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To take a WordPress site with you, download both parts of it: the files in its installation directory and the MySQL or MariaDB database. Files alone contain WordPress, themes, plugins and media, but not your posts, settings or user accounts. Before cancelling the old hosting account, export the database, keep the files and SQL dump together in more than one location, and restore the copy somewhere you control.

What a complete WordPress download contains

A restorable WordPress backup is not just a folder copied from the server. It has two distinct components that must match each other.

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1. The WordPress files

These are normally in public_html, although a host may use another document-root name or install WordPress in a subdirectory. The download should include:

  • WordPress core files and directories.
  • wp-content, including your themes, plugins and the uploads media library.
  • wp-config.php, which records the database connection details used by that installation.
  • Any other files in the installation directory, such as rewrite rules, verification files or custom scripts.

2. The WordPress database

The MySQL or MariaDB database stores the information that is not represented by ordinary files: posts, pages, comments, settings, menus, users and much of the configuration created by plugins. Export it as an SQL file. A new host cannot recreate that content from the files alone.

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Backup part Usually found or created as What it preserves
Files WordPress installation directory, often public_html Core, themes, plugins, uploads and configuration files
Database SQL export from phpMyAdmin or a backup plugin Posts, pages, comments, settings, users and plugin data

You need both parts for a practical move or later restoration. A WordPress “export” downloaded from the dashboard is a different, narrower file and is not a complete site backup.

Choose the download method

Your old host may offer one or several ways to retrieve the files. The right choice depends on your access and the size of the site.

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Method Technical effort What it downloads Important limitation
Hosting File Manager Lowest Files in the selected directory The database still needs a separate export unless the host provides a combined backup
FTP or SFTP client Moderate Files and folders you select You need the server name, account credentials and the correct port; the database is separate
Backup plugin Low for many users Often a package containing files and database It adds a plugin dependency and may fail if the site cannot run long enough to create the archive

File Manager is convenient for a one-time download. FTP or SFTP is useful when the browser-based manager times out or when you need resumable transfers. A backup plugin can be simplest for a non-technical owner because it can package both components, but you should still verify the resulting archive and SQL data.

Prepare before downloading

Do this while the old account is still active and the site still loads.

  • Identify the WordPress installation directory. It is often public_html, but confirm whether the site lives in a subfolder.
  • Make sure you can sign in to the hosting control panel and, if needed, obtain FTP/SFTP credentials and the assigned port.
  • Have enough local storage for the uncompressed site and an additional compressed copy. A media-heavy uploads directory can be much larger than expected.
  • Create two destinations, such as a computer plus an external drive or cloud storage. Do not leave the only copy on the account you plan to cancel.
  • Record the database name, database user and password from wp-config.php. You will generally need these values when connecting the files to a database during restoration.

Control-panel labels vary. A host may call its browser tool “File Manager,” “Files” or something similar, and phpMyAdmin may be under a database section. If you cannot find a menu, use the host’s current help documentation rather than assuming the old label is still present.

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Download the files with the hosting File Manager

This is usually the quickest browser-only route when your host permits directory archives.

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  1. Sign in to the old hosting control panel and open its File Manager.
  2. Open the document-root directory for the site, commonly public_html. If WordPress is installed in a subdirectory, open that directory instead.
  3. Select every WordPress file and folder, including hidden files if the interface has a “show hidden files” option. Hidden files can include rewrite rules that affect permalinks.
  4. Choose Compress, Archive or the equivalent action, and create a ZIP archive in a location you can download. If the manager cannot compress directories, select all items and use its download action, possibly in smaller batches.
  5. Download the archive to your computer. Large media libraries can make this take a long time; keep the browser session open and avoid putting the computer to sleep.
  6. After the transfer finishes, open the ZIP locally and confirm that it contains the expected top-level files, wp-content and wp-config.php. Do not delete the server copy yet.

If the download fails partway through, create smaller archives—for example, one for wp-content/uploads and another for the remaining files—or switch to an FTP/SFTP client that can resume interrupted transfers.

Download the files with FTP or SFTP

Use an FTP client such as FileZilla or another client that supports the protocol supplied by your host. SFTP is a different, encrypted protocol from ordinary FTP; use the protocol and port your host specifies.

  1. Collect the hostname, username, password and port from the hosting account. Common ports differ by protocol, so do not guess if the host provides a specific value.
  2. Open the client and create a new connection using the host’s protocol, hostname, credentials and port.
  3. In the remote-server pane, navigate to the WordPress installation directory, commonly public_html.
  4. In the local pane, create an empty destination folder with enough free space.
  5. Select all remote files and folders, including hidden items when the client offers that option, and start the download.
  6. Wait for the transfer queue to report completion. Review failed transfers and retry them before closing the client.
  7. Compare the local folder with the remote directory. Check specifically for wp-content, the complete uploads tree and wp-config.php.

FTP clients are often better for very large sites because they can retry individual files. A transfer that appears complete is not sufficient if the queue contains skipped or failed items.

Use a backup plugin to package the site

A backup plugin can create downloadable archives containing the files and database, which is useful when you prefer to work inside WordPress. Plugins such as UpdraftPlus or Duplicator are examples of this approach.

