{"id":21138,"date":"2025-10-23T09:58:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T09:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webhosting.uk.com\/kb\/?p=21138"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T11:28:18","slug":"how-to-configure-and-schedule-backups-in-whm-cpanel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webhosting.uk.com\/kb\/how-to-configure-and-schedule-backups-in-whm-cpanel\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Configure and Schedule Backups in WHM (cPanel)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Regular backups are important for protecting your server and website data. WHM provides a built-in Backup Configuration feature that lets server administrators automate the backup process for cPanel accounts, databases, and system files.<\/p>\n

This guide explains how to configure and schedule cPanel backups in WHM, including how to set up backup types, retention policies, file selections, database options, and remote destinations. By following these steps, you can ensure your data is securely backed up and easily restorable in the event of data loss or server failure.<\/p>\n

\n

Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Accessing the Backup Configuration in WHM<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Enabling Backups<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Setting Global Backup Options<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Configuring Backup Scheduling and Retention<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Selecting Files to Back Up<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Configuring Database Backups<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Choosing a Backup Directory<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Adding Additional Backup Destinations<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Saving the Configuration<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Accessing the Backup Configuration in WHM<\/strong><\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Log in to WHM as the root user.<\/li>\n
    2. In the left-hand search bar, type \u201cBackup.\u201d<\/li>\n
    3. Click \u201cBackup Configuration\u201d under the Backup<\/a> section.
      \n      \"backup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Enabling Backups<\/strong><\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. In the \u201cBackup Status\u201d section, click \u201cEnable Backups\u201d to activate cPanel backups.
        \n        \"configuration\"<\/a><\/li>\n
      2. Once enabled, <\/a>additional configuration options will appear.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Setting Global Backup Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n
          \n
        1. Backup Type: Choose how your server stores backups.\n
            \n
          1. Compressed: Saves all data in a compressed format. Takes longer but uses less disk space.<\/li>\n
          2. Uncompressed: Stores data uncompressed. Faster, but uses more space.<\/li>\n
          3. Incremental: Saves only changed files since the last backup. Fastest and uses minimal space, but limits restore options.
            \n            \"global<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
          4. Check the Available Disk Space: Ensures backups only run if enough disk space is available. If free space is below the set limit (e.g., 5%), the backup won\u2019t start.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. Maximum Destination Backup Timeout: The time (in seconds) the system will try to complete the backup. If it exceeds this time (e.g., 7200s), it stops automatically.<\/li>\n
            2. Maximum Backup Restoration Timeout: The time allowed (in seconds) for restoring a backup. If not completed within this limit (e.g., 21600s), the process is cancelled.
              \n              \"check<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Configuring Backup Scheduling and Retention<\/strong><\/h3>\n

              Set when and how long backups should be retained.<\/p>\n