How to Import and Export a Database With phpMyAdmin

Before you start

• Know which database your site uses. For WordPress, open wp-config.php in File Manager and look for DB_NAME. For other software, check its config file (often .env or config.php).
• Export before every import. Importing can overwrite tables. Always download a copy of the current database first.

Part A: Export (download) a database

Step 1: Open phpMyAdmin

In cPanel, go to Databases → phpMyAdmin. It opens in a new tab — no extra login needed.

Step 2: Select the database

In the left column, click the database name (for example yourbusi_wp). Its tables appear on the right.

Step 3: Export as SQL

1. Click the Export tab.
2. Export method: Quick is fine for most sites. Choose Custom if you want compression.
3. Format: SQL.
4. Click Go. A file like yourbusi_wp.sql downloads to your computer.

Part B: Import a .sql file

Step 1: Make sure the target database exists

Importing goes into an existing database. If you are moving a site, create an empty database and user first — see Create a MySQL database.

Step 2: Select the database and open Import

In phpMyAdmin, click the target database in the left column, then the Import tab.

Step 3: Choose the file and import

1. Click Choose File / Browse and pick your .sql, .sql.gz or .zip file.
2. Character set of the file: utf-8 (default).
3. Leave Partial import and other options at their defaults.
4. Format: SQL.
5. Click Import (or Go) at the bottom.

When the green message appears, click the database name again and check the tables are listed.

Large files (over the upload limit)

The maximum import size is shown under the file box. If your file is larger:

1. Compress it (.gz or .zip) — SQL text compresses 5–10×.
2. Raise the limit: Software → Select PHP Version → Options, increase upload_max_filesize and post_max_size (e.g. 256M) — see Change PHP settings.
3. Still too big? Upload the file to your home folder with FTP and ask our support team to import it for you — we do this free.

After importing a website's database

• Update the website's configuration with the new database name, user and password (wp-config.php, .env).
• If the domain changed, update URLs inside WordPress — see Move WordPress to a new domain.

Troubleshooting

Error	Cause	Fix
#1044 Access denied for user … to database 'olddb'	The file contains CREATE DATABASE / USE olddb lines from the old host	Open the file in a text editor and delete those lines near the top, or re-export without “Add CREATE DATABASE”
#1062 Duplicate entry	Importing into a database that already has data	Import into an empty database, or drop the existing tables first (after backing up)
#1273 Unknown collation 'utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci'	Export came from MySQL 8	Replace utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci with utf8mb4_unicode_ci in the file, then import
“You probably tried to upload a file that is too large”	Over the size limit	Compress, raise PHP limits, or ask support
Import stops / times out	Very large file on a slow connection	Use compressed file; ask support for a server-side import
Strange characters (é, ’) after import	Wrong character set	Re-import with utf-8; make sure the export was utf8mb4

Frequently asked questions

Is phpMyAdmin export a full website backup? No — it only covers the database. You also need your files (public_html). For a complete backup see Backup Wizard.

Can I export just one table? Yes. Click the table, then Export.