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  1. In the WordPress dashboard, install and activate a reputable backup plugin while the old site is still online.
  2. Open the plugin’s backup screen and choose an option that includes both the site files and the database. A files-only package is not enough.
  3. Start the backup and allow the job to finish. Large uploads folders can require substantial time and temporary disk space.
  4. Download every part the plugin generates. Some tools split a backup into several archives; keep all parts together.
  5. If the plugin offers a separate database download, save that SQL or database archive as well.
  6. Inspect the downloaded package and, if possible, use the plugin’s documented restore process in a test location before cancelling the old account.

A plugin package is not automatically safer than a direct copy. If the dashboard times out, the server runs out of space or the job reports an error, use File Manager or FTP/SFTP for the files and phpMyAdmin for the database instead.

Export the WordPress database with phpMyAdmin

When the host uses cPanel or a similar panel, phpMyAdmin is the usual browser interface for creating the SQL export.

  1. Sign in to the hosting control panel and open phpMyAdmin from the database section.
  2. In the left sidebar, select the database used by this WordPress installation. The database name is commonly visible in wp-config.php as the value of DB_NAME.
  3. Open the Export tab.
  4. Choose the Quick export method and select SQL as the format.
  5. Start the export and save the resulting .sql file to your computer.
  6. Check the file’s size and open it with a text editor or database tool to make sure it is not empty. Do not edit the SQL unless you understand the consequences.

The WordPress dashboard path Tools → Export does not replace this step. It exports selected content such as posts, pages and comments, but not the complete database, plugin tables, user accounts or all site settings.

Make one complete, verified off-host copy

Once you have the files and SQL export, organize them so that a future restore does not depend on memory.

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  1. Create a folder named for the site and date.
  2. Place the downloaded file archive—or the complete uncompressed WordPress folder—and the database .sql file inside it.
  3. Include a copy of wp-config.php. Treat it as sensitive because it contains database credentials.
  4. Compress the folder into one ZIP or another archive format, then copy that archive to a second storage location such as an external drive or cloud storage.
  5. Open the archive from each destination. Confirm that it can be read, the SQL file is present and non-empty, and the file count is broadly consistent with what the host’s file manager shows.
  6. Keep the original downloaded files until the archive has passed these checks.

Do not email an archive containing database credentials or leave it in a publicly reachable web directory. Use access controls and encryption appropriate to the sensitivity of your site and customer data.

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Restore-test the copy before cancelling hosting

The most reliable confirmation is a working restore to a local environment, a staging server or the new host. A backup that merely downloads without being tested can still be incomplete.

  1. Set up a clean WordPress installation in the test location and create an empty MySQL or MariaDB database.
  2. Restore the downloaded files, including wp-content and wp-config.php, or adjust the configuration to the test database’s name, user, password and host.
  3. Import the SQL file through the test host’s database tool.
  4. Open the site and sign in to the dashboard. Check several posts, pages, menus, media items, theme settings and plugin screens.
  5. Visit representative internal links and confirm that images load. If permalinks return errors, save the permalink settings again after verifying the web server configuration.
  6. Record any changes needed for the final host, such as different database credentials or a different site URL. Keep the original archive unchanged.

A test restore also distinguishes a complete site backup from a content-only WordPress export. If posts appear but themes, plugins, uploads or settings do not, you have not restored the full site.

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Checklist before you cancel the old hosting account

  • Files from the correct WordPress installation directory are stored off the old host.
  • The database was exported separately or included in a verified plugin package.
  • The SQL file opens, has a non-zero size and is stored with the matching files.
  • wp-config.php and any other required hidden files are present.
  • The archive has been copied to at least one additional location.
  • A local, staging or new-host restore has loaded representative content and media.
  • You know whether the host permits access for a few days after cancellation and whether it charges for downloads; these policies differ by provider.
  • You have saved any email, DNS or domain information that is separate from the WordPress files and database.

Cancellation may delete the hosting account and its data. Keep the account active until the restore test succeeds and every needed download is complete.

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Troubleshoot common download problems

The File Manager download times out

Compress the site first, split very large directories into separate archives, or use FTP/SFTP. Download the uploads directory separately if it is responsible for most of the size, then place it back under wp-content in the local copy.

Some FTP files show as failed

Leave the client open, inspect the failed-transfer queue and retry those items. Check that the local disk is not full and that the client is displaying hidden files. Do not regard the transfer as complete while failures remain.

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The plugin backup stops or reports insufficient space

Delete only temporary backup files after confirming that no restore depends on them, then retry with more server disk space or a smaller, staged job. If it continues to fail, switch to direct file download plus phpMyAdmin.

phpMyAdmin shows several databases

Use the database name recorded as DB_NAME in the site’s wp-config.php. Exporting a different database can produce a valid SQL file that belongs to another site.

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The SQL file imports but the site is missing content

Confirm that you imported the complete SQL export, not the WordPress dashboard’s Tools → Export file, and that you restored the matching wp-content directory. A database without its corresponding uploads, themes and plugins cannot reproduce the original site.

The restored site asks for database credentials

Update the test copy’s wp-config.php with the new database name, user, password and server value. Keep the original file from the old host in the archive so you retain the old connection information for reference.

What to keep after the move

Retain the dated archive even after the new site is working. Keep at least one untouched copy of the files and SQL export, protect access to the archive, and document which database belongs to which site. If a later migration, plugin rollback or accidental deletion occurs, this is the copy that lets you reconstruct the site instead of relying on a host account that no longer exists.

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