To restore a WordPress site with Duplicator, use the method that matches the destination. A new or empty server uses the classic installer: upload the matching installer.php and archive (.zip or .daf), run the browser wizard, connect it to a database, and test the restored site. A live site that already runs WordPress can be replaced through Duplicator Pro’s Import Install, while a complete local backup assigned as a Recovery Point can roll a site back quickly.
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Keep an untouched copy of the backup, make sure you have the correct database credentials, and plan a rollback before overwriting anything. The archive and installer must come from the same package; mixing files from different backups can produce an incomplete or inconsistent site.
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Choose the restore method before changing files
The destination’s current state determines the safest workflow. Classic installation is designed for an empty directory or a newly provisioned server. Import Install is for replacing an existing WordPress installation from the WordPress dashboard. Disaster Recovery is for returning a site to an earlier state using an eligible backup already stored locally.
| Method | Best destination | Interface | License or feature requirement | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic installation | Empty directory or new host | Browser-run installer.php |
Available with the standard Duplicator workflow | Extracts the archive and installs WordPress files and database details you provide |
| Import Install | Existing WordPress site you intend to replace | Duplicator Pro dashboard | Duplicator Pro Basic or higher | Imports an archive and launches a full single-site installation without a separate FTP upload |
| Disaster Recovery | Existing site that must return to a previous state | Duplicator Pro recovery wizard | Duplicator Pro feature; backup must meet recovery-point rules | Overwrites the current site with a selected complete local backup |
Do not use a recovery point or full install casually: both can overwrite the current site. If the site still contains data created after the backup date, export anything you need and preserve a rollback copy before proceeding.
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What a Duplicator backup contains
A normal Duplicator package has two parts:
- An archive: usually
archive.zipor a Duplicator Archive Format file ending in.daf. It contains the site files and database data selected when the package was built. installer.php: the classic browser installer that reads the package and guides extraction, database configuration, and WordPress replacement.
Download both files from the same package and retain a second copy somewhere other than the destination server. If you only have an archive, use an Import Install workflow that accepts the archive, or recreate/download the installer associated with that package when your Duplicator setup supports it. Do not guess at a database dump or manually unzip a package into a live WordPress directory unless you have a separate, tested recovery plan.
Prepare the destination and a rollback plan
For a classic restore
- Create the destination hosting account, virtual host, or server directory. The directory should be empty, or contain only files you have deliberately backed up and are prepared to remove.
- Create a MySQL-compatible database and database user. Record the database host, database name, username, password, and the permissions granted to that user. Your host may use a value other than
localhostfor the database host. - Point a temporary hostname or staging domain at the destination when possible. Leave production DNS unchanged until the restored site passes testing.
- Check that the server meets the WordPress.org Duplicator listing requirements consulted for this procedure: PHP 7.4 or newer and WordPress 5.3 or newer for the plugin environment. Hosting-specific limits such as upload size, execution time, and available disk space can still prevent an installation even when those minimums are met.
For replacing a live site
- Schedule a maintenance window and tell editors when writes will stop.
- Take a fresh backup of the current destination, even if you believe the replacement package is correct.
- Export new orders, comments, uploads, or other records created after the source backup date so they can be restored manually if needed.
- Verify that the replacement archive represents the intended site and date before opening the installer.
Classic installation on a new or empty host
1. Build and download the source package
On the source site, create a complete Duplicator package rather than a package that excludes the database or selected file paths. Wait for the build to finish successfully, then download the matching archive and installer.php. Keep the original package untouched while you work.
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Use FTP, SFTP, or the hosting file manager to place installer.php and its matching .zip or .daf archive in the destination document root. The document root is the directory served when you visit the destination domain. A common mistake is uploading the files one directory too high or into a subdirectory that the domain does not use.
3. Open the installer
Visit the installer through the destination URL, for example https://your-domain.example/installer.php. If the domain is not yet pointed at the new server, use a temporary host name or hosts-file override supplied by your hosting provider. The wizard should identify the archive in the same directory.
