Title: Moving WordPress
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Moving WordPress

 *  Resolved [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/)
 * A client has asked me to move her WordPress site to a new host, keeping the same
   domain. I’ve never done this before, so I’m a bit nervous. Correction: I’m a 
   lot nervous.
 * The [Moving WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Moving_WordPress) instructions
   don’t quite add up for me. Firstly they say:
 * > Moving your domain without changing the Home and Site URLs of your WordPress
   > site is very simple, and in most cases can be done by moving the files.
 * I understand I’ll have to edit wp-config.php for the database connection details,
   but that’s OK.
 * Then the instructions say:
 * > If you had any kind of rewrites (permalinks) setup you must disable .htaccess
   > and reconfigure permalinks when it goes live.
 * I’m not sure if this is a comment that applies in all situations, or just in 
   the “test before you switch” situation (I do use pretty permalinks, btw). The
   paragraph is contained in that list item. And what do they mean by “Disable .
   htaccess”? Do I delete it? Will that mess up anything the host has put in there?
   Do I just need to comment out a rule?
 * I don’t really understand the “Try before you switch” option, either. What would
   I change the URL and Address to, since they’re not going to change, according
   to the section heading? And if you look at the instructions for when the URLs
   do change, it’s a heck of a lot more complicated than just temporarily changing
   the site URL and Address.
 * Then the instructions say:
 * > If you are changing to a new server but same domain, all you need to do is 
   > edit wp-config.php with your new database/user information and upload everything
   > as it is to your new server.
 * This is my case, I imagine. I would have thought it would be true of all cases
   in this section since if the URLs are not going to change I would have thought
   the only possible change would be to the server. But maybe I’m missing something.
   So do I ignore the instructions given above this paragraph and just copy the 
   WP files and a db backup to my local box, edit wp-config for the database changes,
   and then upload everything to the new host?
 * Maybe I’m making a fuss over nothing, but I really do have to get this right.
 * Cheers
 * PAE

