Caution: This article is for reseller / WHM users who manage a server in WHM. Shared-hosting customers should use How to Back Up Your Hosting Account in cPanel instead — you do not have WHM.
WHM’s Backup Configuration controls server-level account backups. Exact labels can vary slightly by cPanel/WHM version.
1. Open Backup Configuration
- Log in to WHM with your reseller or root WHM access (as provided for your plan).
- Search for Backup Configuration (under Backup) and open it.
2. Global settings
- Under Global Settings, Enable the backup system.
- Choose backup type: Compressed (less disk, slower), Uncompressed (faster, more space), or Incremental (fewer restore points; review carefully).
Tip: Compressed is a common default when disk space matters. After the first run, check real archive sizes before deciding how many copies to keep.
3. Scheduling and retention
Enable daily, weekly, and/or monthly backups and set how many of each to retain. Pick weekdays for daily/weekly runs and beginning/middle of month for monthly if offered.
4. Which accounts to back up
- Enable Backup Accounts.
- Use Select Users / Backup User Selection and turn backups ON for each cPanel account you want included.
- Decide whether to include suspended accounts, logs, bandwidth data, and system files as your retention and disk allow.
5. Databases and destination
- Databases: in most cases back up both per-account databases and the MySQL directory if the option is shown.
- Destination: keep the default backup directory unless you have a configured external destination. Retaining local copies uses disk on the server — watch free space.
6. Save
Click Save Configuration. Confirm the first job completes and that disk headroom remains comfortable.
Shared-hosting restore or cPanel backup questions? Use the client-area backup guide, or open a ticket at clients.cidhosting.net/submitticket.php.
