This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to export your site’s database at SiteGround.
There are several reasons why you may want to backup your database, including:
- You want the ability to quickly and easily restore your website in case of any unexpected issues or problems.
- You feel safer knowing that you have an additional copy of your data.
- You have a local development environment and want to import your database into it.
This guide will only cover exporting or backing up your database with SiteGround. If you’re looking for a guide on how to backup your files, check out our guide on how to download a .zip backup of the public_html folder.
SiteGround automatically backs up your files and database every 24 hours on all Shared and Cloud hosting plans. All backups are stored for 30 days, and you can restore your website from any of these backups at any time. You can find out more about this at the relevant part of our guide to SiteGround’s Site Tools.
Right, let’s get started.
How to Export and Download a Backup of your Database with SiteGround
The first step is to log into your SiteGround Site Tools dashboard, which can be accessed via your SiteGround client area.
You can find details on how to do this in the following articles:
Following these steps, you’ll be on SiteGround’s Site Tools dashboard.
Once you’re on the Site Tools dashboard, you’ll need to navigate to MySQL Manager.
To do this, click on the “MySQL” option in the left-hand menu.
To access the phpMyAdmin database manager, click on the “phpMyAdmin” tab and then click on the “Access phpMyAdmin” button.
This will open the phpMyAdmin database manager in a new tab.
Once in the phpMyAdmin database manager, select the database you want to export by clicking on the database name in the left-hand menu.
You will then see the database tables listed in the main window.
The next step is to click the “Export” tab in the top menu.
This will open the export options. Here you can choose from two export options; “Quick” and “Custom”. You should note the following:
The “Quick” option is the default option and is typically the easiest and fastest way to export your database. It exports the entire database in the most common file format (SQL), including all tables and data. This option is best if you need to quickly make a backup of your entire database or transfer it to another server.
The “Custom” option, on the other hand, gives you more control over the export process. You can select specific tables or data to export, choose the file format, add additional options such as SQL statements and compression, and even schedule the export later. This option is best if you need to export a specific subset of your data or have more advanced requirements for the export.
In this tutorial, we’ll use the “Quick” option, so click on the “Go” button once you’ve selected it.
A download prompt will then appear, prompting you to save the file to your computer.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, exporting a database in phpMyAdmin is a simple process. Using the “Quick” option, you can easily export your entire database in the most common file format (SQL).
If you need more control over the export process, the “Custom” option allows you to select specific tables or data, choose the file format, add additional options and even schedule the export to occur later.
Whether you’re making a backup of your entire database or exporting a specific subset of your data, phpMyAdmin makes it easy to export your databases with just a few clicks. With this knowledge, you should be able to export your databases whenever you need to, confidently.