Before you start

You need an SQL backup, access to phpMyAdmin and the destination database name. Your hosting control panel provides database management; menu labels can differ between account setups. If phpMyAdmin or database creation is unavailable, ask through your customer area.

For WordPress, the database name is recorded in wp-config.php. Keep passwords and configuration files private. A database backup does not include uploaded images, themes or plugins.

Import the SQL backup

  1. Create or identify the destination database and its authorised database user in your hosting control panel.
  2. Open phpMyAdmin and select that database in the left-hand navigation. Confirm its name before continuing.
  3. Select Import, choose the SQL backup and leave the format as SQL.
  4. Start the import and wait for the completion result. Avoid resubmitting while it is running.

If the file exceeds the displayed upload limit or the import times out, stop and open a support ticket. Tell us the file size and exact error; do not attach passwords or a database dump containing customer data to a public message.

Check the result

Confirm that expected tables appear, then connect the website to the destination database using the correct credentials. Check the homepage, login and several content pages. A move to another domain may also need a WordPress-aware URL replacement; a raw text replacement can damage serialised settings.

For a complete recovery, follow our backup restoration checklist. If this is a store, agree how recent orders will be preserved before replacing its database.

Further reference: WordPress database backup and restore documentation.