The Tool Desk
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You can copy the files with your host’s File Manager, an FTP or SFTP client, or a backup plugin. Then export the database through cPanel’s phpMyAdmin, package everything together, and verify that the archive can be opened before ending the hosting account.
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What you must download before leaving the host
A restorable WordPress backup has two separate components. Treat both as mandatory rather than choosing one.
| Component | What it contains | Where you usually find it | What happens if it is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress files | WordPress core files, wp-content (themes, plugins and media uploads), and wp-config.php |
The WordPress installation directory, commonly public_html |
You cannot recreate the exact theme, plugin, media or configuration set from the database alone. |
| WordPress database | Posts, pages, comments, settings and users stored in MySQL or MariaDB | cPanel’s phpMyAdmin, after selecting the site’s database | The copied files may look complete, but the site’s content and configuration will be absent. |
The exact directory can differ if WordPress was installed in a subfolder or under a separate document root. Confirm the location in your host’s dashboard before downloading.
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Prepare a safe download
Do this while the old account is still active. Cancellation can remove the account and its data, and a host may offer only a limited post-cancellation access period or charge for downloads. Those policies differ by provider, so check the account’s current terms or support documentation before you cancel.
- Have enough local or cloud storage for the entire site, especially the uploads directory.
- Record the hosting account, FTP or SFTP credentials, and the database name you will use during the export. Do not send passwords in email or include them in a public ticket.
- Decide where the final copy will live: an external drive, cloud storage, or both.
- Plan a restore test on a local, staging or new-host environment. Opening a ZIP proves that an archive is readable; restoring it proves that the files and database work together.
Method 1: download the files with the host’s File Manager
File Manager is usually the least technical route when your hosting dashboard provides a download function. It copies the files but does not automatically export the database, so complete the database procedure in a later section.
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Step-by-step
- Sign in to the old hosting dashboard and open its File Manager. The label and location vary between hosts.
- Open the site’s document root, commonly
public_html. If the site uses an addon domain, subdomain or subdirectory, open that installation directory instead. - Select every WordPress file and folder. The selection must include
wp-admin,wp-includes,wp-content, root-level PHP files andwp-config.php. Hidden files, such as a site-specific.htaccess, are also worth retaining when the interface allows them to be shown. - Choose Download. Many File Manager interfaces create a ZIP archive first; wait for that archive to finish before downloading it to your computer.
- Keep the downloaded archive unchanged until you have opened it and checked its contents.
A site with a large media library can take a long time to compress and download. Keep the browser window open if the host’s interface requires it, and check that the resulting archive size is plausible rather than assuming a quick download completed successfully.
When File Manager is the better choice
- You have dashboard access but do not want to configure a separate client.
- You need a one-time copy of the files and the host can create an archive server-side.
- Your network connection is more reliable for one ZIP download than for thousands of individual files.
Method 2: download with FTP or SFTP
An FTP or SFTP client is useful when File Manager cannot create a reliable archive or when you need to resume a large transfer. A client such as FileZilla can copy folders recursively, but you must obtain the connection details from the old host.
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Connection details you need
- Hostname supplied by the host
- FTP or SFTP username
- Account password or a host-issued transfer password
- Port supplied by the host
- The correct protocol: FTP and SFTP are different services, so use the one the host specifies
Step-by-step
- Open the FTP or SFTP client and create a connection using the host’s hostname, username, password and port.
- In the remote-server pane, navigate to
public_htmlor the directory that contains the WordPress installation. - Confirm that you can see the expected WordPress folders, particularly
wp-content. If you see only an empty directory or a different site, stop and verify the document root before copying. - Select all files and folders in the installation directory and start a download to a clearly named local folder.
- Let the queue finish. Review failed or skipped transfers and retry them before disconnecting.
FTP clients may preserve the directory structure while downloading thousands of files, but a large wp-content/uploads folder can still take considerable time. Keep the local folder intact until verification is complete.
FTP versus SFTP
Use SFTP when the host offers it because it transfers through an encrypted SSH connection. If only FTP is available, use the host’s required connection settings and avoid transferring over an untrusted network. The practical steps—connect, open the WordPress directory, select all, and download—remain the same.
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A backup plugin can be simpler for non-technical users because it can package the files and database into downloadable archives. Plugins such as UpdraftPlus and Duplicator are examples of this approach. The plugin must finish creating a complete backup before you cancel the old hosting account.
Step-by-step
- In the old site’s WordPress dashboard, install or open the backup plugin you intend to use.
- Choose its manual backup or package-creation option and select both site files and database when the plugin presents separate checkboxes.
- Wait for the job to finish. Large uploads directories can make the package take a long time or require multiple archive parts.
- Download every generated part, not just the first file. Keep the plugin’s instructions or manifest with the archives if one is provided.
- Open the downloaded files and confirm that the package contains both a files component and a database export, or separately export the database with phpMyAdmin.
A plugin adds a dependency: you need a working WordPress dashboard, enough server storage and a plugin that can complete on the old host. If the site is already failing, access to the dashboard is unavailable, or the package repeatedly times out, use File Manager or FTP for the files and phpMyAdmin for the database instead.
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Export the WordPress database with phpMyAdmin
The database is separate from the files. In a cPanel-based account, the standard export path is phpMyAdmin.
