Use phpMyAdmin to export or import a WordPress database, but first confirm you have selected the right database and back it up. A database dump does not include your site’s themes, plugins, uploads, or configuration files, so it is not a complete site backup.
Before managing a WordPress database
Open phpMyAdmin through your hosting control panel or the database tools your host documents. The route and interface depend on the host and phpMyAdmin version, so labels may differ from the steps below.
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- Identify the database used by this WordPress installation. If you cannot confirm it, ask your hosting provider rather than guessing.
- Check the installation’s table prefix in
wp-config.php. The common prefix iswp_, but it can be customized. - If the database is shared, distinguish this installation’s tables from tables belonging to other applications or WordPress sites.
- Export a backup before an upgrade, migration, import, or significant edit. Keep it somewhere secure and separate from the live hosting account.
WordPress recommends regular database backups and a backup before an upgrade. Its documented phpMyAdmin walkthrough was tested with phpMyAdmin 4.4.13 and MySQL 5.6.28 on Linux; treat its exact interface labels as version-specific, not a guarantee of what your host displays. WordPress: Backing Up Your Database
Export a WordPress database backup
- In phpMyAdmin, select the confirmed WordPress database.
- Open Export. Choose Quick for a straightforward export of all tables in that database.
- If the database is shared, choose Custom and select only the tables belonging to this WordPress installation. Check the prefix rather than assuming it is
wp_. - Choose SQL as the format for a restore-oriented dump. If available, compression such as gzip or zip can reduce the download size.
- Start the export and save the downloaded SQL file or compressed dump in a secure location outside the hosting account.
Export options and labels vary across phpMyAdmin versions. A database export captures database content such as posts, pages, comments, and settings; it does not capture themes, plugins, uploaded media, or wp-config.php. For a full-site recovery, preserve the database and the WordPress files together. See WordPress’s database backup guidance.
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Restore a database dump
Importing a dump can replace data or recreate tables, depending on what the dump contains and how it was exported. Confirm the destination before submitting the import, and save a fresh copy of the current database first.
- Select the intended destination database in phpMyAdmin. Do not rely on a previously selected database.
- Open Import and choose the SQL dump file. phpMyAdmin supports SQL dumps and compressed SQL files, subject to host and server limits.
- Review the format and other available options, then submit the import.
- After it completes, check that the expected tables are present and visit the site to verify it is working.
Do not enable options that drop destination tables unless you are deliberately replacing that database and have verified a backup. If an upload fails, the dump may exceed the host’s upload, memory, HTTP, or timeout limits. Those limits are host-specific; ask your provider about its supported restore method. For large databases, WordPress recommends using MySQL or MariaDB command-line tools instead of relying on phpMyAdmin. phpMyAdmin: Import and export · WordPress: Backing Up Your Database
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Change the site URL during a migration
WordPress migration guidance describes changing the siteurl and home values in the installation’s options table when testing a move. The table is commonly named wp_options, but use the prefix from wp-config.php to find the correct table.
- Back up the database and identify the correct installation and options table.
- In phpMyAdmin, select the table and locate the rows named
siteurlandhome. - Update the values to the intended site address, taking care to change only the correct rows.
- Test the site and address any remaining migration work, including database credentials in
wp-config.php, site files, and permalink or rewrite configuration.
Changing these two values is not necessarily a complete migration. Other database content may contain URLs in serialized data, so do not assume that a blind SQL update or simple text replacement is safe for every site. Follow the migration guidance for the rest of the move: WordPress: Migrating WordPress.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
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When to use another backup or database method
| Method | Best suited to | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| phpMyAdmin | Inspecting tables and performing ordinary database exports or imports. | Large imports can run into host-dependent upload, memory, or timeout limits. |
| Host backup tools | Provider-managed backup and recovery workflows. | Available features and coverage depend on the hosting provider; confirm whether files as well as the database are included. |
| MySQL or MariaDB command-line tools | Large database exports or imports that are impractical through a browser interface. | Access and exact commands depend on the host and database setup. |
| Full-site backup set | Recovering a site’s database and files together. | A database dump alone is insufficient; the WordPress files must be backed up separately. |
For a new database setup, WordPress’s guidance covers creating a database user and granting database-specific privileges. Your host may manage this through its control panel or apply its own naming conventions; follow its instructions and keep credentials secure. WordPress: Creating Database for WordPress
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Prevent irreversible table changes
Do not empty or delete a table unless you have confirmed the database and table, made a backup, and checked the relevant plugin’s documentation. A plugin may rely on its own tables, and a change to a core table can disrupt the site. WordPress warns that phpMyAdmin has no undo after a committed change. WordPress: Emptying a Database Table
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