UpdraftPlus can restore WordPress safely when you understand what it will overwrite. This method is best for plugin-managed restores from offsite storage or local backup sets.
Audience: small businesses, bloggers, agencies, and store owners using UpdraftPlus backups. Use this with the matching backup method whenever possible. If you did not create the backup yourself, verify the backup date, scope, and site path before restoring production.
Before restore
- Confirm all backup components are present: database, plugins, themes, uploads, and other files if needed.
- Download the backup set before restoring.
- For stores, export fresh order data if restoring an older database.
Restore steps
- Install and activate UpdraftPlus if WordPress still loads.
- Connect the remote storage account if the backup is offsite.
- Open Existing backups.
- Choose Restore for the correct backup set.
- Select the components to restore.
- Run the restore and check the UpdraftPlus log.
Post-restore verification
Test the front end, wp-admin, uploads, plugin screens, forms, checkout, and cache. Review the restore log for skipped or failed components.
Also check server and application logs, cache layers, CDN behavior, SSL, redirects, and whether scheduled tasks still run. A restore is not complete just because the home page loads.
Restore risks
- Missing one component of a multi-part backup.
- Restoring database without matching files.
- Relying on WordPress plugin restore when wp-admin is inaccessible.
Rollback planning
Before restoring, keep the current state long enough to recover anything the restore might erase. For stores and membership sites, that means orders, subscriptions, users, payments, form submissions, bookings, and logs. For agencies and hosts, it also means customer communication and a timestamped maintenance note.
Fix I.T. Phill recommendation
Use UpdraftPlus when it matches how the backup was created. If the restore tool is not available, fall back to files plus database restore, but test on staging first. After restore, update the backup plan so the next recovery is easier.
Related Fix I.T. Phill Guides
- How to Restore WordPress: Complete Recovery Methods Guide
- How to Restore WordPress by cPanel Backup Wizard
- How to Restore WordPress by File Manager and phpMyAdmin
- How to Restore WordPress by WHM Full Account Restore
- How to Restore WordPress by cPanel WP Toolkit
- How to Restore WordPress by Plesk WP Toolkit
- How to Restore WordPress by Plesk Backup Manager
- How to Back Up WordPress: Complete Methods Guide
- How to Back Up WooCommerce Without Losing Orders
- How to Test a WordPress Backup Restore Before an Emergency
- Disable WordPress plugins with phpMyAdmin when wp-admin is broken
