Docs Core Features

Restore Guide

A complete guide to safely restoring your WordPress site or database from an IPow Core backup archive.

Warning: Restoring a backup will overwrite your current live site files and/or database with the state from the backup timestamp. Any changes made after that backup will be lost.

Standard 1-Click Restore (Admin Access Available)

If you can still access your WordPress admin dashboard (WP-Admin), restoring is incredibly simple. This is the primary method for dealing with bad plugin updates or accidental content deletion.

  1. Navigate to IPow Core → Backup History in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Find the backup point you wish to return to from the list.
  3. Click the Restore button next to that backup.
  4. A modal will appear asking what you want to restore. Select Full Restore (Files + DB), Database Only, or Files Only.
  5. Click Start Restore Process.

Do not close the browser tab during the process. IPow Core will handle the download from the cloud, extraction, database injection, and cleanup automatically. Once complete, you will be prompted to log back in.

Tip: If you only messed up a blog post or page, just use the Database Only option. It takes seconds to complete instead of minutes for a full file restore.

Emergency Restore Script (No Admin Access)

If your site crashed completely due to a fatal PHP error (White Screen of Death) or got hacked, you likely can't access WP-Admin. You must use our standalone Emergency Restore Script.

  1. Log in to your cloud storage provider (Google Drive, Dropbox) directly and download your latest IPow Core backup .zip file to your local computer.
  2. Download the ipow-restore.php script from your IPow Core Account Dashboard.
  3. Using FTP/SFTP (like FileZilla) or your hosting cPanel File Manager, upload both the backup .zip and ipow-restore.php into your WordPress root directory (where wp-config.php lives).
  4. In your browser, visit: https://yoursite.com/ipow-restore.php
  5. Follow the on-screen wizard which will safely overwrite the broken files and database.
  6. Critical: After successful restoration, delete the ipow-restore.php file from your server for security. The wizard has a button to do this for you.

Restoring to a Different Domain / Server (Migration)

IPow Core backups can double as a migration tool to move a site to a new domain or host.

  1. Install a fresh, empty WordPress instance on the new domain/server.
  2. Install and activate the IPow Core plugin.
  3. Go to IPow Core → Migration.
  4. Upload your backup .zip file directly, or connect your cloud storage to fetch it.
  5. IPow Core will automatically detect that the domain or paths have changed and will perform a safe Search and Replace across your entire database during the restore.
  6. Re-save your Permalinks (Settings → Permalinks) after the migration completes.

For more advanced topics, check our troubleshooting guide.