In cPanel open phpMyAdmin, click the database name in the left column, go to the Export tab, leave the method on Quick and the format on SQL, and click Export (or Go). The browser downloads a .sql file holding the whole structure and all the data.
It is the simplest copy you can make of a database, and the one you will need to change hosts, reinstall an application or roll back after a mistake. The only rule is to make it before you need it.
Step by step
| 1 |
Open phpMyAdmin in cPanel. In the left column click your database name. Do not export from the start page, which gives the wrong options.
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| 3 |
Choose the method. Quick suits most cases. Custom lets you pick tables and compression.
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| 4 |
Leave the format on SQL. With the custom method pick gzip compression so the file is smaller. If you will restore into a database that already has tables, tick Add DROP TABLE.
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| 5 |
Click Export and save the file somewhere safe.
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| 6 |
Check it. Open the file in a text editor. It should have many CREATE TABLE and INSERT INTO lines. A file of a few kilobytes for a big database has been cut short.
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Which method to use
| Method |
When it fits |
Limit |
| Quick |
Small and medium databases, when you want everything as it is. |
Depends on the browser and how long the page holds on. |
| Custom |
When you want only some tables, compression or DROP TABLE. |
The same. |
mysqldump over SSH |
Large databases, or automatic copies. See backing up with mysqldump and pg_dump. |
Needs an account with shell access. |
Never leave the .sql file inside public_html. Anyone who guesses the address downloads the entire database, customers and password hashes included. Keep it on your computer or in a folder outside the public one. And with a very large database the browser can stop halfway without an error: always check the end of the file.
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What an export leaves out
The export carries the tables and the rows. It does not carry the site files, nor the database user and its privileges (those are created again at the destination). If the database has views, routines or events, check in the custom method that those options are ticked, because if they are not they stay out. And give the file a name with the date, for example shop-2026-10-10.sql.gz: months from now you will want to know which is the latest, and the browser adds numbers to the name when another one already exists.
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Export stops halfway or the file comes out short? Tell us the database name and its rough size and we will point you to the right route.
Open a support ticket
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