Are sites backed up?

Yes, Ultra Web Hosting performs regular server-level backups to protect against hardware failure and catastrophic data loss. However, we strongly recommend maintaining your own backups as well. Here is how our backup system works and how to create your own.

01. Server-Level Backups

Our servers run automated backups on a regular schedule. These backups include your website files, databases, email, and cPanel configuration. They are stored separately from your hosting server to protect against hardware failure.

A few important things to understand about server-level backups:

• They are for disaster recovery - Server backups are designed to restore service after hardware failure or major incidents. They are not meant for recovering a single file you accidentally deleted yesterday.
• Retention is limited - Backups are kept for a limited period. If you need to restore something from months ago, it may no longer be available.
• Full account restores only - Server backups typically restore the entire account, not individual files or databases. This means a restore would overwrite everything currently on your account.

02. Creating Your Own Backups

cPanel provides several built-in backup tools:

Full Account Backup

Go to cPanel > Files > Backup > Download a Full Account Backup. This creates a compressed archive of your entire account including all files, databases, email, and settings. You can download it to your computer or have it sent to a remote server.

Partial Backups

You can also download individual components:

• Home Directory - All your website files
• MySQL Databases - Individual database dumps
• Email Forwarders and Filters - Your email configuration

WordPress Backups

If you run WordPress, plugins like UpdraftPlus, All-in-One WP Migration, or BlogVault can automate backups on a schedule and store them in cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

03. How to Request a Restore

If you need to restore from a server backup, open a support ticket and let us know:

• What you need restored (full account, specific files, a database)
• Approximately when the data was lost or changed
• Whether you want the restore to overwrite current data or be placed in a separate directory for you to review first

If you have your own cPanel backup file, you can restore it yourself through cPanel > Files > Backup > Restore.

04. Backup Best Practices

1. Download a full backup monthly - Store it on your local computer or external drive
2. Back up before making changes - Always take a backup before updating WordPress, modifying code, or making significant changes
3. Store backups off-site - Do not keep your only backup on the same server as your website
4. Test your backups - Periodically verify that your backup files are complete and can be restored
5. Automate it - Use WordPress plugins or cron jobs to automate regular backups so you do not have to remember

Quick Recap

1. We perform server-level backups - For disaster recovery, not individual file recovery
2. Always maintain your own backups - cPanel > Files > Backup for full account downloads
3. WordPress users should use a backup plugin - UpdraftPlus with cloud storage is a solid choice
4. Back up before making changes - Updates, code changes, or plugin installations
5. Store backups off-site - Google Drive, Dropbox, or your local computer

Protecting your website data · Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Getting Started articles