# How to use the SSH tar command

> Canonical: https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-use-the-ssh-tar-command/ · Last modified: 2026-08-20T06:49:59+00:00

The SSH `tar` (tape archive) command creates and extracts compressed archives. In particular, it's essential for making full backups of your files and folders or restoring a website transferred from another host. Furthermore, tar works with gzip (.tar.gz) or bzip2 (.tar.bz2) compression - making it the standard tool for bundling and unpacking files on Linux servers via SSH.

## Creating an archive

To create a compressed archive of specific files:

```
tar -czvf archiveToCreate.tar.gz file1 file2 file3
```

This creates `archiveToCreate.tar.gz` containing the listed files. The archive name must come after `-f`. The flags mean:

- `c` – create a new archive
- `z` – compress with gzip (use `j` for bzip2)
- `v` – verbose, show files as they're added
- `f` – use the following filename for the archive

## Creating an archive of a directory

To archive all files within a directory using a wildcard:

```
tar -czvf backup.tar.gz /path/to/directory/*
```

To archive the entire directory including its structure, omit the asterisk:

```
tar -czvf backup.tar.gz /path/to/directory/
```

Example—backup your WordPress files:

```
tar -czvf wordpress-backup.tar.gz public_html/
```

## Extracting an archive

To extract all files from an archive into the current directory:

```
tar -xzvf archiveToExtract.tar.gz
```

The only change from create is `-c` (create) replaced by `-x` (extract). The `z` tells tar the file is gzip-compressed. To extract to a specific directory, add `-C /path/to/destination`:

```
tar -xzvf archive.tar.gz -C /home/user/restore/
```

## Listing an archive

To list the contents of an archive without extracting it, use this SSH tar command:

`tar -tzvf archive.tar.gz. `

The `-t` option lists the files inside the archive, and the other flags work as before. This helps you confirm what’s in the archive or find a specific file before extracting.

## Common use cases

Typical uses for SSH `tar` command on a [Linux hosting](https://jethost.com/web-hosting/) account:

- Making full backups of website files before updates or migrations
- Restoring a website transferred from another host
- Compressing logs or old data to save disk space
- Bundling multiple files for download or transfer

For moving archives to another server, use scp or [wget](https://jethost.com/kb/how-to-use-the-ssh-wget-command/). For listing archive contents without extracting, use `tar -tzvf archive.tar.gz`.

## Need more help?

Explore more [SSH and hosting guides](https://jethost.com/kb/category/linux-commands/) in our [knowledgebase](https://jethost.com/help/). JetHost [web hosting](https://jethost.com/web-hosting/) includes SSH access for managing your server and creating backups directly.