Is it possible to make a cron to backup my database at specific times?

Yes, you can schedule automatic database backups using cron jobs in cPanel. This ensures you always have a recent backup without having to remember to do it manually. This guide covers the cron command, security best practices, and backup rotation.

mysqldump -u dbuser -p'password' dbname | gzip > ~/backups/db_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz && find ~/backups -name "db_*.sql.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

01. Basic Backup Command

The mysqldump command exports your database to a SQL file. Piping it through gzip compresses it (typically 80-90% smaller). The find command at the end deletes backups older than 7 days so your disk space doesn't fill up.

Before setting up the cron, create the backup directory:

mkdir ~/backups

Replace dbuser, password, and dbname with your actual database credentials. You can find these in your application's config file (e.g., wp-config.php for WordPress) or in cPanel > MySQL Databases.

Remember that database usernames and names are prefixed with your cPanel username (e.g., cpuser_dbname).

02. Securing Your Credentials

Putting the password directly in the cron command is a security risk because it's visible in the process list and crontab. A better approach is to store credentials in a MySQL options file:

# Create ~/.my.cnf
cat > ~/.my.cnf << 'EOF'
[mysqldump]
user=cpuser_dbuser
password=your_password_here
EOF

# Restrict permissions so only you can read it
chmod 600 ~/.my.cnf

Now mysqldump reads credentials automatically and you can simplify the cron command:

mysqldump dbname | gzip > ~/backups/db_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz && find ~/backups -name "db_*.sql.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

03. Setting Up the Schedule

In cPanel, go to Advanced > Cron Jobs and add the backup command with your preferred schedule:

Daily at 3 AM: 0 3 * * *

Every 6 hours: 0 */6 * * *

Weekly (Sunday 2 AM): 0 2 * * 0

Add >/dev/null 2>&1 at the end of the full command to suppress email notifications. For more on cron timing, see How to Create a Cron Job.

04. Backing Up Multiple Databases

If you have multiple databases, you can back them all up in one command:

mysqldump --all-databases | gzip > ~/backups/all_dbs_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz

Or back up specific databases individually so you can restore them independently:

for db in cpuser_db1 cpuser_db2 cpuser_db3; do
  mysqldump $db | gzip > ~/backups/${db}_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz
done
find ~/backups -name "*.sql.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

05. WordPress Database Backup

For WordPress, your database name, username, and password are in wp-config.php. Find the lines with DB_NAME, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD and use those values in the mysqldump command.

Alternatively, use WP-CLI for WordPress-aware backups:

wp db export ~/backups/wp_$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql --path=~/public_html

For complete backup strategies including files and databases, see How to Back Up Your Website and How to Backup MySQL.

Quick Recap: Automated Database Backups

1. Use mysqldump with gzip for compressed backups
2. Store credentials in ~/.my.cnf (chmod 600) instead of the cron command
3. Add a find -delete to rotate old backups automatically
4. Schedule in cPanel > Advanced > Cron Jobs
5. Add >/dev/null 2>&1 to suppress cron emails

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Hosting CP articles