Learning How To Move WordPress
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Hi there,
I’m trying to learn how to move a WP site from one host to another. In this post I’m hoping you can confirm or correct my current basic understandings. As a place to start I’m trying to get a general overview of how WP works.
I’ve installed WP in a test site and see there are a collection of folders containing various files. I understand also that most of the content of a site in contained in a mySQL database. Do I understand correctly that the main elements of a WP site are 1) the folders/files and 2) the database?
If yes, can moving a WP site generally be described this way?
1) Copy folders/files from old server to new server.
2) Dump data out of database on old server, import data in to database on new server.I know how to backup the XML file and images from an existing WP site. The problem I’m having is moving this data to a new site. The WP importer seems simple enough in theory, but in practice it is consistently failing.
Thus I’m hoping to understand WP well enough that I can transfer a site in the simplest manner possible, without using the WP importer.
Thanks for confirming or correcting any of the above.
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Yes, you are correct that a site consists of folders of files (mostly software, but wp-content has uploaded files) and a database. The one file that ties them together is the wp-config.php file which has the database credentials. The .htaccess file is usually generic enough to work on any site, but after a move, permalinks do need to be saved to generate the rewrite rules.
The thing about the XML export is that it’s only the content. It is not the options.
So to do a complete job of moving a site, it’s easiest to use a migration plugin, especially if you are changing the domain name in the move. The plugin will do a search/replace for you in all the database tables for the name change.
But if you want to do it manually, you would use phpMyAdmin to export the database to SQL file, carefully make any name changes in the SQL file (options may have string lengths), then import that (in phpMyAdmin) on the new site. Then make sure your database credentials are correct in the wp-config.php and WP should work.Hi Joy, thanks much for your response. If your time permits…
So for the folder/files I can just FTP them from one server to another, with possibly an edit to the .htaccess file. Yes?
but after a move, permalinks do need to be saved to generate the rewrite rules.
I don’t understand this. Is this related to folders and files, or is this a database operation?
So to do a complete job of moving a site, it’s easiest to use a migration plugin, especially if you are changing the domain name in the move. The plugin will do a search/replace for you in all the database tables for the name change.
Yes, this makes sense, but I can’t get it to work. The WP importer consistently fails. I also tried the Auto Upload Images Plug-in which seemed to work well at first, but then it started generating Internal Server Errors so I couldn’t finish the job. The problem with both of them may be that they are trying to move images from one host to another, and time outs may be killing the process.
Thus I’ve wondered if it would be possible to FTP both the XML file and the images to the new host, and then run some script to fill the database. Does anybody do this?
But if you want to do it manually, you would use phpMyAdmin to export the database to SQL file, carefully make any name changes in the SQL file (options may have string lengths), then import that (in phpMyAdmin) on the new site.
Ok, thank you, yes, I probably need to learn this.
The current issue is that I’m at WP.com and they put all the images in their domain (even though I’m a paying customer) so if I were to move I’d have to change the URL of every image in the database. Auto Upload Images Plug-in seems to do this, but it keeps crashing.
To keep things tidy, another subject in next post….
My understanding so far is that if I move a WP site I will have to reinstall all widgets and menus from scratch. Probably other stuff too. Can this possibly be true?
Or is this only true if I am moving from WP.com to self hosting?
Once I’m self hosted are all widgets and menus etc automatically set up on the new site just by moving all folders/files over to the new host?
Thanks much for any thoughts!
You missed my main points.
When you use the XML export (and import), you only are working with content (stuff from the database). It does not contain all the options such as media sizes, widgets, which theme is active, which plugins are active, or any of the options for theme or plugins, or even the files for the images (only the meta data about the image).Use a plugin for export, which will give you everything, including the ability to change the domain name. The plugin on the other end will load it all for you. And you don’t have to do all the manual labor.
Saving permalinks is in the WP admin (Settings > Permalinks). It doesn’t need a change, just click on Save and it will regenerate the rewrite rules it uses for finding your pages and taxonomies.
