Get started with UnderBackup: your off-site backup space
Everything you need to start using UnderBackup: find it in CustomerPanel, open the backup panel in one click, connect with FTP or SSH/rsync, automate backups, read your usage and restore files.
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UnderBackup is your off-site backup space at UnderHost: secure storage, separate from your hosting or server, where you keep copies of your websites, databases and files. If something goes wrong on your server, your backups are still safe somewhere else.
What UnderBackup is
You get a private storage space (from 10 GB to several TB, depending on your plan) that you can fill and manage in three ways:
- The backup panel: a web file manager to upload, download, organise and share files from your browser.
- FTP: works with almost any backup tool, control panel or FTP program.
- SSH, rsync and SFTP: encrypted and fast, best for servers and automatic backups.
You can have UnderBackup as a backup plan on its own, as an add-on to your hosting, or as the backup option chosen when ordering a Cloud VPS or dedicated server. It works the same way in every case.
UnderBackup stores what you send it. Your server or backup tool sends the backups, on the schedule you choose. This page shows you how.
Find your backup space
When your backup space is ready, you receive an email titled Your UnderShield Backup space is ready. It contains your panel address and login, and your FTP details. Keep it safe.
Everything is also in CustomerPanel:
- Sign in to CustomerPanel.
- Go to Services → My Backups. Your backup plan, add-on or server backup option is also shown on that service's page.
- You see your storage used, your latest backups, your FTP and SSH details, and the Open backup panel button.
The backup panel
Click Open backup panel in CustomerPanel and you are signed in automatically, no password needed. You can also sign in directly with the address and login from your welcome email. In the panel you will find:
| Page | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Your storage used and your most recent files. |
| Files | Upload, download, create folders, rename, move and delete. Download several files at once as a ZIP. |
| Shares | Create a private link to share a file, and revoke it at any time. |
| FTP | Your FTP host, port and username, and a button to set a new FTP password. |
| SSH | Add your SSH key and turn SSH, rsync and SFTP access on or off. |
| Account | Change your panel password and turn on two-factor authentication. |
Connect with FTP
Use the Host, Port (21) and Username shown in CustomerPanel or on the panel's FTP page, with the FTP password from your welcome email.
- FileZilla: File → Site Manager → New site, protocol FTP, enter the host, port 21 and your login, then Connect.
- cPanel, DirectAdmin or your backup plugin: choose an FTP destination and enter the same details.
Lost your FTP password? In CustomerPanel, click New FTP password on your backup service (or use Reset FTP Password in the panel). The new password is shown once and also emailed to you. Remember to update it in your backup jobs, because the old one stops working right away.
Plain FTP sends your password and files without encryption. For anything sensitive, and for servers, use SSH, rsync or SFTP instead (next section).
Connect with SSH and rsync
SSH is the best way to back up a server: encrypted, fast, and only changed files are sent each time. It uses an SSH key instead of a password. In short:
- Create an SSH key on the computer or server that sends the backups.
- Paste the public key on the panel's SSH page, click Save Key, then Enable SSH Access.
- Wait a few minutes for the status to change from Pending to Active.
- Connect with the host, port and username shown on the SSH page. Your files are in
/uploads/.
Full step-by-step instructions for Windows, macOS and Linux: UnderBackup SSH and rsync: create a key and connect.
Automate your backups
Pick the method that matches where your data lives:
| You have | Simplest way |
|---|---|
| A Linux VPS or dedicated server | A nightly cron job with rsync over SSH. Ready-to-use example in the SSH guide. |
| cPanel or WHM | Use cPanel or WHM backups with an FTP or SFTP destination pointing to your UnderBackup space. See cPanel backups. |
| DirectAdmin, aaPanel or CloudPanel | Add a remote FTP backup destination with your UnderBackup FTP details. |
| WordPress | A backup plugin that supports FTP or SFTP (for example UpdraftPlus) with your UnderBackup details. See WordPress backup and restore. |
| A Windows or Mac computer | WinSCP (scripted sync with Task Scheduler) on Windows, or rsync with a scheduled job on macOS. Or simply upload in the panel's Files page. |
Save dated backups (for example site-2026-10-30.tar.gz) instead of overwriting one file. Then a bad backup, or files encrypted by ransomware, never replaces your only good copy. See Backup retention.
Usage, alerts and more space
CustomerPanel shows how much space you use and your latest backups. The bar turns orange and then red as your space fills up. If your space reaches 90% full, we send you an email so your backups keep running.
To free space, delete old backups in the panel's Files page or over SFTP. To get more space:
- Backup plan: use Upgrade Plan on the service in CustomerPanel.
- Backup option on a server: use Upgrade/Downgrade Options on that server to choose a larger backup option.
- Hosting add-on: open a ticket and we will move you to a larger size.
Restore your files
Download the files you need from the panel's Files page (or several at once as a ZIP), or pull them back over SSH:
# bring a whole folder back into a separate folder first
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 22" USERNAME@HOST:/uploads/nightly/ /root/restore/Restore into a separate folder, check it, then move it into place. See Restore files and databases.
FAQ
Related: SSH and rsync setup | Backup plans and comparison | Backup best practices
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