In this article, you will learn:
- When to use this guide
- Why back up your website and how often
- How to make a manual backup
- How to restore a website from a backup
- Common problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
When to use this guide
- Your website stopped working after an edit or an attack and you want to restore a backup: VEDOS backups and Restoring a website from a backup.
- You want to download a backup of your website or set up regular backups: Manual backup and Frequently Asked Questions.
- A technician restored the backup, but the website still does not work: VEDOS backup not working.
- Your Webhosting has expired and you cannot log in to FTP, or you cannot see it in your account: Unavailable FTP and Deleted expired Webhosting.
- You are moving to another provider or want to switch your website off for a while and need to save the data: Frequently Asked Questions.
Backup basics
A website backup can save you if someone hacks your website, you accidentally delete part of it, or it is damaged by a problem with installing or updating a content management system.
VEDOS backups
We back up standard Webhosting (NoLimit, LowCost) once a week. These backups are used to recover data in the event of a server failure, so they are not intended for restoration at a customer’s request.
We back up Webhosting Extra once a day. Backups up to 5 days old are available, and we restore data on request free of charge.
You can find more detailed information about our backups in the article Backups ⧉.
We do not provide backups older than 1 week.
Send requests for a backup authorized via the contact form ⧉. In your request, include:
- The Webhosting name or the service/order number
- What to restore: FTP, database, or both
- The dateof the backup you require (a technician will tell you the specific dates and times of the available backups)
- Restoration method: overwrite all current FTP data with the data from the backup, or upload the data from the backup to a separate folder on FTP. Unless you agree otherwise with the technician, we upload the database export to FTP.
- Agreement to the restoration price according to the current price list.
Your own backups
Our system makes backups automatically, regardless of whether you are currently making changes. So if you are about to make a major change to your website, such as deleting files or installing (updating) a new content management system or plugin, back up the system manually as well. This helps you avoid a situation where our backup is too old and does not include, for example, recent changes, or is too new and we no longer have the original working website.
Also make your own backup in case your website is hacked. You may discover a compromise weeks or even months after malicious files were uploaded or clean code was overwritten with malicious code, and our backups will then be compromised as well.
We recommend keeping the last 3 backups in case the most recent one is damaged or compromised.
Manual backup
To make a complete backup of your website, you usually need to save:
- Files from FTP, that is, the code, styles, scripts and media that make up your website. Every website has files on FTP.
- Data from the database. Most websites use a database, including those built on content management systems (WordPress, Joomla, etc.).
FTP backup
To back up your files from FTP, follow these steps:
- Create a folder on your computer to store the backup. We recommend including the date in the name to make sorting and finding it easier, for example backup_domain-tld_221231.
- Connect to FTP and find the directory where your website is located – usually www, or www/domains/(your website’s domain).
- Download the website files to the prepared folder:
- WebFTP ⧉: Select the website directory or all the files and click the Download.
- Desktop client: Select the website directory or all the files and drag them to the prepared folder.
The WebFTP client packs the files into an archive before downloading them. However, because of its limited performance (it is a web application), it is not suitable for large websites or websites with a large number of files. In that case, we recommend the FileZilla client.
After downloading the files, we recommend running an antivirus scan on the folder containing the backup.
Database backup
To back up the database files, follow the database export guide in the article Webhosting – Database Import and Export in phpMyAdmin.
Save the exported file in the folder with the backup of your files. If you do not have these files in an archive (zipped), we recommend saving the database file in an easily identifiable folder of its own.
Restoring a website from a backup
If you request restoration from a VEDOS backup ⧉, you can ask for the original website files to be overwritten. The technician uploads the database backup to FTP.
To restore a website from a manual backup, follow these steps:
- Connect to FTP and check that it contains the basic directory structure.
- Find the directory where the non-functioning website is located – usually www, or www/domains/(your website’s domain). If this directory does not exist, create it.
- If the directory with the non-functioning website contains the original files, delete them.