Hi again Joy,
When you use the XML export (and import), you only are working with content (stuff from the database). It does not contain all the options such as media sizes, widgets, which theme is active, which plugins are active, or any of the options for theme or plugins, or even the files for the images (only the meta data about the image).
I do understand that part, which is why I didn’t reply to your point.
I’m now at the stage of asking whether copying all folders/files over from one host to the next will successfully transport all customizations such as widgets, themes, menus etc.
Use a plugin for export, which will give you everything, including the ability to change the domain name. The plugin on the other end will load it all for you. And you don’t have to do all the manual labor.
Based on your advice I did research migration plugins, and they do seem the solution as you suggest. Regrettably, I’m currently in a Premium account on WP.com and so can’t use any of these tools, as I can’t install plugins. However once I make it to self hosting I am encouraged that any further moving seems like it will be pretty straightforward.
So perhaps I should choose a self hosting company, have them handle the migration out of WP.com, and then once I can install plugins I’ll be able to manage any further moves myself.
Thanks for your assistance!
whether copying all folders/files over from one host to the next will successfully transport all customizations such as widgets, themes, menus etc.
No, all that you mention is in the database, options table.
I thought premium accounts at .com could install plugins. If you can’t, then asking a hosting company to do won’t help much either. (unless you meant .com would supply the data for you)
No, all that you mention is in the database, options table.
Thank you for this correction.
I thought premium accounts at .com could install plugins.
To my understanding, I’d have to upgrade for that. And upgrading would require paying a year in advance, $300.
If you can’t, then asking a hosting company to do won’t help much either.
I have a message in to a leading hosting company regarding transfers, will see what they say.
I can easily download the XML file and the images. That much works great. I can’t install plugins or access the mySQL database with a Premium account. All I’ve really got for transfers is their importer, which seems to suck.
I should add that I’ve actually been very happy with WP.com support, except for this one issue of transfers. They told me repeatedly a transfer would be easy and automated, and that’s just not proving to be the case.
I hope this explains why I’ve been attempting to learn how to do a transfer the manual hard way. It may be my only option.
Thanks again for your input, very helpful at the moment, and appreciated.
They told me repeatedly a transfer would be easy and automated, and that’s just not proving to be the case.
Perhaps they actually can export it for you, so it’s easy. The built-in exports only do content.
Or maybe there is a plugin that can grab options through the REST API of your .com site.Perhaps they actually can export it for you, so it’s easy.
Good idea, it’s worth a try. So the entire mySQL database can be exported in to a single file, right? If I can get that file, I could hand it to new host so that all options would be preserved and reinstalled.
For what it’s worth, I did discuss transfers with them at length and in my innocence stated that the options are just data so there must be some way the entire transfer process could be made simple, easy and fully automated, just like the export process. They never got around to telling me that this was in fact the case, instead telling me I would have to manually reinstall all options if I moved.
The irony is that I never intended to move, I just wanted to learn how. And in the process of learning how, and what they weren’t telling me, now I want to move. Oh well, it’s the real world, I guess it’s not realistic that a host would teach me how to move.
The built-in exports only do content.
Yes, got this part. And thanks to you I now see that the easy simple transfer process that I’ve been searching for does exist, I just need to get in to an account that allows plugins to access it. I do appreciate you teaching me that because I was starting to question whether I even wanted to be using WP at all.
@philbertdog I’ve archived your new blog post in the forums as it’s just a continuation of this topic. I’ve also archived the other topic you posted today as it is a continuation of this one.
Please do not create duplicate topics and please do not blog in these forums. This place is not anyone’s blog though we do have good software for you to do that on your own.
This was my reply to your other topic.
First, a note to the mods. While this thread does involve a WordPress.com account, the whole purpose of the thread is to find a way to move to self hosting.
OK.
I’m hoping to find some simple reliable method of processing the XML file on the destination server so that I can successfully migrate my site to self hosting in an efficient manner.
This link is the best assisted way to move from WordPress.COM to a self-hosted installation of your own.
Please walk through and read that as a start. The points on that page are reliable and work.