4. Review the archive and environment checks
The first screens validate PHP, permissions, disk space, archive integrity, and related server conditions. Read warnings rather than treating them as harmless. Resolve a failed requirement before continuing; a warning may be acceptable only when you understand its consequence and have a recovery plan.
Review the detected old site URL and physical path. These values are used when Duplicator updates WordPress references. If the old address is an HTTP URL, a staging address, or a different subdirectory, confirm the replacement values carefully instead of accepting a misleading automatic match.
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When the wizard offers extraction or archive actions, select the behavior that matches the destination. Extracting over files that are already present can leave a mixture of old and restored files. On an empty directory, extraction is straightforward. On a directory containing a previous WordPress installation, stop and clean or isolate the old files according to your rollback plan before proceeding.
6. Enter database settings
Supply the destination database host, name, user, and password. Confirm that the database user can create, alter, and drop tables as required by the installer. Check the table prefix shown by the wizard against the source site’s prefix; restoring into the wrong prefix can make WordPress appear empty or cause plugins to miss their data.
Do not reuse a production database that contains records you intend to keep unless your plan explicitly accounts for the overwrite. A restore normally replaces tables belonging to the packaged site.
7. Run the installation and test before cleanup
Continue through the final installation screens and let Duplicator update the site URL and paths. When it reports completion, open the front end and the WordPress login in a private browser window. Do not delete the package yet.
- Log in with the restored administrator account.
- Open several posts, pages, custom post types, and media items.
- Check the active theme, menus, widgets, plugins, and plugin settings.
- Submit contact, checkout, or other important forms in a safe test mode.
- Visit Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes once to regenerate rewrite rules if links return 404 errors.
- Check HTTPS, canonical URLs, mixed-content warnings, image URLs, and any hard-coded staging domain.
- Review scheduled jobs, cron-driven tasks, email delivery, webhooks, and external API callbacks.
- Clear page, object, CDN, and browser caches so old responses do not mask the restored files.
8. Remove installer artifacts
Only after the site has passed testing, delete installer.php and the archive from the server. Leaving either file publicly accessible exposes sensitive installation material and can allow an accidental or malicious rerun. The official classic guidance states: “Security Tip: Once your migration is confirmed successful, delete the installer.php and archive files from your server.”
Replace an existing site with Duplicator Pro Import Install
Import Install is useful when the destination already has WordPress and you want the imported package to become the complete site. It avoids a separate FTP upload and manual database setup, but it is still a destructive replacement.
1. Create a Recovery Point first
On the destination, set a Recovery Point before importing. This gives you a defined rollback option if the replacement fails or the wrong package is selected. Keep the underlying backup available until the new site is verified.
2. Open Import Backups
In the Duplicator Pro dashboard, open Import Backups. Upload the .daf or .zip archive, or provide an archive link when that option is available in your installation. Use the complete package intended for this destination; an archive with excluded database tables or files cannot reproduce the full site.
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- Launch the installer for the imported archive.
- Choose Full install single site when the goal is to replace the destination with the package.
- Click Validate and read the notices and requirement results.
- Accept the terms when prompted and continue.
- Confirm the database settings and replacement details before the final commit.
The install replaces the destination’s WordPress files and database content. Keep the maintenance window active until you have completed the same front-end, administrator, permalink, media, form, HTTPS, cache, and scheduled-task checks used after a classic installation.
Use Disaster Recovery and Recovery Points
Disaster Recovery is intended to return a site quickly to a prior state. It is not a general-purpose importer for any remote backup. The eligible backup must be complete, have no file filters or database-table filters, and be stored locally on the site. A remote-only backup does not qualify as a Recovery Point.
Assign and verify the recovery point
- Identify the complete local backup that represents the desired date and site.
- Assign that backup as the site’s Recovery Point in Duplicator Pro.
- Open the recovery wizard and verify the selected site, backup date, and package contents.
- Read the overwrite warning and confirm that you have preserved any newer data and a rollback copy.
