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To download a backup in Hostinger hPanel, open Websites → Dashboard for the site, select Backups in the sidebar, and choose the files or database option under Restore and download. Website files arrive as a .tar.gz archive and databases as a .sql.gz file. To restore, you either use Restore website (WordPress sites where the option is offered) or restore files and database separately. Either way, the restore sets the site back to the chosen backup date, and any changes made after that date are lost.
Confirm your product and plan before you start
The steps below apply to standard Hostinger hosting accounts. Two other products use different workflows, so check which one you have before following any instructions:
- Hosting plans (shared, cloud, VPS-style hosting managed in hPanel): this is the workflow covered here.
- Hostinger Website Builder: the hosting backup workflow does not cover Website Builder downloads.
- Hostinger AI Builder: Hostinger publishes separate guidance for this product.
If you are a Shared Access user rather than the account owner, some steps may depend on the owner. The email delivery option described later is sent to the account’s registered email address, so the owner may need to retrieve those links.
Backup retention and availability
Hostinger’s Help Center publishes the following service details. They describe Hostinger’s own system behavior, not independent measurements, and the exact dates available for your account are listed inside hPanel.
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- The available storage capacity may vary.
| Backup type | Retention or limit | Source and conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Daily automated backups | Kept for 7 days | Hostinger Help Center, article checked 2026 |
| Weekly automated backups | Kept for 6 weeks | Hostinger Help Center, article checked 2026 |
| Manual backup creation | Once every 24 hours | Hostinger Help Center; manual backup tool available on Business or higher plans |
| Manual backup preparation time | A few minutes to a few hours | Hostinger Help Center; depends on the number and size of files and databases |
Plan terms can change, so verify the manual backup entitlement for your plan in hPanel before relying on it. For background on creating backups, see Hostinger’s How to create backups at Hostinger article.
How to download a backup
Hostinger offers three download routes. Pick the one that matches what you need: the full set of website files, the database, or a complete WordPress website export. Hostinger’s How to download backups at Hostinger article covers the same routes.
Download website files
- Sign in to hPanel, open Websites → Dashboard, and select the correct site.
- Select Backups in the sidebar.
- Under Restore and download, open Files backups.
- Choose the backup date you want.
- Start the download preparation and wait for it to finish. Do not close the page assuming it is complete when you click the button.
- When preparation is complete, download the archive. It is a
.tar.gzfile.
This file-backup tool can package all files within the hosting plan. To retrieve only certain files, use File Manager or FTP in hPanel rather than the full archive.
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- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Download a database
- Go to Websites → Dashboard → Backups for the site.
- Under Restore and download, open Database backups.
- Select the database and the date.
- Request the download and wait for preparation to finish.
- Download the compressed
.sql.gzfile.
If you are unsure which database belongs to the site, check the site’s configuration file. On WordPress, the database name is defined as DB_NAME in wp-config.php.
Download a WordPress website export by email
For a specific WordPress website, the Website backup flow can send file and database links to the hosting account’s registered email address rather than offering a direct download in the browser. Open the links from that email and download both files. This route is useful when you cannot wait on the page, but you will need access to the registered inbox.
How to restore a backup
Restoring replaces current data. Read the section on what gets overwritten before you confirm anything.
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Option 1: Restore a WordPress website in one step
- Go to Websites → Dashboard → Backups.
- Select the Website backup date you want to return to.
- Choose Restore website, if it appears for your site.
- Read the overwrite warning and confirm only if the selected date is the correct one.
- Open Restore History to follow progress. Restoration runs in the background, so the request being accepted does not mean the restore has finished.
This option restores files and the database together, so it is the simpler route. It is documented for WordPress websites. Hostinger’s How to restore a WordPress website from backups in Hostinger article covers this flow.
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Use this route if Restore website is missing, reports no backups, or if you need to replace only one component. Hostinger’s How to restore backups at Hostinger article describes this method.
- Restore the files from the chosen date through the files restore option under Restore and download.
- Restore the database from the chosen date through the database option.
- Check Restore History until both operations show as complete.
For a database-only restore, the target database must already exist in your current MySQL database list in hPanel. Confirm that it belongs to the website before you restore, because restoring the wrong database can break a different site.
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- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
What gets overwritten
Hostinger states the consequence directly in its Help Center article:
“After restoring a backup, your website will be returned to its state at the moment of backup creation; any changes done after the backup date will be reverted.” (Hostinger Help Center, How to restore backups at Hostinger)
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In practice, that means new posts, orders, comments, plugin changes, and theme edits made after the selected date will not survive the restore. Before you start, make a current copy: download the website files and database for the live site as described above. Then the newer data can be recovered if the restore was the wrong choice.
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After the restore
- Clear your browser cache before checking the site, so you do not judge the result from old pages.
- Re-add symlinks manually. Hostinger states that symlinks are not automatically recreated after a restore. If your site uses them, recreate each one.
- Check the site’s key pages and functions, such as the homepage, login, and any forms or checkout pages.
- Keep the restore log. Restore History shows the status of each operation if you need to explain what was restored and when.
Troubleshooting common problems
- No Restore website option appears: the full-site option may not be offered for your site. Restore files and database separately.
- The backup date is missing: automated daily backups are kept for 7 days and weekly backups for 6 weeks. Older dates are no longer listed, so check the list in hPanel for the available dates.
- The database does not appear in the restore list: confirm it exists in your current MySQL database list. Create or select the correct database before restoring.
- The download link never arrives: check the registered email address for the account, including spam folders. Shared Access users should ask the account owner to retrieve the email.
- The site looks unchanged after restoring: clear the browser cache and confirm that the restore status in Restore History is complete.
- You need to move a site to another account: that is a separate process with its own instructions and is not covered by the same-account restore steps above.
Hostinger’s tutorial and Help Center use some different button labels. If a label in your hPanel differs from the steps above, follow what your account shows and look for the same section and action.
Store the downloaded archives somewhere safe. They can be kept on any local drive or cloud storage you already use; no extra hardware is needed to download or restore through hPanel.
For the full background, Hostinger’s tutorial What is a website backup and how to do it (September 15, 2026) explains the broader backup concepts.
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