Restore selected items from a backup

When you restore a backup, you don’t have to restore your entire site if you only need to restore specific parts of it. In this guide, we’ll show you how to choose (or exclude) specific files, folders, or components when restoring a site backup.

This feature is available on sites with the WordPress.com Personal, Premium, Business, and Commerce plans. For free sites, upgrade your plan to access this feature.

Use this method when you need to restore broad categories of your site without affecting other parts. For example, you can roll back your plugins after a problematic update without touching your content, or restore your theme files without changing your database.

To restore themes, plugins, or your database, follow these steps:

1. Go to your site dashboard.
2. In the left menu, navigate to Jetpack → Backup.
3. Use the date options at the top of the screen to select the backup you want to restore from.
4. Click the “Restore to this point” button.

5. By default, all the items to restore will be checked. Uncheck the boxes for items you don’t want to restore:
   • WordPress themes: Restores your theme folder to the selected backup. To restore both theme files and settings, also select Site database.
   • WordPress plugins: Restores your plugin folder. To restore both plugin files and settings, also select Site database.
   • WordPress root: Restores root files, such as wp-config.php and other configuration files.
   • WP-content directory: Restores the wp-content folder, excluding themes, plugins, and media uploads, which you can select separately.
   • Site database: Restores your posts, pages, comments, and some plugin or theme settings.
   • Media uploads: Restores your media library. To restore media uploads, you must also select Site database.
6. Click the “Restore now” button to start the restore process.

You can navigate away from the screen while the restore is in progress. You will receive an email notification once your site is restored.

Use this method when you need to restore individual files or folders. This method is helpful for two reasons:

• You may want to only restore one or two specific files, such as a configuration file that was accidentally changed or a deleted image from your media library.
• Or, you may want to restore most of your site and exclude specific files and folders from being restored.

To restore specific files or folders, follow these steps:

1. Go to your site dashboard.
2. In the left menu, navigate to Jetpack → Backup.
3. Use the date options to select the backup you want to restore from.
4. Scroll to the “More backups from this day” section.
5. Locate a backup that has the cloud icon next to the backup time. Click the Actions icon and select “View files“.
   • Backups that do not have the cloud icon will only have the “Restore to this point” option.

6. Click the > icon to expand the contents of the folders and check the boxes next to the files or folders you want to restore.
   • You can also check all the folders and then only uncheck the items you do not want to restore.

7. Click the “Restore selected files” button at the top of the screen.
8. Review the files and directories that will be restored and click the “Restore now” button to restore the content.

When you view your backup files, you’ll see several folders and files. The most common items you might want to restore include:

• Inside the wp-content folder:
  • Themes: Your theme files and customizations
  • Plugins: Your plugin files
  • Uploads: Your media library images, videos, and other uploaded files
• wp-config.php: Your site’s main configuration file

You can navigate away from the screen while the restore is in progress. You will receive an email notification once your content is restored.

For websites with WooCommerce, restoring database tables using the file browser method can result in permanent data loss. For example, if a new order is placed after the backup you’re restoring from, that order will be erased when you restore the database tables.

Any data added to your site after the backup date will be overwritten, including:

• Orders
• Product changes
• Customer information

To preserve recent WooCommerce data:

• Use the “Restore themes, plugins, or your database” method at the top of this guide and select Site database. This method preserves WooCommerce data created after the backup date.
• Or, when using the file browser method, exclude WooCommerce database tables from your restore. These tables are located in the SQL folder and begin with wp_wc_ (such as wp_wc_orders).

If data loss occurs after restoring, you can restore your site again using a more recent backup.