Any application that you install in Emerson.build using the cPanel/Installatron is set to automatically create a backup of the whole app every time the software updates. The backups expire after 14 days, but they can quickly eat up quota space in that time, especially since some apps (such as WordPress) update automatically. Follow the steps in each section below to take more control over the space that backups use in your account.
1. Turn off the automatic Installatron backup
- Go to your cPanel
- Go to Applications > WordPress > My Applications.
- From there, select the wrench next to your site’s name.
- Scroll down to Automatic Update Backup and set that to “Do not create a backup”
2. View restore points in JetBackup App
The JetBackup app can be found in the “Files” section of your cPanel dashboard.
This app should already be active so there are no additional steps you need to take to set it up. JetBackup automatically creates full backups and individual backups of your site’s files and databases nightly. More information on how to navigate and use the app to restore your site is available in this post on the Reclaim Hosting Community site: “Restoring Backups Using JetBackup” (opens an external site in a new tab).
3. Create a manual Installatron backup before major changes
While JetBackup creates daily backups of all of your content, it’s best practice to have a backup of your application from right before you start tinkering, just in case anything goes wrong. That way you won’t lose any content that’s been added or changed since the latest daily backup. As a bonus, backups created through the Installatron are easy to restore with a single click. These manual backups can even be sent to an offsite location like Dropbox to save space.
To create a manual backup:
- From your cPanel, click “My Apps” in the “Applications” section.
- Click the checkbox to the far right of the application name (labeled 1 in the screenshot below).
- Click “Backup” below the bottom of the application list (labeled 2 in the screenshot below).
- On the next screen, enter a descriptive label and click Backup again. The backup will run with a status bar.
4. Delete Installatron backups that are no longer needed
If you’ve created a manual backup or are running out of space due to the automatic backups, you should delete old Installatron backups to free up space.
- From your cPanel, click “My Apps” in the “Applications” section.
- Between “My Applications” and “Applications Browser”, you’ll see a “My Backups” tab. Click that to see the list of current backups.
- Click the “X” to the right of an individual backup or check the box to the right of multiple backups, then Delete at the bottom.
- On the next screen, you’ll see a summary of the backup(s) to be deleted. Click “Delete” to confirm.
