How to Transfer and Restore Backups from Additional Destinations in cPanel & WHM

Restoring Backups from Additional Destinations

When you configure remote backup destinations in WHM’s Backup Configuration interface, the system stores backups in locations such as:

Amazon S3™
FTP
Google Drive™
S3 Compatible
SFTP
WebDAV
A local directory
Custom destinations

To restore backups stored in these locations, you must first transfer the backup files back to your server. WHM cannot restore backups directly from remote destinations.

How to Transfer the Backup File

Important: You must manually transfer the backup files from the remote destination to your server. After the files are transferred, WHM handles the restoration process automatically.

Steps to Transfer Backup Files

Use your preferred tool to access the remote destination (for example, an FTP client for FTP destinations).
Locate the backup files you want to restore and download them to your local computer.
Upload the backup files to the correct backup directory on your server.

Backup directory format:


BACKUPDIR/yyyy-mm-dd/accounts

Where:

BACKUPDIR — Defined in /var/cpanel/backups/config
yyyy-mm-dd — Backup date

Example:

If backups are stored in /home/backup, the weekly backup for user example on December 16, 2018 will be located at:


/home/backup/weekly/2018-12-16/accounts/example.tar.gz

Once uploaded, WHM’s Backup Restoration interface will automatically detect the backup and display it under the correct account and date.

System Backups

Valid for versions 90 through the latest version

Last modified: January 28, 2026

Overview

When system backups are enabled, the server saves system backup files in the local /backup directory by default. You can also configure additional destinations to receive system backup files.

The script /usr/local/cpanel/bin/backup uploads a .tar file containing all system backup files to each destination configured with upload_system_backup: 1.

Note: cPanel & WHM does not provide an interface to restore system backup files. You must restore them manually.

System Backup Contents

System backups include critical configuration files and directories.

Files Included


/etc/exim.conf
/etc/exim.conf.local
/etc/exim.conf.localopts
/etc/named.conf
/etc/proftpd.conf
/etc/pure-ftpd.conf
/etc/localdomains
/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf
/etc/group
/etc/shadow
/etc/passwd
/etc/fstab
/etc/ips
/etc/remotedomains
/etc/rndc.conf
/etc/my.cnf
/root/.my.cnf

Directories Included


/etc/cpanel
/etc/named
/etc/valiases
/etc/proftpd
/etc/ssl
/var/lib/mysql
/var/cpanel
/var/spool/cron
/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/mailman

Custom Files

To include custom files in system backups, create a file or directory inside:

/var/cpanel/backups/extras

Then add absolute paths to the files you want to include.

How to Enable System Backup File Saves

You can enable system backup file saves using one of the following methods:

Select Back up System Files in WHM’s Backup Configuration interface.
Use WHM API 1: backup_config_set with backupfiles=1.

How to Configure an Additional Destination for System Backups

1. Interface Method

In WHM:

Backup Configuration » Additional Destinations

Enter the destination details and enable:

Transfer System Backups to this Destination

2. Manual Configuration Method

Locate the destination’s configuration file in /var/cpanel/backups.
The filename includes the destination name and a UID, for example:


myftp_UID_Z6rdq0rko2Z28uWTIN33SeCY.backup_destination

Edit the file and add:

upload_system_backup: 1

3. API Method

Call backup_destination_list to get the destination ID.
Call backup_destination_set with:


id: DESTINATION_ID
upload_system_backup: 1

Log Files

Backup initialization logs are stored in:

/usr/local/cpanel/logs/error_log

This log references individual account package logs. For more details, refer to the cPanel & WHM Log Files documentation.

Conclusion

By understanding how to transfer backups, manage system backup files, and configure additional destinations, administrators can maintain a reliable and secure backup strategy in cPanel & WHM.