Simple methods without special tools.
USING FILE MANAGER
- cPanel > File Manager.
- Select
public_html, or the whole home directory. - Compress, choosing a zip or tar.gz archive.
- Download the resulting file.
- Delete the archive from the server afterwards.
Compressing on the server and downloading one file is far faster than transferring thousands of individual files.
USING FTP
Connect with FileZilla and download the directory. Slower, and it works without needing space on the server for an archive.
Use SFTP or FTP over TLS, never plain FTP.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
The whole home directory, not just public_html. Files above the web root frequently include configuration and things you would want.
WHAT TO WATCH
Large accounts take a long time and may time out. Compress in sections if necessary.
Very many small files transfer slowly over FTP, which is why the compress-and-download approach is preferable.
WHAT THIS MISSES
Databases and email. Both need separate attention.
