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Snapshots

From the GoAdmio knowledge base.

Snapshots

This page explains the Snapshots screen in GoAdmio. It lets you create and restore point-in-time snapshots of a domain account — and choose exactly what to restore: files only, mail only, databases only, or the full account.

Location: Admin Panel → Backup → Snapshots


Overview

A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a domain account. GoAdmio keeps multiple snapshots per domain (from previous dates), so you can restore the account — or a specific part of it — to a state from hours, days, or weeks ago.

The Snapshots page lists every domain on the server, and for each one provides:

  • Create Snapshot — take a new snapshot immediately
  • Restore Account (Full Backup) — restore the entire account
  • Restore www — restore only the website files
  • Restore Mail — restore only email mailboxes and configuration
  • Restore Databases — restore only MySQL/MariaDB databases
Each restore action lets you choose from multiple previous dates, so you can roll back to the exact state you need — without affecting the parts of the account you don't want to change.

> Note: Snapshots are stored locally (or on the destination configured in Schedule Snapshot). For long-term retention and off-site protection, also use Backup Wizard and Schedule Backup.


What the Page Shows

| Column / Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain | The account being snapshotted |
| Create Snapshot | Take a new snapshot right now |
| Restore Account (Full Backup) | Restore the entire account from a chosen date |
| Restore www | Restore only the website files |
| Restore Mail | Restore only email mailboxes |
| Restore Databases | Restore only databases |
| Footer | Showing 16 of 16 records — total accounts |

> Tip: The Restore actions open a date picker showing multiple previous dates for that account — choose the snapshot you want to restore from.


How to Create a Snapshot

  1. Log in to the GoAdmio Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to Backup → Snapshots.
  3. Locate the domain.
  4. Click Create Snapshot.
  5. Wait for the snapshot to complete.
A new snapshot is created and added to the list of available dates for that account.

> Tip: Create a snapshot before any risky operation — installing a plugin, upgrading the CMS, changing the database schema, or editing configuration files. It gives you a fast rollback point.


How to Restore from a Snapshot

The restore options let you choose what to restore and which date to restore from.

Restore the Full Account

  1. Locate the domain.
  2. Click Restore Account (Full Backup).
  3. Choose the date from the list of previous snapshots.
  4. Confirm.
The account's files, mail, and databases are all restored to the chosen date.

> Warning: Restoring the full account overwrites the current state of files, mail, and databases. Any changes made after the snapshot date are lost. Take a fresh snapshot first if you might need the current state.

Restore Only the Website Files

  1. Locate the domain.
  2. Click Restore www.
  3. Choose the date.
  4. Confirm.
Only the website files (the www directory) are restored. Mail and databases are not affected.

> Tip: Use this when a theme, plugin, or file edit broke the site but the database and email are fine.

Restore Only Email

  1. Locate the domain.
  2. Click Restore Mail.
  3. Choose the date.
  4. Confirm.
Only email mailboxes and configuration are restored. Website files and databases are not affected.

> Tip: Use this when mailboxes were accidentally deleted, or when email configuration was changed in error.

Restore Only Databases

  1. Locate the domain.
  2. Click Restore Databases.
  3. Choose the date.
  4. Confirm.
Only MySQL/MariaDB databases are restored. Files and email are not affected.

> Tip: Use this when a database was corrupted, a schema change broke the site, or a plugin upgrade damaged the database.


Choosing the Right Restore Date

Each restore action shows multiple previous dates for the account. Choose based on what you need:

| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| The site broke after a change an hour ago | The most recent snapshot before the change |
| A plugin corrupted the database yesterday | The snapshot from before the plugin was installed |
| A customer deleted files last week | The snapshot from before the deletion |
| Mailboxes were deleted this morning | The snapshot from this morning, before deletion |
| You are not sure when the issue started | An older snapshot that you know was working |

> Tip: When in doubt, choose an older snapshot that you are confident worked, rather than a recent one that might include the problem. You can always restore again to a more recent date.

> Warning: Snapshots are point-in-time. Restoring to a date after the problem began will not fix it — the problem will still be in the restored data.


Partial Restore vs. Full Restore

| Restore type | What it overwrites | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Full account | Files, mail, databases | Complete recovery after a major failure |
| www only | Website files | Site broken but database/email fine |
| Mail only | Email mailboxes | Email issue, files/databases fine |
| Databases only | MySQL/MariaDB databases | Database corruption or bad schema change |

> Tip: Prefer partial restores when only one component is affected. They are faster and preserve changes made to the other components after the snapshot date.


What Gets Restored

| Component | Included in snapshot? | Restorable individually? |
|---|---|---|
| Website files (www) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Restore www |
| Email mailboxes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Restore Mail |
| Email forwarders and autoresponders | ✅ Yes | ✅ Restore Mail |
| MySQL/MariaDB databases | ✅ Yes | ✅ Restore Databases |
| Configuration files | ✅ Yes | ✅ Restore www |
| SSL certificates | ❌ No | Re-issue after restore |
| Cron jobs | ⚠️ Depends | Verify after restore |
| PHP version | ❌ No | Re-assign via MultiPHP Manager |

> Note: SSL certificates are not included in snapshots. After restoring, re-issue them — see Install Free SSL Certificate.


