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How to Restore a Joomla Site From a Backup

Using WordPress instead? See How to Restore a WordPress Site From a Backup.

Joomla doesn't include a backup and restore tool of its own. Restores are done with a backup extension (for example, Akeeba Backup) or through your host. Here's how the process works.

If your site was hacked, don't restore yet. Read My Website Was Hacked: What to Do Right Now first, or the problem can come right back.

Before you restore

  • Pick the right backup. Choose one from before the problem started. Check the date.
  • Back up the current site too, even if it's broken. You may need something from it.
  • Note recent changes. Anything added after the backup date, like new articles, orders, or form entries, will be lost and may need to be re-entered.
  • Restore to a staging copy first if you can, so you can check it before replacing the live site.

Option 1: your backup extension

The steps depend on the extension, but they're usually:

  1. If the site's admin still works, open your backup extension under Components and find the list of backups.
  2. Choose the backup and use the extension's restore option. The button name varies by extension.
  3. If the admin doesn't work, you'll usually upload the backup file and the extension's restore script to the server and run it in a browser. This takes server (FTP or file manager) access.
  4. Follow the steps to restore files and the database, then remove the restore script when you're done.

Option 2: your host

Many hosts keep their own backups and can restore them from the control panel or on request. Check whether it restores files, the database, or both. You need both for Joomla.

After restoring

  1. Log in to the admin and check that it works.
  2. Clear the cache under System > Clear Cache.
  3. Visit key pages, test forms, and check logins.
  4. Check System > Update for updates the backup may be missing, and apply them. See How to Update Joomla Safely (Back Up First).
  5. Re-enter any content added since the backup.

When to call us

  • The admin won't load and you don't have server access
  • You're not sure which backup to use
  • The site was hacked
  • Something still isn't right after restoring

If you're on our boutique hosting, which is available to our clients, including sites moved over from another host, your site has nightly backups kept for one week. Contact us about restoring from one. We can do restores on demand at hourly rates. See Website Backups: What to Back Up, How Often, and How Restores Work.

Prefer we handle it?

If you'd rather spend your time running your business, our boutique hosting takes a proactive approach to security and monitoring, with nightly backups, 24/7 outage monitoring, and ongoing core CMS updates.

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