The Migration Experts
This blog has been launched to address the need for guidance in migrating, duplicating, and backing up Wordpress websites. Below are step by step directions for migrating your Wordpress site.
In addition to providing this and other resources for free, we also offer Wordpress Migration Services. We will save you time, and take the stress out of the migration process for you. Click here to learn more.
Wordpress Migration
Well if you have spent much time with Wordpress, you have invariably come across the need to backup, duplicate, or migrate your Wordpress site. This blog is dedicated to Wordpress development and design, but most importantly how to streamline the task of migrating a Wordpress site.
The following steps can be interchanged depending on your preference. Basically we will be copying the existing site (site A) and then installing Wordpress on the new site (site B). Then we will be uploading site A onto site B.
Copying Site A
Let’s start by Exporting Wordpress:
1. Log into your Wordpress admin panel on site A
2. Under tools, select Export
3. Download Export File
4. This will hold the text of your site such as posts and pages
Video Tutorial – Exporting Wordpress
Next, We will copy the necessary Wordpress files. There are several ways to do this, but for this explanation, we will explain a process that could be used for transfer or backup.
1. Open up a file manager
2. Compress and Download each of the Plugins, Uploads, and Themes directories
3. OR use FTP to access site files and simply download them
Video Tutorial – Downloading Wordpress Files
Thirdly, let’s take export the database.
1. Using PHPMyAdmin, access the underlying Wordpress database for Site A
2. Use the export tool to download a SQL export file
3. Click here for instructions to backup the database without PHPMyAdmin access
Video Tutorial – Exporting MySQL Database
Finally, we have to edit the SQL file
1. Open the SQL file with a text editor
2. Find the line that says:
INSERT INTO `wp_options` VALUES (1, 0, 'siteurl', 'http://www.your-old-url.com'...
3. Replace the old URL (Site A) with the new URL (Site B)
4. Find the line that says:
INSERT INTO `wp_options` VALUES (39, 0, 'home', 'http://www.your-old-url.com'...
5. Replace the old URL (Site A) with the new URL (Site B)
Video Tutorial – Updating MySQL File
Setting Up Site B
First, let’s install Wordpress on the new domain
1. This step varies depending on your host and environment.
2. If you do not have a Simple Scripts tool or other installer, then please view instructions to install Wordpress here
Importing Site A to Site B
First, we will start by importing out Wordpress export file
1. Open the Wordpress admin panel
2. In the Tools section select Import and select the Wordpress file from Site A
3. This will import all of the posts, pages, comments, etc. from the previous
Video Tutorial – Importing Wordpress
Next, let’s upload the Wordpress files
1. Again using an FTP tool or file manager, upload the theme files to the Theme folder.
2. Upload the plugins files to the Plugins folder.
3. Upload the images, graphics, videos, etc. to the Uploads folder.
Video Tutorial – Uploading Wordpress Files
Third, we need to import the SQL file from Site A
1. Access your Site B MySQL database using PHPMyAdmin
2. Select Import
3. Select the SQL file from Site A
Video Tutorial – Importing MySQL Database
Finally, your migration is pretty much complete. Now you have to go through and check several things.
1. Check your image paths to ensure that they point to the Site B directory.
2. Check your links to ensure they are linking to the correct pages.
3. Configure your widgets.
DONE!
This can seem like a complex process at first, but after doing it a few times, you will find that it is pretty simple. If you don’t have the time to do this, or are worried about possibly losing some data or damaging your site, contact us. We offer Wordpress Migration services that will take all of the stress out of it for you.
