How to Move or Copy WordPress

This guide will help you in moving or copying your WordPress site. The process may seem intimidating, but it is straightforward with the right steps.

Follow this guide to move or copy your WordPress site to a new server or location.

Steps to Move or Copy WordPress –

Backup Your WordPress Site:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Use a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy to create a full backup of your site, including the database and files.
3. Download the backup files to your local computer.
   

Export Your Database:

1. Access your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, etc.).
2. Open phpMyAdmin.
   
3. Select your WordPress database and click on the “Export” tab.
4. Choose the “Quick” export method and click “Export” to download the SQL file.
   

Upload Files to the New Location:

1. Connect to your new hosting server via FTP using a client like FileZilla.
2. Upload all the backup files you downloaded earlier to the new server’s root directory or the desired directory for your WordPress installation.

Create a New Database:

1. In your new hosting control panel, create a new database and database user.
2. Assign the user to the database and note down the database name, username, and password.

Import the Database:

1. Access phpMyAdmin on the new server.
2. Select the new database and click on the “Import” tab.
3. Choose the SQL file you exported earlier and click “Import” to import the database.
   

Update the wp-config.php File:

1. In the new server’s file manager or via FTP, locate the wp-config.php file in the WordPress root directory.
2. Update the database name, username, and password to match the new database details.
   define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘new_database_name’);
   define(‘DB_USER’, ‘new_database_user’);
   define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘new_database_password’);

Update Site URL (If Changing Domain):

1. If you are moving to a new domain, update the site URL in the database.
2. Access phpMyAdmin, select your database, and browse the wp_options table.
3. Update the siteurl and home values to the new domain URL.

Fix Permalinks and Update Paths:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard at the new location.
2. Go to “Settings” > “Permalinks” and re-save the permalinks to update the .htaccess file.
   
3. Use a plugin like Better Search Replace to update any old URLs in your database to the new ones.

By following these steps, you can successfully move or copy your WordPress site to a new server or location. If you encounter any issues or need assistance, please contact our support staff.