Title: Importing files: same server as WordPress install
Last modified: August 22, 2016

---

# Importing files: same server as WordPress install

 *  Resolved [memorialpoems](https://wordpress.org/support/users/memorialpoems/)
 * (@memorialpoems)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/)
 * Please clarify the distinction between importing files from the desktop computer
   and from the webserver.
 * The User Guide screenshots seem to show files being imported directly from the
   local desktop computer. And the information in the User Guide on “directory to
   import” seems to relate to Windows and Unix-based machines:
 * “Find the absolute path—not a site- or file-relative one—to this directory. On
   a Windows machine, that path will begin with a drive letter (e.g. C:\sites\public_html).
   On a UNIX-based server (including Macs), the path will begin with a slash (e.
   g. /users/username/home/public_html”
 * Does “machine” here mean the webserver, or one’s own computer?
 * Do I upload the files on my desktop to a new directory on the webserver, then
   import them from that new directory into the WordPress installation?
 * Thanks!
 * [https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-html-pages/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-html-pages/)

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Stephanie Leary](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sillybean/)
 * (@sillybean)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5808991)
 * The HTML and image files must be on the same server where WordPress is running.
   Most of the time, that’s a server, in which case you would have to upload all
   the files to a directory there (if they came from some other server).
 * If you’re running WordPress in a local installation (like MAMP or XAMPP) on your
   desktop, then you don’t have to upload anything; you just find the appropriate
   path to the files. I really recommend running the importer on a local installation
   rather than a live site on your web host, because it’s (at the moment) a huge
   memory hog.
 * Make sense?
 *  Thread Starter [memorialpoems](https://wordpress.org/support/users/memorialpoems/)
 * (@memorialpoems)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5808995)
 * Thanks so much for your speedy reply!
 * Although I’m at the outer limits of my web lingo, this does make sense, except
   for the MAMP or XAMPP in “a local installation (like MAMP or XAMPP) on your desktop.”
 * Are you referring to downloading the actual WordPress software to my desktop,
   fooling with the files there, then uploading the files to my web host’s webserver?
 *  Plugin Author [Stephanie Leary](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sillybean/)
 * (@sillybean)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5808996)
 * Yes, exactly. Here’s [a guide to running a local WordPress installation](http://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-install-wordpress-on-your-windows-computer-using-wamp/)
   for testing and development (and memory-hungry importing) purposes.
 *  Thread Starter [memorialpoems](https://wordpress.org/support/users/memorialpoems/)
 * (@memorialpoems)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5808998)
 * Thanks again, and…do you have a link quickly at hand for a similar tutorial for
   a Mac?
 * I’m using a MacBook Pro with Mavericks.
 *  Plugin Author [Stephanie Leary](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sillybean/)
 * (@sillybean)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5808999)
 * [Indeed I do!](http://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-install-wordpress-locally-on-mac-using-mamp/)
 *  Thread Starter [memorialpoems](https://wordpress.org/support/users/memorialpoems/)
 * (@memorialpoems)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5809000)
 * Found it at
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress_Locally_on_Your_Mac_With_MAMP](http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress_Locally_on_Your_Mac_With_MAMP)
 * …with MAMP explained!
 * Thanks so much!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Importing files: same server as WordPress install’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/import-html-pages.svg)
 * [HTML Import 2](https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-html-pages/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/import-html-pages/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-html-pages/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-html-pages/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-html-pages/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/import-html-pages/reviews/)

## Tags

 * [Import](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/import/)
 * [upload](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/upload/)

 * 6 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [memorialpoems](https://wordpress.org/support/users/memorialpoems/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/importing-files-same-server-as-wordpress-install/#post-5809000)
 * Status: resolved