To restore a deleted WordPress site, you need two things back: the database, which holds every post, page, user and setting, and the wp-content folder, which holds your theme, plugins and uploaded media. The fastest route is a backup that contains both, restored to a safe location first. If only one half survives, the other half can often be rebuilt. If neither survives, the public pages can usually be rebuilt in a fresh WordPress install from archived captures, although logins, comments awaiting moderation, orders and form entries cannot come back that way.
This guide is specific to self-hosted WordPress. It shows where WordPress backups usually hide, how to restore them without overwriting anything, and what to do when the backup is missing or incomplete. If you would rather have specialists do the rebuild, our WordPress website restoration service handles it from archived pages.
What a WordPress site is made of
Knowing the parts makes it much easier to see what you still have and what is missing:
- The database (usually MySQL or MariaDB): posts, pages, menus, categories, users, comments, widget settings, plugin settings and, on stores, products and orders.
- wp-content/uploads: images, PDFs and other media you uploaded, organised by year and month.
- wp-content/themes and wp-content/plugins: the design and features. Free themes and plugins can be reinstalled; premium and custom ones need the original files or a licence.
- wp-config.php: the database connection details and security keys. It can be recreated, but the database name, user and table prefix must match the restored database.
- WordPress core files: these are the same for everyone and can always be downloaded fresh from WordPress.org.
So the irreplaceable parts are the database and the uploads folder. Everything else can be reinstalled or rebuilt.
Need this done for you?
Wayback Restore rebuilds lost websites by hand from Wayback Machine snapshots. WordPress restoration ($79) starts at a fixed per-site price, with a free archive check before you pay.
Check what can be restored (free) · Request a free archive review
Not sure the site was actually deleted? If it simply stopped loading, run through the WordPress site disappeared checklist first, because a lapsed domain or a hosting suspension looks identical from the outside.
Where to find a backup to restore a deleted WordPress site
Your host’s control panel and support
Most hosts that run WordPress keep automatic backups for a limited number of days. Look in the control panel for a backup or restore section, and check whether it lists separate file and database backups. If nothing is visible, open a ticket and ask which dates they hold, how long they will keep them, and whether they can restore to a new folder or staging site rather than over the live account. Ask quickly; rotation windows can be short, and some hosts remove backups when an account is closed. The WordPress project keeps a plain overview of what a full WordPress backup contains, which helps you judge whether the copy you find is complete enough to restore a deleted WordPress site.
Backup plugins and their remote storage
If the site ran a backup plugin, the backup may live somewhere other than the server. Check the cloud accounts and email inboxes the plugin was connected to, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, OneDrive or an emailed archive. Popular plugins store copies with recognisable names, for example archives that contain db, uploads, themes and plugins in the file name, or a single migration file. A managed backup service connected to the site may also keep its own copies in its dashboard, even after the site itself was deleted.
Local copies and old migrations
Search your computer and old drives for .sql files, folders named wp-content or public_html, and archives created during an earlier move to a new host. A migration package made months ago is still a valid starting point; you can bring the content forward from other sources afterwards.
The developer or agency
Whoever built or maintained the site may have a staging copy or a local development copy. Ask for the database and wp-content folder, not just the theme. If you cannot reach them, our guide on recovering access when a developer disappears explains how to regain control of hosting and the domain first.
How to restore a deleted WordPress site from a backup safely
- Restore to a safe place first. Use a staging site, a subdomain or a new hosting folder. Never restore directly over whatever is currently live until you have checked the result.
- Import the database. Create a new database and user, then import the
.sqlfile with your host’s database tool. Note the table prefix used in the file. - Upload wp-content. Copy the uploads, themes and plugins folders into a fresh WordPress install.
- Connect them in wp-config.php. Set the database name, user, password, host and table prefix to match what you imported.
- Fix the site address if it changed. If the staging address differs from the original, the database still points to the old URL. Use a search-and-replace tool that handles serialized data rather than a plain text edit, otherwise widgets and settings can break.
- Check carefully. Log in, open a sample of posts and pages, check images, menus, forms and any shop pages, and update core, themes and plugins once everything works.
- Move it live and take a fresh backup. Point the domain to the restored copy, check SSL, and immediately create a new backup that you store off the server.
If your backup turns out to be only half complete, our guides cover both cases: when the database is lost but files remain, and when media files exist but are no longer attached to posts.
Partial recovery: which half do you have?
| What survived | What you can restore | What needs rebuilding |
|---|---|---|
| Database only | All text, users, menus, settings | Theme, plugins and media files |
| wp-content only | Design, plugins, media | Posts, pages, menus and settings |
| Old full backup | Everything up to that date | Content added after the backup |
| Nothing private | Public pages from archives | Database records, users, orders, private content |
For a database-only recovery, the theme can often be identified from the archived site and reinstalled; our article on restoring a site when the original theme is unavailable covers what to do if it was discontinued.
No backup at all: rebuilding from the Wayback Machine
When no private copy exists, the remaining source is usually the public archive. The Wayback Machine captures the pages visitors saw, which means the text, images and layout of public posts and pages are often recoverable. To rebuild, the archived content is entered into a fresh WordPress install with the same permalinks, categories and menus, so the old addresses keep working. Missing posts can be recreated individually, as explained in recovering deleted WordPress posts, and menus can be rebuilt from the captured navigation, as shown in rebuilding WordPress menus from an archive.
Be clear about the limits. An archive cannot restore the database itself, so user accounts, passwords, unpublished drafts, private posts, form submissions and order records are gone unless they exist in another system. The full method for this route is in our guide to converting a Wayback archive to WordPress.
WordPress.com and managed platforms
If the site was hosted on WordPress.com or a managed WordPress platform rather than your own hosting, the provider controls the backups. Log in with the original account and look for deleted sites, site history or backup options, then contact the provider’s support straight away with the site address and account email. Providers can only help within their own retention rules, so time matters more than anything else.
Mistakes that make a WordPress restore harder
- Installing a fresh WordPress over the old folder before checking for files, which can overwrite the last copy of wp-content.
- Editing the database with plain find-and-replace, which corrupts serialized settings and widgets.
- Restoring an old backup over newer content without exporting the newer posts first.
- Ignoring the table prefix, which makes WordPress think it is a brand new install.
- Skipping updates after the restore, which leaves an old, vulnerable version running on the public internet.
If no usable backup turns up, a professional website recovery service can rebuild the public pages from archive snapshots and surviving files.
Frequently asked questions
Can I restore a deleted WordPress site without a database backup?
You can restore the public content, but not the database itself. Posts and pages that were publicly visible can be rebuilt from archived captures or other copies, while users, settings, drafts and orders must be recreated or are lost.
How long does it take?
Restoring a complete backup to staging and testing it can be done in hours. Rebuilding a site from archived pages takes longer and depends on the number of posts, missing media and features such as forms or a shop.
Will my rankings come back after the restore?
Keeping the same domain and the same URLs gives the restored site the best chance. Submit the sitemap in Search Console after launch and expect search engines to take some time to recrawl; nobody can promise a specific position.
Should I restore to the same hosting account?
Only if the host is still reliable and the account is secure. If the site was deleted because of a billing problem, a hack or a host issue, restoring to a staging copy first lets you choose the best home before going live.
Not sure what can still be saved? Check your website for free to see what the archive holds, or contact us with your domain and we will review the options with you.
