If you have a database file in .sql or .sql.zip format and wish to import it to your cPanel hosting, first open phpMyAdmin. Next, select your desired database and click on Import:
Choose the file from your local device:
Proceed further without changing anything on the settings and click Go.
The maximum size for a database that can be uploaded via phpMyAdmin is 128 MB. If your database file is larger than that, you can import it via SSH instead.
Common Errors
Here are some errors that may appear during the importing process and how to fix them:
Incorrect Format Parameter
Make sure that your file format is .sql. Alternatively, you can import a compressed database with the following formats: gzip, bzip2, and zip (for example, database.sql.zip).
If you have checked and the file format is correct, this error might also indicate a corrupted database file.
Command Denied to User
If you see this error, it means that your database user doesn’t have the required permissions to import the database. To fix it, go to your cPanel and open MySQL Databases → Your user → Manage user privileges. Verify that permissions are set correctly - by default, all checkmarks should be added:
Access Is Denied. You Need the Super Privilege for This Operation
This error means that your database includes queries that require SUPER privileges to be executed. In this case, double-check the nature of the queries on your .sql file and remove them if possible using any text editor of your choice. Next, try importing the database again.
If the queries that require SUPER privileges are definitely required, you may consider going for one of our VPS plans.
That’s it! Now you know how to import a MySQL database on cPanel 😊