Need to migrate a single cPanel account from one server to another without affecting the rest? Whether you’re moving hosting providers or setting up a new server, this guide walks you through step-by-step on how to backup, transfer, and restore a single cPanel account seamlessly.
🛠️ Step 1: Identify the cPanel Username on the Source Server
First, SSH into the source server and find the username associated with the domain:
/scripts/whoowns domain.com
This will return the cPanel username for that domain.
📦 Step 2: Generate a Full Backup of the Account
Now that you have the username, create a full cPanel backup which includes website files, databases, emails, and configurations:
/scripts/pkgacct username
Once the process is complete, a file named something like cpmove-username.tar.gz will be created in the /home directory.
🔐 Step 3: Change Permissions for Transfer
To make the file accessible for download, change its permissions:
chmod 755 /home/cpmove-username.tar.gz
Then move it to a publicly accessible directory (e.g., the user’s public_html folder):
mv /home/cpmove-username.tar.gz /home/username/public_html/
📥 Step 4: Download Backup on the Destination Server
Now, SSH into the destination server and navigate to the /home directory:
cd /home
Download the cPanel backup file using wget. Replace serverip with the IP of the source server:
wget http://serverip/~username/cpmove-username.tar.gz
♻️ Step 5: Restore the Account on the Destination Server
Once the download is complete, use the cPanel restore script to import the account:
/scripts/restorepkg username
This command will unpack the backup and automatically set up the user’s account, including all websites, databases, and emails.
✅ That’s It – Migration Complete!
You’ve now successfully migrated a single cPanel account from one server to another without using WHM or cPanel interfaces. This method is reliable, efficient, and perfect for admins comfortable working via SSH.
💡 Pro Tip:
Make sure DNS is updated to point to the new server IP once the account is live on the destination server.
Need help automating bulk migrations or troubleshooting errors during transfer? Let us know in the comments!