared platform use the same JetBackup access in cPanel.

Undo: There is nothing to undo in this step. If you cannot see JetBackup, wait up to 24 hours after signup. If access is still missing or has been disabled for maintenance and you need a restore carried out, open a support ticket.

Step 2: Review your backup policy and encryption settings in cPanel

In the JetBackup area, review the available backup policy settings:

• Regular Backups: our default recommendation for most sites. Supports per‑item restores where enabled.
• Encrypted Backups: adds encryption. Note that per‑item restores may not be offered for encrypted sets. You may need a full account restore instead.
• Remote Encryption Key option: the decryption key is yours to hold. If you lose it, restores are impossible.
• No Backups: not recommended. We will not retain copies if this is selected.
• Right to be Forgotten: opt‑in to have backup copies purged after account closure.

Pick the policy that matches your risk profile. If you are unsure, choose Regular Backups, and make your own take‑home backups as well.

Undo: You can switch back from Encrypted to Regular. Existing encrypted restore points stay encrypted and may not allow per‑item restore. Wait for new regular daily backups to run, or take a new snapshot, before you rely on per‑item restores again. If you selected No Backups by mistake, switch to Regular now. There will be no historical copies to restore from.

Step 3: Check your available restoration points

Open the JetBackup dashboard and review the listed dates. Expect one point per night, up to three days in total. If you signed up today or migrated very recently, the first point can take up to 24 hours to appear.

Undo: No change is made here. If you do not see the dates you expect, confirm you have not selected No Backups and then wait for the next nightly run. If your site is at risk and you cannot wait, take an on‑demand snapshot now.

Step 4: Take an on‑demand snapshot before changes

Before a plugin update, code deploy or bulk import, create a snapshot in JetBackup. Name it so you recognise it later. JetBackup will queue the snapshot, then show it alongside the nightly points. This gives you a known rollback point if the change causes problems.

Undo: If the change goes well and you do not need the snapshot, you can delete the snapshot in JetBackup to keep the list tidy. If the change goes badly, restore from the snapshot you took.

Step 5: Restore individual items from JetBackup

Use item‑level restores to fix targeted problems without rolling back the whole account. Availability depends on your backup policy and host settings.

Files and folders

In JetBackup, go to the files or home directory section. Choose a restoration date, then select the specific files or folders that need to be restored. Start the restore and wait for completion. This is the recommended first step when rolling back a site.

• Why this order: restoring files first ensures your application code and assets match the database you will restore next.
• If you do not see file selection: you are likely on encrypted backups that do not support per‑item restore. Plan for a full account restore instead, or change policy for future backups.

Undo: Restore the same items again from a different restoration point, or from the snapshot you created in Step 4.

Databases

Open the databases section in JetBackup. Select the date and the database to restore. Start the restore. Do databases after files to keep code and schema in step.

Undo: Restore the database again from a different date or from your snapshot. If you restore the wrong database, restore it again from the correct date.

Email

Open the email section. Choose the account or mailbox items to restore and a date. Start the restore. Restoring email rolls the mailbox back to the selected date. Messages received after that date will not be present until they are delivered again or restored from a more recent point.

Undo: Restore email again from a newer restore point or from your snapshot. Be aware this can also remove messages that were present in the earlier restore.

Step 6: Restore the full cPanel account with JetBackup

If a targeted fix is not enough, use a full‑account restore to roll back files, databases and mail for the entire cPanel account to a chosen date. This is a straightforward way to recover from major issues.

• Impact: anything added or changed after that date is lost, including orders, form submissions and recent emails.
• Best practice: take an on‑demand snapshot first, even if you plan to restore from last night. That gives you a way back if you change your mind.

Undo: Restore again from your snapshot or from a more recent nightly restore point.

Step 7: Make your own take‑home backups in cPanel

Host backups are for disaster recovery and rollback. Keep your own independent copies as well. In cPanel you can generate and download backups via the Backup or Backup Wizard tools.

• Full Backup: a complete archive of the account. Download and store off‑site. Note: cPanel cannot automatically restore a Full Backup. If you later need a full restore from that file, open a support ticket.
• Partial backups: download the Home Directory, individual databases and email forwarders or filters. These can be restored by you in cPanel without our involvement.
• Timing: if you need a copy of your site as it is right now, use these cPanel backup tools. JetBackup does not produce an on‑demand immediate download of the current state.

For step‑by‑step cPanel backup generation and restores, see How to restore cPanel backup and How to generate a cPanel backup and send it to FTP.

Undo: If you accidentally upload a Full Backup into public_html, remove it. Do not extract a Full Backup into your live site. Use partial restores for specific items, or ask us for a full‑account restore.

Step 8: Know the differences by package

• Shared hosting: daily off‑site JetBackup on a separate server. You can restore files, folders or the entire account in cPanel, and take on‑demand snapshots.
• WordPress hosting: on our shared platform, backed up daily off‑site with JetBackup and includes files, databases and emails. Restore in cPanel and take snapshots before updates.
• Reseller hosting: includes JetBackup with automatic daily backups as standard. Each cPanel account can access its own restores and snapshots in cPanel.

For product details see our Web Hosting, WordPress Hosting and Reseller Hosting.

Step 9: If JetBackup access is unavailable or you need a host‑performed restore

End‑user access can be disabled briefly for maintenance. If you need a restore while access is unavailable, or you want us to perform a full‑account restore from a user‑provided cPanel Full Backup, open a support ticket. Tickets are logged against your account in WHMCS.

Undo: If we restore to an earlier date for you and you need to move forward again, ask us to restore from a newer point, or use the snapshot you took beforehand.

What next

If you are about to make changes, take a snapshot and keep your own copy. For the click‑by‑click in cPanel see How to restore cPanel backup. To create a downloadable copy now, read How to generate a cPanel backup and send it to FTP.

If you are comparing packages, review Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting to see which fits your site. If you need guidance or want us to perform a full restore, open a support ticket.