How to Restore Your cPanel Account - A Guide for New System Administrators

Valid for versions 88 through the latest version

Version: 88

Last modified: 2025 July 14

Overview

This guide outlines the process for restoring your website within WHM.

Note: This document is intended for cPanel users who have recently transitioned into system administration roles.

Understanding cPanel & WHM

The cPanel & WHM product suite comprises two distinct interfaces, each controlling a different aspect of web hosting. A clear understanding of these differences is essential:

• WHM (WebHost Manager) — WHM provides tools to manage your server and all associated websites. It also enables configuration and management of server settings. WHM is generally considered the "backend" of our product package.
• cPanel — cPanel empowers website owners to manage their individual sites. Users can create email addresses, FTP accounts, web applications, and databases through the cPanel interface. cPanel is often referred to as the "frontend" of our product package.

Important: If you intend to restore your cPanel account, it is crucial not to create the account in WHM prior to attempting the restoration.

Accessing cPanel

To access cPanel & WHM services via a web browser, please follow the instructions detailed in our How to Log in to Your Server or Account documentation.

Understanding the Root User

The root user represents the highest-level system user, granting full access and modification privileges across the entire system.

Important: We strongly advise against sharing or exposing your root password to maintain system security.

Restoring Your cPanel Account

Warning: Avoid using the skip-name-resolve setting within your server’s MySQL® configuration. This setting can lead to severe operational issues with your server, especially if you are not an advanced MySQL administrator. For instance, it can cause problems with account transfers, restorations, and applications like phpMyAdmin.

To restore your cPanel account, you will first need a backup archive or a cpmove file from the old account. This file can be generated in cPanel’s Backup interface (cPanel » Home » Files » Backup), or obtained directly from your hosting provider.

Important:

• You must not create the cPanel account that you intend to restore beforehand. WHM’s Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account interface (WHM » Home » Backup » Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account) handles the account creation automatically during the restoration process.
• Do not modify the name of your cPanel backup archive or cpmove file.

Begin by placing your backup archive or cpmove file into the /home directory. An SFTP client is required to transfer this file to your server.

For detailed information on SFTP configuration, please refer to our How to Configure Your SFTP Client documentation.

Note: If you do not currently have an SFTP client, Cyberduck™ is available for evaluation purposes.

Once your SFTP client is installed, establish an SFTP connection to your server using your root login credentials. For users of Cyberduck, the following steps outline how to open an SFTP connection:

1. Select SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) from the top menu.
2. Enter your server’s IP address or hostname into the Server text box.
3. If your server utilizes a port other than 22 for SSH, specify it in the Port text box.
4. Enter root into the Username text box.
5. Provide the root user’s password in the Password text box.
6. Click Connect to establish the SFTP connection to your server.

Once an SFTP connection is established, proceed to transfer the backup archive or cpmove file to the server's /home directory.

To perform the file transfer using Cyberduck, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the / directory.
2. Double-click the home folder.
3. Click Action.
4. Click Upload.
5. Browse to the directory containing your backup archive file and select it. The system will then transfer your file to the server’s /home directory.

Note: The duration of the SFTP transfer will vary depending on the file's size and your internet connection speed.

After successfully moving your backup archive or cpmove file to the correct location, access WHM’s Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account interface (WHM » Home » Transfers » Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account). Within this interface, utilize the Restore from a local cpmove file setting to complete the restoration of your backup archive or cpmove file.