How do I import a website database with phpMyAdmin?

Open cPanel → phpMyAdmin, select the intended database in the left navigation and open Import. Check that Importing into the database names the correct target, choose your SQL backup under Browse your computer, confirm Format: SQL, then choose the final Import button. An import can replace or delete existing tables, so prepare a backup and confirm the target before submitting it.

Prepare the backup and target

Use an SQL export from the website database you intend to copy. A website ZIP or full hosting backup is not automatically an SQL file. If you received a full backup archive, have its database export identified before importing it.
For a new or moved website, create its target database and user in cPanel first. Keep the complete account-prefixed database name. Do not create the database through phpMyAdmin.
For a database that already contains live content, back it up first and plan the replacement with the website maintainer. Restoring an older copy can remove newer orders, form entries and edits. A shop receiving new orders needs a coordinated cutover, not an import during normal use.
Have the person providing the SQL file confirm its source, export date and intended target. SQL can contain commands that delete tables or name a different database. Selecting a target in phpMyAdmin does not rewrite those commands. Do not import an unknown file or one that still refers to the wrong database.
Keep the SQL file securely on your computer. Do not put it in the public website folder to make it easier to import; a database export can contain private customer information and website settings.

Open the correct database

Sign in to your account, find the hosting service in Services and choose Log in to cPanel. On a phone, choose cPanel.
Open phpMyAdmin in cPanel. In its left navigation, select the full target database name. Check the database named in the breadcrumb before continuing. Opening the app alone does not select the intended website database.
Choose the database-level Import tab. The heading should say Importing into the database followed by your target's name. If that name is wrong, return to the left navigation and select the correct database before choosing a file.

Import the SQL file

Under File to import → Browse your computer, choose the SQL file from your computer. The form accepts uncompressed files and supported compressed files. Check the maximum shown beside Browse your computer on your own screen. Do not use another account's limit.
Check Character set against the export's instructions; use utf-8 for a UTF-8 export. Keep Format set to SQL for an SQL database export. If you do not know the export's encoding or format, ask its provider rather than trying random options.
Leave the other settings unchanged unless the backup's instructions require a specific adjustment. Do not disable foreign-key checks or alter partial-import settings merely to get past an unexplained error.
Review the target database name, chosen filename and backup one more time. Choose the final Import button once. Wait for the reported result; do not start another import in a second tab while it is still running.
If the file is larger than the displayed maximum or the operation times out, stop and contact Tech/Server with the size and exact error. We can help plan a suitable import route. Splitting SQL by arbitrary file size can break statements or leave incomplete data.

Check the result before connecting the site

Read the completion or error message. An error does not guarantee that nothing was imported: some statements may already have run. Do not retry into the same database until you know what changed. A new empty target or an agreed restore may be needed before another attempt.
After a successful result, check that the expected tables appear under the selected database. Then have the website use that database's full name, assigned user, password and confirmed database-server address. Keep passwords out of screenshots and tickets.
Open the website and check that its pages show the imported content. Test sign-in and the features that use stored data. For a WordPress move, continue with our migration checks before switching visitors to the copy.
If you need help, open Support → New Ticket and set Department to Tech/Server. Include the domain, target database name, file size, export source/date and exact import result. Do not attach the full database dump to an ordinary ticket unless we arrange a suitable way to share it.