Softaculous
How to Clone an Installation in Softaculous
Duplicate your website installation to a new location — useful for staging, backups, or spin-offs.
Cloning creates an exact copy of an installed app at a new location, including all files and the database.
Step 1: Open Softaculous
Log in to cPanel → Softaculous → All Installations.
Step 2: Click the Clone Icon
Find the installation to clone and click the Clone icon (two overlapping pages).
Step 3: Set the Clone Destination
- Clone to URL: The URL where the clone will live (e.g., a subdomain or a different domain on the account)
- Clone to Directory: The folder path for the clone's files
Click Clone Installation.
Use Cases
- Staging environment — test updates safely
- Development copy — share with a developer without exposing the live site
- Migration starting point — clone to a new domain before relaunching
Differences from Backup
A clone is a live running copy of the site. A backup is a compressed archive you restore from. Use clones for active work; backups for safety.
Tips
- The clone database is a separate copy — it won't affect the original
- Delete clones when no longer needed to conserve disk space
- Cloned WordPress sites may need a URL update — use the Softaculous admin URL shown after cloning
Want us to handle it?
330 Hosting can do this for you.
Use the guide above if you want to do it yourself. If you would rather avoid breaking email, DNS, files, SSL, or WordPress, our support team can help.