- Upload the backup files using the WebFTP ⧉ or a desktop FTP client.
- Import the database following the database import guide in the article Webhosting – Database Import and Export in phpMyAdmin.
- Clear your browser cache and check that the website works.
Common problems
Common backup problems include:
- Unavailable FTP
- Deleted Webhosting service
- VEDOS backup not working
- Website not working after restoration from your own backup
Unavailable FTP
Problem: You cannot log in to FTP for your Webhosting.
Cause: FTP is most often unavailable for services that have been turned off.
Solution: If your Webhosting expired no more than 5 days ago, Support can turn FTP on for you so that you can obtain a backup. Send a request for temporary activation via the form ⧉ and state the Webhosting name. Support may refuse the temporary activation of Webhosting at its own discretion, or charge a fee for it.
If the service is working, follow the guide to solving FTP problems.
Deleted expired Webhosting
Problem: I cannot see my Webhosting service in my account. How can I get to my data?
Cause: If you cannot see the service in your account and the website expired 30 or more days ago (7 if you terminatedit), the service and all its data have been completely deleted on our side.
Solution: You can create the service again, but we are unable to restore the data. So restore your own backup if you have one, or create a new website.
VEDOS backup not working
Problem: A technician restored from a backup, but the website is still not working.
Cause: Technicians usually restore data by overwriting the original files on FTP (unless restoration to a separate folder is requested) and by uploading the database backup to FTP as well. Importing the database is usually not part of the restoration.
The source of the website’s problems may also have been present before the backup was made, so the restoration did not solve the problem.
Solution: Make sure the original data was overwritten with the backup data and that you have imported the database backup uploaded to FTP by the technician. If the website has been restored correctly but still does not work, the problem was unfortunately already part of our backup. In that case, use an older backup of your own, or consult an expert (we do not handle malware removal or repairs of hacked or otherwise damaged websites).
The fee for restoration from a backup is non-refundable, even if the restoration did not solve the problem.
Website not working after restoration from your own backup
Problem: We deleted all the content on FTP and uploaded the backup, but the website still does not work.
Cause: Deleting the FTP content damaged the basic directory structure of the Webhosting.
Solution: Make sure you have the correct basic directory structure of Webhosting. If the problems persist, set up temporary FTP access for Support following the guide and ask for help via the form ⧉. Requests are handled directly by Support or the CMS department, usually within 1 business day, but this is an intervention beyond the scope of standard support, so the response time may be significantly longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download the backup that VEDOS makes automatically?
No, VEDOS backups are stored on the server and we do not offer them for download. You can request restoration. Save your own backups manually, we do not offer automatic custom backups.
How often and how far back do you back up Webhosting?
Webhosting NoLimit and LowCost once a week; we do not provide backups older than 1 week. Webhosting Extra once a day; backups up to 5 days back are available.
Is restoration from a VEDOS backup free of charge?
For Webhosting Extra, yes. For other plans, restoration is charged according to the current price list and you must agree to the price when submitting the request. The fee is non-refundable, even if the restoration did not solve the problem.
I want to switch my website off for a longer period and stop paying for Webhosting. Will my data be kept?
No, we delete the website and email content of a service that has not been renewed 30 days after expiry. Therefore, please back up your data to your own computer beforehand and upload it to a newly set up Webhosting when you restore the website.
How do I get my website data when I am moving to another provider?
Download the files from FTP and export the database as described in the chapter Manual backup. Follow the new provider’s instructions for further steps. You terminate the old service by giving notice.
Do you also back up WMS services?
No, we do not back up WMS service data and deleted services cannot be restored. Back them up yourself. You can find more about the service in the article WMS - Webhosting.
We had a backup on WEDOS Disk, but it was deleted. Can you restore it for us?
No, we do not back up data on WEDOS Disk. Disks provided free of charge with a hosting service (Webhosting, VPS) are deleted by the system together with the data of that service (typically on day 30 after expiration, or on day 7 in the case of service run-out).