Title: Import post thumbnails
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# Import post thumbnails

 *  [billseymour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billseymour/)
 * (@billseymour)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/)
 * I have searched both the Forum and Google, and I have not found an answer to 
   this question:
 * How can I export posts WITH their thumbnails (featured images) from one WP installation,
   and then import the posts WITH their thumbnails into a new WP installation.
 * I can successfully use Tools>Export/Import to export/import posts, comments, 
   categories, tags. But nowhere do I see how to handle the export/import of the
   thumbnails (featured images).
 * Is it actually necessary to separately upload all of the thumbnails to the new
   WP installation, and then individually re-connect them to their posts via post-
   by-post, edit>add-featured-image?
 * I wonder how folks who must migrate a large WP blog from one host to another 
   handle this problem. Thanks for any thoughts. –Bill

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  Thread Starter [billseymour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billseymour/)
 * (@billseymour)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748363)
 * Sorry- completely forgot to add:
 * I am trying to export from a Localhost (XAMPP) development WP site, to a WP installed
   on one of my domains on the net.
 * Sorry for the omission. Thanks. –Bill
 *  Thread Starter [billseymour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billseymour/)
 * (@billseymour)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748401)
 * I believe I have answered my own question (isn’t that just the way it goes?)
 * I now understand, and have tested successfully, the following:
    – Localhost: 
   Tools>Export everything into an XML file – Edit the XML file, Search/Replacing
   the Localhost part of the attachment_URL with my real site’s URL – Upload (FTP)
   the images/folders from Localhost wp-contents/uploads to the site’s wp-contents/
   uploads – In site’s WP admin, Tools>Import of the modified XML file (checking
   box to include attachments)
 * I now have the thumbnails/featured_images, properly appearing with their posts/
   pages.
 * Anyway, I now have much more confidence about putting in development time on 
   a Localhost WP site, knowing that I can get the darned thing uploaded to it’s
   ultimate destination.
    –Bill
 *  [MarkSherwood](https://wordpress.org/support/users/marksherwood/)
 * (@marksherwood)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748404)
 * Bill can you answer my question please? Its very similar to yours, and you may
   be able to help. Heres a link to my thread –
 * [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-224?replies=1](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-224?replies=1)
 *  [Papawaya](https://wordpress.org/support/users/papawaya/)
 * (@papawaya)
 * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748819)
 * [@billseymour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billseymour/) – Thanks for
   your steps ..it all worked well for me and I noticed that the XML wp_attachments
   data also included all the extra image sizes that I had added to the site functions.
   php file so that when the import ran all those sizes were automaticaaly created
   too , which was nice and saved an extra job that I thought I would have to resolve.
   That makes the import slower to run but it ticked through ok
 *  [juliensechaud](https://wordpress.org/support/users/juliensechaud/)
 * (@juliensechaud)
 * [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748821)
 * Thank you so much man
    it works just perfect cheers !!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Import post thumbnails’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [featured image](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/featured-image/)
 * [Import](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/import/)
 * [posts](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/posts/)
 * [thumbnail](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/thumbnail/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [juliensechaud](https://wordpress.org/support/users/juliensechaud/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/import-post-thumbnails/#post-1748821)
 * Status: not resolved

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