Exact cPanel procedure
- Sign in to cPanel and open phpMyAdmin.
- In the left sidebar, select the database used by this WordPress installation. The database name is often listed in
wp-config.phpasDB_NAME, although the table prefix and hosting layout can vary. - Open the Export tab.
- Choose the Quick export method and select SQL as the format.
- Start the export and save the resulting
.sqlfile locally.
Check that the downloaded SQL file has a non-zero size and can be opened as plain text. A readable SQL file contains statements and table data; an empty file or a download that contains an HTML error page is not a usable backup.
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The built-in WordPress exporter under Tools → Export is not a replacement for a database dump and file copy. It exports selected content such as posts, pages and comments, but it does not capture the complete database, installed plugins, themes, uploads or server configuration. Use it only when you specifically need an XML content export; for leaving a host, use the full file-and-database process described here.
Keep the files and database together
After downloading the files and the .sql database export, create one clearly named archive or folder containing both. For example, include the site name and backup date in the name so you can identify it later. Store that copy on an external drive or cloud storage, and keep a second copy when the site is important.
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Include wp-config.php, but protect it
Retain wp-config.php with the file backup. It records the old database name, username and password needed to understand the original connection. Treat the file as secret: anyone who obtains it may gain information useful for accessing the database. Do not publish it, attach it to a public support request, or leave it in a web-accessible download directory.
Verification checklist
- The archive opens without an extraction error.
- The extracted tree contains the expected WordPress folders and
wp-content. - The media library’s uploads are present, rather than only the theme and plugin folders.
wp-config.phpis present in the expected location.- The
.sqlfile is present and not empty. - The local file count and approximate size are consistent with what the host’s File Manager reports.
- Every FTP queue error has been resolved, or the File Manager archive has been checked instead.
Restore-test the backup before cancelling
The safest confirmation is to restore the copy to a local, staging or new-host environment while the old site still exists. The exact import steps depend on the destination host, but the test should demonstrate that the database imports, the files are in the intended document root, and the site loads with its media and theme.
- Load the front page and several internal pages.
- Open the WordPress login screen.
- Check representative posts, images and downloadable files.
- Confirm that the active theme and important plugins are present.
- Look for missing images, database connection errors or redirect loops.
If the test fails, keep the old hosting account active and correct the backup rather than cancelling first. A successful restore gives you a practical recovery point; an archive that has never been tested leaves uncertainty about whether the two components match.
How to choose the download method
| Method | Technical effort | Includes files | Includes database automatically | Best fit | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host File Manager | Lowest | Yes | No | A dashboard user who wants one server-created archive | Large media archives can take a long time to create and download. |
| FTP or SFTP client | Moderate | Yes | No | Resumable transfers or hosts with limited File Manager tools | Requires correct credentials and review of failed transfers. |
| Backup plugin | Low when the dashboard works | Yes | Usually, if both components are selected | A non-technical user who wants a packaged migration backup | Depends on plugin, server storage, dashboard access and successful completion. |
| phpMyAdmin export | Low to moderate | No | Yes, database only | Creating the required SQL backup | Must be paired with a separate files download. |
For the most dependable handoff, use a File Manager or FTP/SFTP copy for the files, export the database with phpMyAdmin, and retain a plugin package as an additional copy only if it completes successfully. The essential requirement is not the tool; it is having a verified copy of both components.
Common problems and recovery steps
The download finishes unusually quickly
A very small archive may indicate that you selected the wrong directory or that the host created an error page instead of a backup. Open the archive, confirm the WordPress folders are present, and compare its size with the host’s reported account usage. If the contents are wrong, repeat the download from the actual document root.
Some FTP files failed
Review the client’s transfer queue, identify failed or skipped items, and retry them. Pay particular attention to files inside wp-content/uploads, where missing media may not be noticed until pages are viewed. Do not delete the original remote files until the queue shows completion and local verification passes.
The plugin backup stops or runs out of space
Large archives can exceed the old account’s available storage or execution limits. Free space only after you have another verified copy, or switch to File Manager/FTP for the files and phpMyAdmin for the database. Download all archive parts that were successfully created, but do not treat an incomplete package as a complete backup.
phpMyAdmin shows several databases
Select the database used by this WordPress site, not every database in the account. Check wp-config.php for the configured database name and verify that the selected database contains the site’s WordPress tables before exporting.
The restored site has a database connection error
The old database credentials in wp-config.php are tied to the old host. On a new host or local environment, the destination database name, username, password and server may differ, so the configuration must be updated for that environment. Keep the original file as a reference, but never expose its credentials publicly.
Final cancellation checklist
- Download all WordPress files from the correct installation directory.
- Export the matching database as an SQL file through phpMyAdmin, or confirm that a plugin package contains the database.
- Put the files and SQL export together in a dated archive or folder.
- Open the archive and inspect its folders and SQL file.
- Restore-test the copy locally, on staging or at the new host.
- Store at least one copy away from the old hosting account.
- Confirm the host’s cancellation timing, post-cancellation access and any download charges.
- Only then cancel the old hosting service.
The direct answer to “how do I download my WordPress files from my old host?” is: copy the complete installation from public_html (or its actual document root), export the matching MySQL or MariaDB database, verify both, and keep them together somewhere you control. Files alone are not a complete WordPress backup.
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