If you’ve got a clean public_html folder, here’s how I’ve always done my wp transfers:
1: Upload all of your WP files and folders in to public_html.
2: Create a NEW database via phpMyAdmin (or similar) via your web control panel, ex. cPanel or the like. Write down or copy and paste the databases name, user name, and password for reference (you’ll need that in a minute). When making that database, make sure the user has ALL permissions checked.
3: Export the database from your local copy of WP via phpMyAdmin. Open that .sql file in Notepad or Notepad++, and do a find > replace all. I believe you’ll want to find localhost, and replace it with your websites url. Doing it via find > replace all will be MUCH faster than doing it bit by bit.
4: Back on you cPanel or the like, use phpMyAdmin to import the .sql file you just modified into the new database you created in step 2.
5: Find the wp-config file for your WP install on your server, and change the following fields in that file:
define('DB_NAME', 'new db name');
/** MySQL database username */
define('DB_USER', 'new db user name');
/** MySQL database password */
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'new db password');
Remember when I told you write down the new databases name, user name, and password? Insert those values where appropriate between the ‘ ‘ marks in wp-config and save it.
If there aren’t any other problems, then that should do it!