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

 *  [cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/)
 * (@cjc1867)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840015)
 * I have moved a few WordPress sites before and I normally install a new version
   of WordPress on the new server. By doing it this way ensures that the database
   is set up and configured for that installation.
 * Back up the website folders that contains the files you need like themes,plugins,
   media etc and I then back up the MySql database via PhpMyAdmin. Also back up 
   using export from within WordPress just in case under Tools => Export. Export
   will save all your pages and posts but doesn’t save any images etc.
 * The MySql back up will save all WordPress settings so you shouldn’t have to reconfigure
   the new WordPress site. On the new server, go to phpmyadmin and select the database
   and import your MySql backup you made earlier using phpmyadmin. Before I imported
   the database I made sure there wasn’t any posts, pages, categories set from the
   new installation as it might cause errors and duplication.
 * Copy your folders to the same directory structure on the new server and you should
   be done.
 * I haven’t perfected it yet but anything isn’t right I have just had to fix it
   there and then. I did start off first and created a local copy using WebMatrix
   first so that I could iron out any problems that I might encounter on the way.
 *  [govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
 * (@govpatel)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840037)
 * Doing what cjc1867 suggested is fine make sure you install the same version wordpress
   or update.
 * When importing database in new install on new server you need to drop all tables
   and then import database.
 *  [cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/)
 * (@cjc1867)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840041)
 * Who said ‘suggested’ it’s how I do it and perhaps not perfect but it gets the
   job done.
 * Nice tip, I will certainly drop all tables in future before I import the database
   that way I don’t have to delete pages, posts etc.
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840052)
 * Many thanks for your answers.
 * [@cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/): Could you explain what
   you meant by this:
 * > Before I imported the database I made sure there wasn’t any posts, pages, categories
   > set from the new installation as it might cause errors and duplication.
 * I’m not sure what you mean by having posts set, or pages set. The site I’m trying
   to transfer has loads of posts, pages, categories and stuff.
 * [@govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/): thanks for the tip
   about the versions. I would have missed that.
 * Cheers
 * PAE
 *  [govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
 * (@govpatel)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840056)
 * If you follow [@cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/) post and
   install a fresh wordpress then all you will need to do is
    Replace wp-content
   folder from the old server Export your database from old server Drop all tables
   from new install on your new server Import your database on new server Reset 
   your permalinks
 *  [cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/)
 * (@cjc1867)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840057)
 * I mean the new WordPress, it adds a few sample pages and posts. When I imported
   the backup via phpmyadmin it gave duplicate errors so I found that deleting these
   first didn’t cause any errors.
 * But as [@govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/) said you can
   drop the tables first before importing the backed up one, which was a good tip
   that I will do now in the future. It saves deleting the page and post.
 * The sites I have moved though were already upto date, version wise so again a
   good tip by [@govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/).
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840058)
 * Thanks both. I think I’m getting there. But what’s this about resetting permalinks?
   Will I have to mess with .htaccess for that and if so, what do I have to do?
 * Or do I just go into the settings and set them to what I had before?
 * Cheers
 * PAE
 *  [govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
 * (@govpatel)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840059)
 * > But what’s this about resetting permalinks? Will I have to mess with .htaccess
   > for that and if so, what do I have to do?
 * Since you will have new install your .htaccess file will not have any code so
   all you need to do is click on Settings>>>>Permalinks use the same setting you
   used on old server and save.
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840061)
 * Oh! I was planning on uploading the whole old site, since I have it backed up
   and since I have a database already set up. Changing the wp-config file to conform
   with the database isn’t a problem.
 * Should I not transfer the .htaccess file? Or should I just create an empty one?
 * Or will uploading the backed up .htaccess file automatically set up the permalinks
   correctly?
 * Cheers
 * PAE
 *  [cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/)
 * (@cjc1867)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840062)
 * Have you got any special rules in there? I didn’t have to touch that file and
   I don’t know enough to mess with it. One is created anyway.
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840063)
 * No. I’ve not put anything in there myself. It’ll presumably just contain the 
   rules put there by WP for the purpose of pretty permalinks. In fact it says the
   following:
 *     ```
       # BEGIN WordPress
       <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteBase /
       RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
       RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
       </IfModule>
   
       # END WordPress
       ```
   
 * Just appears to be checking the path and if the path doesn’t point to a file 
   or a directory, redirect to index.php.
 * The host doesn’t appear to have installed one on the new site.
 * I’m not to well up on .htaccess file, either, which is why I’m enquiring.
 * Cheers
 * PAE
 *  [cjc1867](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cjc1867/)
 * (@cjc1867)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840064)
 * Mine is very similar to yours but my installation is in a directory and that’s
   the only difference.
 * .htaccess file is there but it might be hidden from your view.
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840069)
 * OK. I’ll upload everything (including .htaccess) and see what happens. I imagine
   I could delete it if I had to.
 * I should be able to see it btw, because I’ve set FileZilla to display hidden 
   files.
 * Thanks for all your help. I’ll post again after I’ve made the move (probably 
   next week, now) to say how I got on and, hopefully, mark the topic as resolved.
 * Cheers
 * PAE
 *  Thread Starter [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * (@peredur)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840103)
 * Worked a treat. Thanks to both of you.
 * I just:
    - modified wp-config.php for the new database details
    - imported the database from an export (.sql file) stored on my local machine,
      to the new host. I had to do it by pasting the SQL into the SQL box in the
      new host’s version of phpmyadmin as their version of phpmyadmin didn’t provide
      an “Import” option. It worked fine, though
    - FTPed the backup of the wordpress site (including the .htaccess file) from
      my local box to the new host
 * Then I just visited the site and everything was just as it had been – pretty 
   permalinks and all.
 * Thanks again. Brilliant. And a big relief.
 * Cheers
 * PAE

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

The topic ‘Moving WordPress’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 14 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [peredur](https://wordpress.org/support/users/peredur/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/moving-wordpress-26/#post-2840103)
 * Status: resolved

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