Are you planning to export your WordPress site to a different host? If you are looking for the best ways to export a WordPress site, you have come to the right place. Exporting a WordPress site could be easier than you think, but only if you use the right methods. So we have come up with this comprehensive WordPress guide to help you understand how to export a WordPress site. In this article, we will discuss some of the best and highly recommended methods to migrate a WordPress site to a new host.
Why Do You need to Export a WordPress Site?
Before we can discuss how to export a WordPress site, let’s first understand why we need to do that, i.e. exporting a WordPress site to a new host. Exporting a WordPress site means you are exporting or migrating your site content, the database, and everything to a new host. Generally, people export their WordPress site to a different hosting provider or a server. They also migrate from a hosted WordPress site (WordPress.com) to a self-hosted one (WordPress.org). We have already discussed the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. So exporting a WordPress site is always useful when you want to migrate your site or create a backup.
WordPress export is a very common use case these days. Users often look for methods to export their WordPress site, be it a business site, an eCommerce store, or a WordPress blog.
How to Export a WordPress Site?
Now let’s discuss how to export a WordPress site to a new host. There are different ways to do that, and we will start with the most recommended one – use the WordPress built-in export tool.
The below method is extremely helpful if you are planning to migrate your WordPress site data to another WordPress site.
Use WordPress Export Tool
WordPress comes with a built-in Export tool using which you can easily export a WordPress site. The WordPress export tool allows you to export all your posts, custom posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, custom fields, and navigation menus. But you cannot export plugins, theme files, and settings of your WordPress site. Follow the steps shown below:
Step 1: First, log into your WordPress site. On the WordPress dashboard, click Tools > Export.
Step 2: Now choose what you want to export. You can either choose all content that will contain all of your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, terms, navigations, and custom posts. Or, you can choose the desired items individually. You can also export media with the selected content.
Step 3: Finally, click the Download Export File button. When you click the button, WordPress will create an XML file that will be saved on your computer.
Note: This process will only create a copy of your WordPress site without affecting anything, i.e. everything remains intact.
After successfully creating an XML file (WordPress export file) of your WordPress site, you need to upload it to a new site. WordPress has an Import tool using you can easily import the XML file to your WordPress site. Follow the steps shown below:
Step 1: First, log into your WordPress site. On the WordPress dashboard, click Tools > Import.
Step 2: Before you can import the WordPress export file, you need to install the WordPress importer. Click Install Now.
Step 3: Once the WordPress importer is installed, click Run Importer. This will take you to the screen where you need to select the WordPress export file.
Step 4: It may take some time to import the WordPress export file successfully to your site.
Switching from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
If you are planning to migrate from a WordPress hosted site to a self-hosted WordPress site, i.e. from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, you must try this method. The self-hosted WordPress offers more features and complete control over the site. And that is why many WordPress users are more interested in switching from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.
Follow the steps shown below to export your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org –
Step 1: First, login to your WordPress.com account. If you have multiple sites, you need to choose the one which you want to migrate.
Step 2: Then go to Tools > Export. To export all your content, click Export All.
Or if you to export only the specific content type, click the arrow next to Export All.
So either select all or specific text content and click the export button to start exporting the WordPress content. This export process may take some time, depending on the data your WordPress site contains. Once your website content has been exported successfully, a message displays on the screen saying – “Your export was successful! A download link has also been sent to your email.”
Click Download, and a ZIP file will be downloaded on your computer. The file will contain all the data that you have exported earlier.
You can also export your media library files (images, videos, audio, and documents) by downloading them. Click the Download button next to the Export media library option.
A TAR file will be downloaded on your computer. The file will contain all your media library files. Once you have successfully downloaded your WordPress site’s data (text content and media files), you can import that to your WordPress.org site. And to do that, you can simply use the Import feature of WordPress.
Must Read
For more useful information, refer to this article – How To Migrate a WordPress Site. This article will explain you how to migrate your WordPress site manually.
Use Website Migration Tool
If you are looking for an easy and direct way to export a WordPress site, you should consider using a WordPress site migration tool. Almost all hosting companies provide WordPress site migration tools. If you are using Bluehost for web hosting, you can use the Bluehost Site Migrator plugin. Prior to use, there is a compatibility check, i.e. you need to check whether your site is compatible or not. If your WordPress site is compatible, you can start transferring your website’s data.
You can also consider using the All-in-One WP Migration plugin. It will help you export your WordPress site’s data that include the database, media files, plugins, and themes with no prior technical knowledge.
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Conclusion
The primary objective of this article is to make you familiar with the methods for migrating a WordPress site to a new host. Hopefully, after reading this article, you are now able to export a WordPress site without requiring any help from anyone. You may also want to learn the most common WordPress mistakes you should avoid.
We always welcome your thoughts. Your comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
