You're out and about, check your phone, and your website won't load. Early this morning an automatic plugin update ran, and ever since there's been a blank white page. No laptop in sight, no problem: you grab the Claude app.
Step 1: open your website's session
In the Claude app you tap the session for your site, something like "kapsalon.nieuwesite.nl · Invoker". It's already there if you turned on Claude Remote Control earlier. You type:
"What backups are there from last night?"
Step 2: Claude looks up the backups
Claude checks your account's backup list and replies, for example:
"There's a full backup from last night at 01:30, with files, database and mail. There's also one from yesterday evening at 20:00. Do you want to restore, and if so which part?"
You immediately see which moments are available, without having to search in DirectAdmin yourself.
Step 3: you ask for the restore
You know this morning's plugin update caused the problem, and you want to keep today's database changes (a couple of new orders). You type:
"Restore the files from last night at 01:30, not the database."
Step 4: Claude explains what will happen, before doing anything
Before Claude restores anything, you get a plain-language explanation:
"I'll restore your website's files to how they were last night at 01:30. That means this morning's plugin update gets undone, along with any other file changes since 01:30. Your database stays untouched, so today's orders stay in place. Do you want me to go ahead?"
This is the moment to read carefully what gets overwritten. If you're unsure, ask a follow-up: "what else has changed in the files since 01:30?"
Step 5: you confirm
You type "yes, go ahead" or tap the confirmation button next to the message. Only then does Claude restore the files. This never happens without your explicit OK, not even if your session is in auto mode: restoring always asks for permission.
Step 6: checking the result
Once it's done, Claude reports that the restore is finished and what got restored. Feel free to ask for confirmation:
"Take a screenshot of the homepage."
You'll see right away whether the site looks normal again, without having to log into your website yourself. If everything's back, you know the broken plugin disappeared along with the old files. Still unsure? Ask Claude to look up the error in the logs.
Just want one file back?
Sometimes the whole site doesn't need to go back. If it was just one theme file that the plugin update had overwritten, ask instead:
"Pull only wp-content/plugins/problem-plugin from the 01:30 backup, don't restore the rest."
Claude then pulls just that part out of the backup and puts it back, without touching the rest of the site. That's safer than a full restore: you don't lose any other changes from today. More on this distinction is in Making and restoring backups on your hosting account.
Common mistakes
"I ask Claude to restore right away, without asking what backups exist first." You can, but then you miss the overview. Ask first which moments are available, especially if you're not sure exactly when things went wrong.
"I say 'restore the site' without saying what, exactly." Claude will then ask which part you mean: files, database, mail, or everything. It saves time to say that up front, as in the example above.
"I forget the database doesn't come along automatically." If you only say "restore the files," the database stays as it is now. Want both back? Say so explicitly: "restore files and database from 01:30."
"I think restoring happens without asking in auto mode." It doesn't. Restoring always asks for your explicit confirmation, in every mode, including auto mode.
"I restore everything for one broken file." Check first whether downloading just that one part solves it. It's faster and you won't lose any other changes made today.