{"id":13887,"date":"2026-09-14T09:15:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=13887"},"modified":"2026-09-14T09:15:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:15:55","slug":"website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Website Backup vs Email Backup: What Can Be Restored Together, Separately, or Not at All?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A website backup and an email backup protect different parts of a company\u2019s online systems. One downloaded backup can contain website files, a database, email, or other hosting data. However, this does not mean every service can be restored as one complete system. Recovery depends on what the backup contains and which system was affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#Does_one_hosting_backup_protect_both_a_website_and_email\" >Does one hosting backup protect both a website and email?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#Which_website_components_belong_together\" >Which website components belong together?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#Which_email_components_require_separate_attention\" >Which email components require separate attention?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#What_a_single_hosting_backup_usually_cannot_restore_by_itself\" >What a single hosting backup usually cannot restore by itself<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#Common_backup_misconceptions\" >Common backup misconceptions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/website-backup-vs-email-backup-what-can-be-restored-together-separately-or-not-at-all\/#How_to_map_dependencies_before_an_outage\" >How to map dependencies before an outage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_one_hosting_backup_protect_both_a_website_and_email\"><\/span>Does one hosting backup protect both a website and email?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, a backup can include both website data and email data. A downloaded backup is a copy of website, database, email, or hosting data stored outside the hosting environment. The important point is that these are separate data sets with separate recovery needs. A backup protects only the data that was included when it was created. <a href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/knowledgebase\/why-downloaded-backups-should-be-stored-securely\/\">Downloaded backups should also be stored securely because they may contain sensitive information.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-465794989\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One backup therefore does not automatically provide one complete recovery. If the website is deleted, the website files and database may be the relevant restore data. If email is unavailable, mailbox data and the settings that route mail are relevant instead. A recovery plan must match the backup source to the incident. The mybox case study describes accidental deletion, a website attack, and an email outage as different incidents that require different recovery methods. <a href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/knowledgebase\/how-a-business-recovered-after-accidental-deletion-a-website-attack-and-an-email-outage\/\">One restore method does not fit every situation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_website_components_belong_together\"><\/span>Which website components belong together?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A website commonly depends on more than its visible files. Map these components separately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Website files:<\/strong> the files that make up the site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Database:<\/strong> structured content and other site data stored separately from the files.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hosting environment:<\/strong> the environment in which the website and related data are stored and run.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Domain and DNS:<\/strong> the domain is the address that points to the hosting environment. Hosting does not automatically include a domain name, so they are separate services that work together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Restoring website files and a database may restore the site data, but visitors still need the domain to point to the correct hosting environment. DNS changes may take a few hours to propagate and can sometimes take longer depending on the domain registrar and network conditions. <a href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/knowledgebase\/how-to-migrate-a-website-to-mybox\/\">A website move to mybox also involves copying files and database content and pointing the domain to mybox servers.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_email_components_require_separate_attention\"><\/span>Which email components require separate attention?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email should be mapped as its own recovery area. The relevant data can include mailboxes and email content. Mail routing also depends on DNS settings, while mailbox access depends on the relevant account access. These dependencies mean that restoring website data does not by itself restore email availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email aliases and authentication records should be listed separately in the dependency map. They are not the same as mailbox content. A mailbox backup may preserve messages, while the settings that deliver mail to the right mailbox or validate sending may need to be restored or checked separately. This distinction is important during an email outage because restoring stored messages and restoring mail delivery are different recovery tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_a_single_hosting_backup_usually_cannot_restore_by_itself\"><\/span>What a single hosting backup usually cannot restore by itself<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A hosting backup is a copy of selected website, database, email, or hosting data. It is not automatically a copy of every service connected to a domain. In particular, treat these as separate dependencies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Domain registration:<\/strong> the domain is a separate service from hosting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DNS settings:<\/strong> DNS must direct the domain and email traffic to the correct services after recovery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Account access:<\/strong> recovery requires access to the systems that hold the backup and manage the restored services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Third-party services:<\/strong> services outside the hosting environment are separate from the hosting data stored in the backup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Email authentication records:<\/strong> these settings support mail delivery and sending validation and should be mapped separately from mailbox content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_backup_misconceptions\"><\/span>Common backup misconceptions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Misconception<\/th><th>What to plan for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>One hosting backup restores the whole company system.<\/td><td>Check whether it contains website files, databases, email, or hosting data, then match the data to the incident.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Restoring the website also restores the domain.<\/td><td>Hosting and the domain are separate services. The domain must still point to the hosting environment.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Restoring mailbox messages restores email completely.<\/td><td>Check mail routing, aliases, authentication records, and account access separately.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>A restored website is immediately reachable.<\/td><td>DNS propagation can take a few hours and may sometimes take longer.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>One recovery procedure works for every outage.<\/td><td>Use the backup source and restore method that match the affected system and incident.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_map_dependencies_before_an_outage\"><\/span>How to map dependencies before an outage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>List the website files, database, and hosting environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List mailboxes, email content, aliases, and email authentication records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Record the domain and the DNS settings that point users and mail to the correct services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify the account access needed to reach the hosting, domain, DNS, and third-party services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Match each outage scenario to the data and service it affects. Accidental deletion, a website attack, and an email outage may require different restore methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Store downloaded backups securely because they may contain sensitive website, database, email, or hosting data.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The practical boundary is clear: website data, email data, domain and DNS settings, account access, and third-party services should be treated as connected but separate recovery areas. A single backup may contain more than one area, but only a documented dependency map shows what can be restored together and what requires a separate procedure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[25],"manual_kb_tag":[],"class_list":["post-13887","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-hosting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/13887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/13887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13888,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/13887\/revisions\/13888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=13887"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=13887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}