Restore WordPress from backup safely

When to use this guide

Use this when a rollback is not enough and the fastest safe path is restoring a known-good WordPress file and database backup.

Safety notes

• Take a fresh snapshot of the broken state before restoring.
• Confirm backup time, site URL, database name, table prefix, and file root.
• Avoid restoring the database over newer orders, form submissions, or user records without a business decision.
• Keep the old wp-config.php available for comparison and redaction.

Basic steps

1. Identify whether you need files only, database only, or both.
2. Confirm the backup predates the first known failure.
3. Restore in the hosting panel, backup tool, or deployment system that owns the site.
4. Compare wp-config.php database settings and $table_prefix after restore.
5. Clear only the affected caches and test public pages plus wp-admin.

Expected result

The site should return to the known-good version without mixing files from one version with a database from another incompatible version.

Next links

• If a smaller rollback is possible, use Roll back a website change safely.
• If the restored site cannot connect to the database, use Repair WordPress database settings in wp-config.php.
• If restored files cannot run, use Check WordPress file permissions.