Regular backups protect against data loss, failed upgrades, and security incidents. Always back up both your database and your files.

Method 1: CubeCart Admin Panel

  1. Log in to your admin panel.
  2. Go to Maintenance > Backup.
  3. Click to create a database backup and download the file.
  4. Separately, download your store files via FTP or your hosting file manager.

Method 2: Hosting Control Panel

Most hosts (cPanel, Plesk) offer one-click full account backups including files, databases, email, and SSL certificates. This is the quickest way to get a complete backup.

Method 3: SSH / Command Line

For advanced users with SSH access:

# Database backup
mysqldump -u username -p database_name | gzip > backup.sql.gz

# File backup
tar -czf files.tar.gz /path/to/cubecart

See our automated backup script guide for a complete solution with scheduling.

What to Back Up

  • Database: Contains all products, orders, customers, settings, and content
  • Files: CubeCart core files, uploaded images, custom skins, and plugins
  • Configuration: includes/global.inc.php contains your database credentials

When to Back Up

  • Before every upgrade
  • Before installing new extensions
  • Before making significant changes to your store
  • Regularly on a schedule (daily or weekly)

On Official CubeCart Hosting

Daily automated backups with 3-month retention are included with all plans.

Best Practice

Always store at least one copy of your backup off-server (downloaded to your computer or cloud storage). If your server fails, a backup stored on the same server won’t help.