To restore a SiteGround website, open Site Tools > Security > Backups, pick the dated backup from before the problem started, and use its Actions menu to restore everything, only the files, only the database or only the email accounts. That works while the site still exists in your account. If the site was deleted or the account was cancelled, the built-in backups go with it, and you will need your own copy, a backup plugin’s off-site files, or an archive-based rebuild instead. This guide walks through each case in the order you should try them.
Everything below is based on SiteGround’s own Backup service documentation. Menu names can change, so if a label on your screen differs slightly, look for the closest match rather than assuming the feature is gone.
Before you restore anything: three quick checks
A restore overwrites what is on the server now. Spending five minutes on these checks avoids turning a small problem into a larger one.
- Find out what actually broke. A white page, a database error and a hacked redirect each have different fixes. If the cause is a plugin update or a PHP error, fixing it directly keeps every post and order added since the last backup. Our guide to the WordPress white screen of death covers that route.
- Note the date the problem started. You want the newest backup that is still clean. Hosting backups have no preview, so the date is the only thing you have to choose by.
- Save the current state. Create an on-demand backup first if your plan allows it, or copy the current files and export the database. If the restore picks the wrong date, you can get back to where you were.
How to restore a SiteGround website from a daily backup
SiteGround keeps automatic daily backups on its hosting plans. According to its documentation, shared hosting keeps up to 30 daily copies and Cloud hosting up to 7, with more on the paid Premium Backup add-on. The steps are the same on every plan:
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- Log in to the SiteGround Client Area, go to Websites and click Site Tools next to the site.
- Open Security > Backups. You will see the list of available backups with their dates.
- Find the backup taken before the problem began and open the Actions menu (the three dots) next to it.
- Choose the restore type that matches the problem (see the table below).
- Confirm, wait for the job to finish, then clear any caching (SiteGround’s SuperCacher and any caching plugin) before you test the site in a private browser window.
Which restore option to choose
| Problem | Restore option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Site hacked, broken after an update, or badly misconfigured | Restore All Files and Databases | Returns code and content to the same point in time, so they match. |
| A theme file, plugin folder or uploaded image was deleted or overwritten | Restore Files | Brings back only the selected files; the content in the database stays current. |
| Posts, pages or settings were deleted, or the database was damaged | Restore Database | Rolls back content and settings without touching the files. |
| Email accounts or messages hosted at SiteGround were lost | Restore Emails | Leaves the website untouched. |
A useful detail: when you choose Restore Files, SiteGround lets you either replace the files on the site or place the restored copy in a separate folder. Use the folder option when you are not sure which version you need. You can compare the files first, then move only what is correct.
Restoring only the database on a WordPress site
For WordPress, the database holds posts, pages, menus, users, settings and, on a shop, orders. Rolling it back to yesterday removes everything written since then: new comments, form entries stored by plugins and WooCommerce orders. On a shop, export recent orders before restoring the database and re-enter them afterwards. If you only need to bring back one or two deleted posts, it is often safer to restore the database into a staging copy and move the content across than to roll back the live database. Our guide on how to restore a WordPress database explains the manual method in more detail.
SiteGround restore website options when no backup is listed
Sometimes the Backups page is empty or does not go back far enough. That usually has one of these causes, and each points to a different next step.
The site was deleted from Site Tools
SiteGround states that if you delete a site, you lose access to its backups. Contact SiteGround support immediately and ask, in plain words, whether any copy of the deleted site still exists. Do not assume one does, and do not create a new site with the same domain and start rebuilding until you have their answer, because work on the new site can complicate any recovery they are able to do.
The hosting account expired or was suspended
SiteGround’s documentation notes that suspended or offline sites stop getting new backups and existing ones are gradually deleted. If your plan lapsed recently, renewing it quickly gives you the best chance that the files and backups are still there. If the domain also expired, renew it at the registrar too; our article on a website deleted after hosting expired covers that order of events.
The problem started more than 30 days ago
If malware or a bad change sat unnoticed for longer than the retention period, every backup in the list may contain it. Look for older copies elsewhere: a backup plugin with remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3), a download you or a developer made during a migration, a staging site, or a local development copy. Our checklist for an incomplete website backup helps you work out what a partial copy can still give you.
Restoring from your own backup instead of SiteGround’s
If you have a backup from a plugin such as UpdraftPlus, Duplicator or BackWPup, or a manual download, you can restore it onto your SiteGround hosting:
- Plugin backups: install the same plugin on a working WordPress install, connect it to the storage location or upload the backup archives, and use the plugin’s restore button. Restore to a staging copy first if you are unsure about the backup’s age.
- Manual file and database copies: upload the files with SiteGround’s File Manager or SFTP, create a database in Site > MySQL, import the .sql file with phpMyAdmin, and update the database name, user and password in
wp-config.php. - Staging first: SiteGround’s WordPress staging tool lets you test a restored copy away from visitors, then push it live once it looks right.
Whatever the source, check the restored site carefully: open the home page and a handful of deep pages, log in to the dashboard, submit a test form, and on a shop place a test order.
If there is no backup anywhere
When the site is gone from SiteGround and nobody has a copy, the public pages may still be recoverable from web archives. The Wayback Machine stores public captures of pages: HTML, styles, scripts and many images. It does not hold the database, the admin area, user accounts, orders or anything visitors could not see, and it only has the pages it crawled. A rebuild from those captures can bring back the site’s text, structure and design on a fresh WordPress install, which you can then host on SiteGround again.
Our WordPress restoration service does exactly that, and the website recovery service covers non-WordPress sites. Before paying for anything, use the free restoration check to see how much of your site was archived. We will tell you what is missing before any work starts.
How to avoid needing a restore next time
- Keep at least one backup outside SiteGround, for example a plugin that sends weekly copies to cloud storage. Hosting backups disappear with the hosting account.
- Take an on-demand backup before every major update, theme change or migration.
- Download a full copy (files plus database export) every few months and store it somewhere you control.
- Keep billing details current so the hosting plan and domain do not lapse unnoticed.
- Write down when each backup is taken and how long it is kept, so you know your real recovery window before you need it.
Frequently asked questions
How far back can SiteGround restore my website?
SiteGround’s documentation lists up to 30 daily backups on shared hosting and up to 7 on Cloud hosting, with extra copies if you buy Premium Backup. The dates actually available are the ones shown under Security > Backups for your site.
Can I preview a SiteGround backup before restoring it?
No preview is offered. If you are not sure which date to use, restore files into a separate folder first, or restore the whole backup to a staging copy and check it there.
Does SiteGround charge to restore a backup?
Restoring from the automatic daily backups is done by you in Site Tools. Extra on-demand backup slots and longer retention depend on your plan and add-ons, so check your plan details in the Client Area.
Can SiteGround recover a website I deleted?
SiteGround says deleting a site removes your access to its backups. Contact support at once to ask whether anything remains; if nothing does, an archive-based rebuild is the usual remaining route for the public pages.
