How to export a database (backup with phpMyAdmin)

Quick export

1. Open Extra Features › then phpMyAdmin.
2. Select the database in the left sidebar. Selecting the database, not a table, exports every table.
3. Open Export.
4. Export method: Quick. Format: SQL.
5. Select Export. A .sql file downloads.

Custom export for large databases

Choose Custom to set:

• Compression: gzipped — much smaller and faster to download
• Tables: all, unless you deliberately want a subset
• Object creation options: include Add DROP TABLE if you’ll import over an existing copy

Check the file

• It shouldn’t be 0 bytes or just a few kilobytes for a real site.
• Open an uncompressed .sql file in a text editor: you should see CREATE TABLE and INSERT INTO lines for your tables.

A silently empty export is a common failure — you only discover it when you need to restore.

Alternatives

• A full DirectAdmin backup includes databases. How to create and download a full account backup
• For WordPress, backup plugins export the database too. How to back up WordPress

Store copies off the server, dated, and keep more than one.