Restore Akeeba Backup: Import a Joomla backup with Kickstart

Hack, botched update, or move to a new server: if you have an Akeeba backup, you can use it to get your Joomla site back. The Akeeba Backup restore is handled by two small helpers - kickstart.php extracts your backup archive directly on the server, then the built-in installer ANGIE restores the files and database. It sounds technical, but it is usually done in 10 to 20 minutes - even the first time.

One thing up front, because it is the most common misconception: Kickstart does not restore your site itself, it only unpacks the archive. The actual work - database, settings, files - is done by ANGIE, the installer already included in your backup. In short: Kickstart unpacks, ANGIE installs.

Before you get started

Have these three things ready, and the process will run smoothly:

• your backup archive (.jpa, .jps, or .zip) - for a .jps archive, also the password
• the access details for the target database: host, name, user, password
• FTP/SFTP access or your host's file manager

The database details for an existing site are stored in configuration.php. It is best to restore the backup into a completely empty database - if old tables are still in there, conflicts can happen quickly. When migrating, simply create a new, empty database beforehand.

How to restore your Joomla backup

1. Download the backup. In Joomla, go to Components - Akeeba Backup - Manage Backups and download your backup to your computer. If it was split into multiple parts (.j01, .j02 ...), you need all of them.
2. Download Kickstart. Download kickstart.php for free from akeeba.com and unpack the ZIP on your computer. You only need the single file kickstart.php from it.
3. Upload both files. Place the backup archive and Kickstart via FTP or file manager into the root directory of your site - the folder where Joomla is located (with many hosts htdocs, public_html or www). The directory should be as empty as possible: if you are restoring after a hack, remove the old files completely first - otherwise injected malicious code may remain that the backup does not overwrite. The same applies when moving a site: empty folder, clean start.
4. Rename Kickstart. This is where most people get stuck first: current versions intentionally do not start as long as the file is called kickstart.php - otherwise anyone could access it. Give it its own name without the words kickstart, ks or akeeba, for example restore-9f3a2c.php.
5. Open in the browser. Call up exactly this name, for example https://deine-domain.de/restore-9f3a2c.php. Kickstart will open; confirm prompts about server settings usually with OK. Select Directly as the method (the fastest and most reliable on most servers), enter the password now if you are using a .jps archive, then click Start.
6. Click through ANGIE. After extraction, the installer takes over. The most important page is the database login details (host - usually localhost -, database name, username, password). On the same screen, use the existing data from configuration.php; when migrating, use the data for the new database. This target database should be empty - installing into one that is already filled often causes problems. ANGIE detects the URL and site name itself and automatically adjusts them during the migration. For older backups, tick the Allow UTF8MB4 option if it appears - it preserves umlauts and special characters.
7. Clean up. Finally, click Clean Up. This removes the installer, Kickstart, and archive and makes your configuration.php active again. Do not leave anything behind - a forgotten Kickstart file is an open barn door.

If something gets stuck

• "Insecure setup detected" or Kickstart simply does not start: The file is still called kickstart.php. Rename it (step 4), then it will run.
• Database error in the installer: Almost always incorrect login details. Check host, database name, username, and password carefully - with some hosts, the host is not localhost, but a separate server.
• White page or extraction stops: Usually a PHP time limit. Set an appropriate PHP version on the destination server - current Akeeba versions run with PHP 7.4 to 8.5.

By the way, the free Core version is enough for a normal restore - both for Akeeba Backup and Kickstart. You do not need the Pro features for that.

Are you stuck or not sure whether your backup is really clean - a valid question after a hack? We restore it, scan the site for malicious code, and harden it.

Sources: Download Akeeba Kickstart · Official Kickstart guide

Did the guide help you? Questions, additions, or spotted an error - leave it in the comments.

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