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Restore a Deleted Website: Recovery Paths and Risks

A website may be recoverable if a suitable backup remains. Check the date, re-add the domain, and use the steps for your site type.

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You may be able to restore a deleted website if a usable backup is still available in your hosting account. First re-add the domain or subdomain to an active hosting plan, then choose the recovery steps for the site type: WordPress, another CMS or custom site, a website builder in manual mode, or a randomly assigned temporary domain. Check the backup date before restoring: the process rolls the site back and can erase changes made afterward.

Before restoring, check backups and prepare the domain

  1. Sign in to the same account that hosted the site and open the website’s dashboard. Go to Backups and check which dates are available. Backup availability is account-specific; public instructions do not establish which snapshots remain for your plan. If no suitable backup appears, the documented backup restore workflow cannot recover the site.
  2. Re-add the deleted domain to an active hosting plan. If the site used a subdomain, recreate that subdomain first. Follow the current dashboard labels if they differ from the labels in support instructions.
  3. Before restoring, download current site data if you can. A restore returns the site to the selected backup date, so later changes may be lost; a full WordPress restore replaces both current files and database. The general backup instructions say the automated restore process applies within the same account; a transfer between accounts uses a separate migration process.

Choose the recovery route for your site

Site type Recovery route Key consideration
WordPress Restore a Website backup, or restore files and database separately if a full backup is unavailable. A full restore returns files and database together to the selected date.
Other CMS or custom code Restore files and database separately. Use the site’s configuration file to recover database connection details.
Website builder in manual mode Contact the provider for deleted-site help; if a version can be restored in the editor, publish it. Builder backups are kept for 30 days, but recovery after deletion is not guaranteed.
Random temporary domain Create a new temporary domain and remap restored site files to its folder. The old randomly assigned temporary-domain string cannot simply be recreated.

Restore a WordPress site

  1. In the site dashboard, choose Backups, select the preferred Website backup date, then choose Restore website. Interface labels can change, so use the equivalent controls shown in your account.
  2. Review the selected date and overwrite notice. Continue only after safeguarding any current data you need.
  3. Track progress in Restore History. The provider describes 10–15 minutes as a usual duration, depending on site size; it is an estimate, not a guaranteed completion time. The process continues in the background.

If Website backup is missing or there are no Website backups, check whether separate file and database backups are available and restore them separately. If the site appears unchanged after restoring, clear your browser cache and check again.

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Restore another CMS or a custom-coded site

Do not use the WordPress full-restore route. Restore the relevant files, then restore the matching database if the site uses one.

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  1. In the site’s Backups area, select Files and the backup date. Restore the site directory or the specific directory for the domain or subdomain. The deleted-site guide points to public_html for a main domain or the subdomain’s directory.
  2. Check the restored site’s configuration file for its database name, username, and other connection details. Recreate the database and database user using the same credentials, then restore the database backup that matches the files.
  3. Open the domain in an incognito or private browser window and test the site.

Recover a website-builder site in manual mode

For a deleted website-builder manual-mode site, contact the provider for restoration assistance. Its backup guide says backups are created when the site is first published and after later updates, and are stored for 30 days. If you can restore a version in the editor, publish it to make that version live. A stored-backup policy does not guarantee that every deleted site can be recovered in every account state.

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Recover a site that used a randomly assigned temporary domain

A randomly assigned temporary domain cannot simply be recreated with the same string. If a pre-deletion backup is available, follow the temporary-website recovery procedure:

  1. Create a new temporary domain.
  2. Restore the old site’s files from a backup dated before deletion.
  3. Use File Manager to map the recovered directory to the folder for the new temporary domain.
  4. For a dynamic site such as WordPress, restore the old database if needed and update hardcoded references to the old domain in the configuration and database.
  5. Confirm the site works at the new temporary domain before removing any empty folder.

Check the restored site and account details

  • Test the homepage and important pages, forms, and other features you rely on.
  • If you use symlinks, recreate them manually. General backup restores do not automatically recreate symlinks.
  • Allow for a longer restore than the usual 10–15 minutes if the site is large, and use Restore History to check progress.
  • If the domain cannot be added to the hosting plan or the expected backup is absent, contact provider support to check your account options. A restore cannot use a snapshot that is not available.
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Recover email separately

Website and email recovery are separate processes. The deleted-site guide says email may be recoverable if the website was removed less than 14 days ago. Act promptly and follow the email recovery procedure linked from the provider’s deleted-website guide.

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