Restoring a Website on Shared Hosting (Self-Service & Support Requests)
If your website encounters a critical issue—such as a broken update, code error, or corrupted database—rolling back to a previous backup is usually the fastest path to recovery.
On shared hosting accounts, JetBackup is fully installed and available right inside your control panel so you can run self-service restores at any time. If you run into issues or need assistance, our support engineering team is also on hand to assist with a managed restore.
Option 1: Self-Service Restore via JetBackup
For most day-to-day website issues, performing a self-service restore via JetBackup in cPanel is the quickest method.
- Log into your cPanel account.
- Scroll to the Files section and click JetBackup 5.
- Under the Restore & Download tab, select the type of backup you need:
- Home Directory / File Backups: To restore site code, themes, or plugin files.
- Database Backups: To restore database tables and site content.
- Locate the backup date you wish to restore from.
- Click Restore (or drill down into the file manager to select specific folders/files) and confirm the restoration.
- Track progress in the JetBackup Queue until complete.
Need help picking files or databases? Check out our detailed guide on How to Restore a Website with JetBackup for step-by-step instructions on identifying exact document roots and database names.
Option 2: Requesting a Managed Restore from Support
If JetBackup fails, if you are locked out of cPanel, or if you prefer an engineer to perform or verify the restore for you, you can open a support ticket with our support team.
Information to Provide in Your Support Ticket
To help our engineers process your rollback quickly without back-and-forth messaging, please include:
| Requirement | Details Needed | Example |
| Domain Name | The target domain or subdomain requiring a restore. | yourdomain.co.uk |
| Desired Date & Time | The specific backup point/date you want to revert to. | Restore to state as of Oct 15 at 9:00 AM |
| Scope of Restore | Specify Files Only, Database Only, or Full Account/Site. | Full Site (Files and Database) |
| Reason / Issue | A brief explanation of what went wrong. | Site broke after a WordPress plugin update. |
What Happens During an Engineer-Assisted Restore
- Ticket Review & Verification: An engineer inspects available automated snapshot dates matching your requested point in time.
- Restore Execution: The engineer initiates the restore job for the specified files, directories, or database tables.
- Verification: The engineer checks file permissions, document roots, and database connections (
wp-config.php), then notifies you via the ticket once completed.
What to Do After a Restore Completes
Whether you performed a self-service JetBackup restore or an engineer assisted you:
- Test in Incognito: Open your website in a private browser window to confirm pages load as expected.
- Clear Caches: Clear any CMS caching plugins (e.g., LiteSpeed, WP Rocket) and browser cache.
- Check CMS Admin: Log into your admin dashboard to ensure access works properly.
- Review Updates: Re-apply any plugin or theme updates carefully once stability is restored.