The most important single backup.
USING PHPMYADMIN
- cPanel > phpMyAdmin.
- Select the database.
- Export tab.
- Quick export is usually sufficient; Custom lets you exclude large log tables.
- Format SQL, then Go.
- The file downloads to your computer.
Adequate for small and medium databases. Large ones time out.
USING THE COMMAND LINE
With SSH access, mysqldump produces a complete SQL file. Redirect it to a file and compress it.
This has no size limit and is the correct method for large databases.
USING CPANEL PARTIAL BACKUPS
cPanel > Backup > Partial Backups downloads a database archive, and the same page restores it.
WHEN TO DO THIS
Before any update, migration, plugin installation or database change.
It takes under a minute, and it is the difference between undoing a mistake and rebuilding.
WHAT THE DATABASE CONTAINS
Content, settings, users, orders, comments, and everything else that cannot be recreated from files.
