Restore a Site from Backup

InstaWP keeps automated backups of every site (frequency depends on your plan) and lets you create on-demand (manual) backups at any time. If an update breaks your site, a change goes wrong, or you simply want to return to a known-good state, you can restore the site in place — its files and database are rolled back to the exact moment that backup was taken.

| This feature is available on paid plans (Sandbox and above). View Pricing. If you are not logged in, use this link to view pricing.

⚠️ A restore overwrites the current site. Restoring replaces your live files and database with the contents of the backup, and the action cannot be undone. Always create a fresh on-demand backup right before restoring, so you have a way back if you restore the wrong point.

In this guide we'll walk the full workflow end to end:

• Step 1 — Create (or open) a site
• Step 2 — Open the Backups & Restore screen
• Step 3 — Create a manual backup
• Step 4 — Restore the site from a backup
• Step 5 — Wait for the restore to finish

Let's get started 🚀

Step 1 — Create (or open) a site

If you don't already have a site to work with, create one from your InstaWP dashboard (Add Site → From Scratch) and pick any paid plan — every paid plan includes backups. For the full walkthrough, see Create Site.

Already have a site? Just open it from the Sites list and continue with Step 2.

Step 2 — Open the Backups & Restore screen

Inside the site panel, expand Site Management in the left sidebar and click Backups. This opens the Backups & Restore screen, which lists every backup with its date, type, file size, and database size.

A brand-new site shows No Backup Found until its first automated backup runs — so let's create one manually.

Step 3 — Create a manual backup

Click Backup Now in the top-right corner. A confirmation window appears — click Confirm to create an on-demand backup of your site.

InstaWP starts the backup immediately. Within a minute or two it appears in the list, tagged Manual, alongside its date, file size, and database size.

Note: A manual backup captures both the file system and the database exactly as they are at the moment you trigger it. Each site can hold up to 3 on-demand backups at a time — delete an old one to free a slot. See View and Manage Backups for details.

Step 4 — Restore the site from a backup

Find the backup you want to roll back to. In its Actions column, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and choose Restore to this site.

A warning window explains that the restore will overwrite your current site files and database and cannot be undone. Once you're sure, click Confirm.

You can restore from either an automated backup or an on-demand (Manual) backup — the steps are identical. Just pick the row for the point in time you want to return to.

Step 5 — Wait for the restore to finish

InstaWP queues the restore and the button changes to Restore in progress…. A confirmation toast lets you know the site is being updated — this usually takes 1–2 minutes.

When it completes, the button returns to Backup Now and your site is live again with the files and database from the backup you selected. Open the site to confirm everything is back to the restored state. ✅

Related

• Want a copy instead of an in-place rollback? You can spin up a brand-new site from any backup while leaving the original untouched.
• View and Manage Backups on InstaWP — backup schedule by plan, downloading backups, and managing on-demand slots.
• Maintain Versions — snapshot and switch between saved versions of a site.
• Restore Site — reactivate a site that has expired or gone inactive.