After Restoring

| Task | Why |
|---|---|
| Verify the website loads | Confirm the restored files work |
| Test email | Confirm mailboxes and delivery work |
| Check databases | Confirm tables and data are intact — see MySQL Databases |
| Re-issue SSL | Certificates are not in the snapshot — see Install Free SSL Certificate |
| Run Fix Permissions | Restored files may have wrong ownership |
| Clear caches | Cached content may still serve the old state — see Cache Website |
| Notify the customer | They should know their account was restored |


Common Scenarios

"A plugin upgrade broke the site"

  1. Click Restore www — restore the files to a date before the upgrade.
  2. If the plugin also changed the database, click Restore Databases as well — same date.
  3. Verify the site works.
> Tip: Some plugin upgrades modify both files and the database. Restore both to the same date to avoid mismatches.

"A customer deleted files by mistake"

  1. Click Restore www.
  2. Choose a date before the deletion.
  3. Confirm.
  4. Verify the files are back.

"A database table was corrupted"

  1. Click Restore Databases.
  2. Choose a date before the corruption.
  3. Confirm.
  4. Verify the database — see Repair MySQL Database if issues remain.

"A customer's mailboxes were deleted"

  1. Click Restore Mail.
  2. Choose a date before the deletion.
  3. Confirm.
  4. Verify the mailboxes — see Email Accounts.

"The whole account is broken"

  1. Click Restore Account (Full Backup).
  2. Choose a date when the account worked.
  3. Confirm.
  4. Verify files, mail, and databases.
> Tip: A full restore is the fastest way to recover from a major failure — but it overwrites everything, including changes made after the snapshot.

"I need to restore to a date I don't see"

The snapshot list shows the retention window configured on the server. If the date you need is older than the oldest snapshot:

Security Considerations

| Consideration | What to know |
|---|---|
| Snapshot source | Snapshots are taken from the account's own state — they are not external archives |
| Malware | A snapshot taken from a compromised account contains the malware — scan with ClamAV Antivirus after restore |
| Restore overwrites | Partial and full restores overwrite the current state — take a fresh snapshot first |
| Access to Snapshots | Restrict access to this page — it can restore an account to any previous state |
| Customer notification | Inform the customer if their account was restored |
| Audit trail | Document restores for incident response |

> Warning: If the account was compromised, restoring a snapshot taken after the compromise will not remove the malware. Choose a snapshot from before the compromise, and scan with ClamAV Antivirus after the restore.


Related Commands

| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /go/restore | Restore an account from a backup |
| /go/backup | Create a backup from the CLI |
| /go/repair | Repair a database after restore |
| /go/serversync | Sync an entire server to another GoAdmio server |

See Command Reference for the full CLI list.


Related Pages

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Likely cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Restore completes but the site is unchanged | Cache (CDN or full-page) serving old content | Purge cache — see Cache Website; hard-refresh the browser |
| Restore fails partway | Disk full, or the snapshot is corrupt | Free space; try an older snapshot |
| Website does not load after restore | DNS, SSL, or document root issue | Check Track DNS; re-issue SSL; verify document root |
| Database is missing after restore | The snapshot did not include databases | Use an older snapshot that includes databases; or restore from a backup |
| Mailboxes are missing after restore | The snapshot did not include email | Use an older snapshot; or restore from a backup |
| Cannot log in after restore | Password reverted to the snapshot's password | Reset via Password Modification |
| SSL certificate is missing | Not included in the snapshot | Re-issue via Install Free SSL Certificate |
| File permissions are wrong | Ownership not preserved | Run Fix Permissions |
| Restore overwrote recent changes | Restored to a date before the changes | Restore to a more recent date, or accept the loss |
| Restored site has malware | Snapshot taken from a compromised account | Scan with ClamAV Antivirus; restore an older, clean snapshot |
| Snapshot list is empty | No snapshots for the account | Create a snapshot first — see Create a Snapshot |
| Snapshot date I need is not listed | Retention window is limited | Use Backup Wizard or a backup archive from that date |


Best Practices

| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Create a snapshot before risky changes | Fast rollback point |
| Prefer partial restores when possible | Faster and preserves changes to other components |
| Choose a snapshot from before the problem began | A snapshot taken after the problem still has the problem |
| Take a fresh snapshot before restoring | Allows rollback if the restore goes wrong |
| Restore files and databases together if a plugin changed both | Avoids file/database mismatches |
| Re-issue SSL after restore | Certificates are not in snapshots |
| Run Fix Permissions | Restored files may have wrong ownership |
| Scan restored files for malware | Snapshots from compromised accounts contain malware |
| Clear caches after restore | Avoid serving stale content |
| Document restores | Audit trail for incidents |
| Notify customers | They should know their account was restored |
| Combine with scheduled snapshots | See Schedule Snapshot for automated protection |
| Combine with full backups | Snapshots are fast; backups are archival |


Last updated: 2026-11-08

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