@jan Dembowski
First, I have no personal beef with you, I really don’t. I’m just trying to warn you that you are giving out bad advice on WP migration. The tutorial you keep linking to…
Contains inaccurate information. Bogus. Wrong. False. And I can prove it.
If the migration tools built in to WordPress work, why are literally millions of people installing migration plugins, as is very well documented right here on this site? I’ve asked this question over and over on WP.com, and they keep dodging it (while otherwise being consistently helpful), because they know the importer is crap. They know it, they just prefer not to admit it.
If you still don’t believe me, please search Google for this topic and you will have no trouble at all finding others who are having the very same issues. Here’s an example:
https://tjkelly.com/blog/wordpress-import-failed-how-to-fix-it/
Please scan that article and look at the extreme solution this fellow has had to pursue to get WP imports to work. Please scan the comment section and meet the others wrestling with this problem.
Please read the post I just offered you where I patiently ran yet another test of the WP importer and explained in careful detail, step by step, with no hysteria or editorial “blogging”, exactly how the importer failed.
On this particular topic, please educate yourself before you run around the forum lecturing people and squashing threads which you might actually learn something from.
On other topics, I’m sure you know a LOT. But on this topic, you don’t. And you may never learn, if you keep deleting everything you don’t already understand.
Ok, I’m done. You can delete this now too, I know how you enjoy that. 🙂
Hey, make me a mod on this forum, cause as it turns out I kinda like lecturing too! Like, you know, probably way too much. I finally found a place where I fit in! 🙂
First, I have no personal beef with you, I really don’t.
Given your personal digs at me <sarcasm>sure, I believe that.</sarcasm>
Contains inaccurate information. Bogus. Wrong. False. And I can prove it.
No, it really does not. Your earlier blog post here was about WordPress.COM. You literally wrote this.
First, a note to the mods. While this thread does involve a WordPress.com account, the whole purpose of the thread is to find a way to move to self hosting. I have discussed this issue extensively on WP.com without success. Hopefully this will qualify the thread as being on topic. Assuming yes, here’s the question…
Your lengthy blog post topics here were not deleted just archived. While you and other users cannot see them, moderators can.
Just for emphasis this is the key part your wrote: “While this thread does involve a WordPress.com account, the whole purpose of the thread is to find a way to move to self hosting.”
You literally asked about moving from a WordPress.COM account to a self-hosted installation.
That site I linked to was explicitly created to help WordPress.COM users move off of that service and onto a self-hosted installation.
On this particular topic, please educate yourself before you run around the forum lecturing people and squashing threads which you might actually learn something from.
Yes, I read it. Did you? It walks you through the steps to creating a new empty self-hosted WordPress installation. Then it talks about importing from the old to the new.
https://move.wordpress.com/exportimport-content/
The majority of WordPress.COM users are concerned about subscribers and statistics. It walks you through installing Jetpack and how to get that data assosiated with the new installation.
https://move.wordpress.com/move-subscribers/
On other topics, I’m sure you know a LOT. But on this topic, you don’t. And you may never learn, if you keep deleting everything you don’t already understand.
Fortunately I don’t have to prove anything to you and I’m not opining on that.
I’m one of the forum moderators here and you’re just not cooperating even after it was explained to you repeatedly. That’s fine. I’m not deleting this topic but I am closing it as you’ve attempted to justify your behavior here even after it was explained to you. The topic was lost when you went to create multiple duplicate topics.
Try and give these are read about the forums.
https://ww.wp.xz.cn/support/guidelines/
https://ww.wp.xz.cn/support/forum-user-guide/faq/Your account is now flagged for moderation. That means any post, reply or review from you will need to be approved by a moderator before anyone else can see it. Anything generated by you here will go into a pending queue to be reviewed. Any @ ping notifications you try to use will not send anyone anything.
If you post with a problem that needs support and keep it civil then that will be approved.
If you continue to try and blog here, attack anyone or you are not civil then that will be archived and not approved.
Post well and there will be no further issues. Continue your behavior and you risk being banned from this site.
Have a nice day.
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