- Start recovery and wait for the wizard to finish without closing the browser or interrupting the server process.
- Log in and test the restored site, including URLs, media, plugins, forms, scheduled jobs, and HTTPS.
Recovery overwrites the current site. Verify the date and site identity twice before starting; selecting a valid but unintended backup is still a destructive error.
Multisite restoration caveats
Full multisite recovery is a Pro/Elite feature. The cited multisite guidance requires Duplicator Pro 4.0.3 or later on both sides of the operation.
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| Starting destination | Workflow label | What must already be true |
|---|---|---|
| An existing WordPress multisite network | Restore multisite network | The destination is already configured as a multisite network before restoration |
| A normal, non-multisite WordPress installation | Full install multisite network | The installation configures multisite during the restore |
Do not select the network-restore option merely because the archive came from a multisite. Match the option to the destination’s current network configuration, and confirm domain mapping, site paths, network users, and HTTPS after the restore.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Post-restore checks that catch silent failures
URLs, DNS, and HTTPS
Confirm that the WordPress Address and Site Address use the intended domain and scheme. Check redirects, secure cookies, mixed-content warnings, canonical tags, and media URLs. Change DNS only after the restored host works on its temporary address or preview domain.
Permalinks and rewrites
If the home page works but posts or pages return 404, save the permalink settings, verify the server’s rewrite configuration, and clear caches. A restore can bring back WordPress settings without regenerating the destination server’s rewrite rules.
Media, themes, and plugins
Open representative images, downloads, galleries, and custom templates. Confirm that required plugin licenses or API keys are present without exposing secrets in logs. A package may restore plugin files while an external service still needs the domain reauthorized.
Forms, email, and scheduled work
Send a controlled form submission and confirm delivery, spam handling, and database storage. Check cron events, queued actions, webhooks, backups, and any integrations that reference the old host, IP address, or domain.
Troubleshooting common restore failures
The installer cannot find the archive
Check that the archive and installer.php are in the same document-root directory, that the filename has not been changed by a download manager, and that the archive is the matching package. Upload it again in binary mode if the transfer was interrupted.
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There is not enough disk space or the archive will not extract
The server needs space for the compressed archive and the extracted files, plus temporary working data. Remove unrelated files from the empty destination, increase the account’s storage, or use a host with larger temporary and execution limits. Do not delete the only copy of the package to create space.
Database connection or permission errors appear
Recheck the database host, name, username, and password character-for-character. Confirm that the user is assigned to the database with sufficient privileges and that the database server accepts connections from the web host. Ask the host for the correct hostname when localhost fails.
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The site loads but looks partly like the old site
This usually indicates leftover files, a cache, or an incomplete extraction. Compare the destination directory with the intended clean target, clear all caches, and verify that the active database and table prefix are the restored ones. If old and new files were mixed, restore the rollback copy and repeat on a genuinely empty directory.
Images or links point to the old domain
Review the old and new URL values shown in the installer, then search the restored database and configuration for the old address using a serialization-safe WordPress tool. Replace values carefully; blind SQL text replacement can corrupt serialized data.
The dashboard is inaccessible after recovery
Try the restored administrator credentials, test in a private window, and disable a suspected plugin only through the hosting file manager if you have a documented rollback. Do not start another overwrite until you know whether the problem is authentication, a plugin fatal error, a PHP mismatch, or a URL/HTTPS redirect loop.
Quick Recap
Safety checklist
- Keep a separate, unmodified copy of the archive and verify its date and intended site.
- Use an empty directory for classic installation whenever possible.
- Record database credentials and confirm the table prefix before committing.
- Create a destination Recovery Point before an Import Install or other live replacement.
- Preserve a rollback copy and schedule downtime when replacing a production site.
- Test administrator access, content, media, forms, email, permalinks, HTTPS, caches, and scheduled jobs.
- Change DNS only after verification.
- Delete
installer.phpand the archive after a successful, tested restore.
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