How to import or export a MySQL database with phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is the web-based MySQL admin tool included with every cPanel hosting plan. The two most common reasons to use it: backing up your database to a .sql file, and restoring (or migrating) one in.

Open phpMyAdmin

1. cPanel → Databases → phpMyAdmin.
2. You land in phpMyAdmin already authenticated. Pick your database from the left sidebar.

Exporting (backing up) a database

1. With your database selected, click the Export tab at the top.
2. For most uses keep the default Quick method and SQL format.
3. Click Export. A .sql file downloads to your computer.

Importing a database

1. Make sure the destination database exists and is EMPTY (create one via cPanel → MySQL Databases if not).
2. In phpMyAdmin, select the destination database from the left sidebar.
3. Click the Import tab.
4. Click Choose File, pick your .sql file (or .sql.gz / .sql.zip - phpMyAdmin handles compressed files automatically).
5. Scroll down, click Import. Wait for the success message.

If your import fails with "MySQL server has gone away"

This usually means the .sql file is too big for the upload limit. Three options:

• Compress the .sql to .sql.gz first (much smaller upload, phpMyAdmin still imports it).
• Split the file into smaller chunks and import each one.
• Open a support ticket - we can import any size .sql file from the command line for you.

WordPress search-and-replace after import

If you imported a WordPress database from another domain, the old domain name is hard-coded in the wp_options table and serialised data. Use the WP-CLI search-replace command via SSH, or the Better Search Replace WordPress plugin, to safely update every reference.

Open phpMyAdmin via cPanel Big import? Ask us to do it