Mastering WordPress: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Exporting Your Site

Transferring your WordPress site can be daunting, particularly for newcomers. Whether you’re changing to a different hosting provider, setting up a staging environment for development, or simply looking to create a backup, exporting your site is the essential first step.

Fortunately, exporting your WordPress site is simpler than you might expect. There are numerous tools available that allow you to securely export a WordPress website.

Over the years, we have assisted thousands of users in migrating and exporting their sites. Today, we will guide you through the process of exporting your WordPress site in a clear and concise manner, ensuring you have everything necessary to recreate your online presence.

In this comprehensive guide, we will provide all the information you need to effortlessly export a WordPress site.

Reasons to Export Your WordPress Site

There are several reasons to export a WordPress site. You may be transferring your site to a new domain or hosting service, or you might simply want to back up your blog posts on your computer.

You might also be transitioning from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. If you’re unsure about the differences between the two, take a look at our guide comparing WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

There are many WordPress export tools that allow you to fully export your website files, WordPress database, themes, plugins, and media.

Many leading WordPress hosting providers offer their own tools for exporting WordPress sites, as this is a frequent requirement.

Whether you’re looking to export a WooCommerce store, a membership site, or a basic WordPress blog, here are the top methods available. Click on the quick links to jump directly to a specific approach.

How to Export Your WordPress Site Using the Built-in Export Tool

WordPress includes a built-in export tool that allows you to export your website. To access it, simply navigate toTools » Exportin your WordPress admin dashboard.

Next, select the ‘All Content’ option. This will export all your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, tags, navigation menus, and custom post types.

Note:This method only exports the options from your WordPress database and does not include your plugins or theme files.

Click on the ‘Download Export File’ option. This action will not impact your website; it simply creates a copy of your site.

You will need to save the .xml file to your computer.

To upload this export to a new site, log in to the WordPress admin panel of your new website.

After that, navigate toTools » Importand install the WordPress importer.

Once installed, you will see a new option labeled Run Importer under WordPress.

Simply click the ‘Run Importer’ link.

This will direct you to a page where you can select your exported file.

Click on ‘Upload file and import’ to proceed.

As long as the original website remains online, WordPress can import your media files, including blog post images.

Tip:We also provide guides on how to export navigation menus and users in WordPress.

The main drawback of the default export tool is that it requires users to go through multiple steps.

For instance, you must manually back up your plugin files, theme files, and sometimes media files as well.

This is why leading WordPress hosting providers have developed comprehensive site migration tools. Additionally, there are WordPress backup plugins that include features for exporting and importing your site.

Next, let’s explore these options.

How to Export a WordPress Site Using the Bluehost Site Migrator

This method is applicable only if you are hosting your website with Bluehost.

The simplest way to transfer your WordPress site from your current hosting provider to Bluehost is by utilizing the Bluehost Site Migrator plugin.

Before you start, you need to sign up for Bluehost’s web hosting service. They are currently offering CanadaCreate readers an exclusive deal of 70% off hosting, along with a free domain name and SSL certificate.

For assistance in setting up your Bluehost account, please refer to our detailed instructions on our Bluehost coupon page.

Once you have signed up for hosting, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you. You can access your new site through your hosting dashboard.

Next, you will need to install and activate the Bluehost Site Migrator plugin. For more information, please see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, click the Site Migrator link in your WordPress admin area. Then, press the ‘Check Compatibility’ button.

Bluehost will take a few moments to verify your site’s compatibility.

If your site is compatible, you’ll see the message ‘Looks like we’re compatible!’ Click the ‘Start Transfer’ button on this screen to proceed.

Your website is now being prepared for migration.

Rest assured, your site’s content will remain unchanged during this process.

The export process may take a few minutes to complete.

Once finished, you will see a screen welcoming you to the Bluehost family.

Next, click the ‘Login to Bluehost’ button to access your Bluehost account.

You will receive a notification indicating that the migration is currently in progress.

Logging into your Bluehost account will connect your website to it.

You will receive an email from Bluehost confirming that your transfer has started.

Simply wait for further communication from Bluehost, then follow their instructions to complete your site setup.

Tip:Depending on your website’s size, the migration may take several hours. It’s best to refrain from making any changes to your site until you hear back from them, as this could delay the export process.

If you need to quickly transfer your site, we suggest using alternative methods such as Updraft or the manual FTP process outlined below.

How to Transfer Your WordPress Site Using SiteGround Migrator

The most efficient way to migrate your WordPress site from another hosting provider to SiteGround is by utilizing the SiteGround Migrator plugin.

First, you must create a SiteGround hosting account. For assistance with account creation, refer to the detailed instructions on our SiteGround coupon page.

In your SiteGround dashboard, navigate to theWordPress » Migratorsection.

Next, select your domain from the dropdown menu. If you wish to set up your WordPress site in a subfolder, you can specify this in the Path field.

After selecting your domain, click the Generate button.

Your token will appear on the screen.

Keep this tab open or save the token in a secure location, as you will need it for the next step.

Then, install and activate the SiteGround Migrator plugin on your website. For more information, check our comprehensive guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, click on theSG MigratorAccess the link in your WordPress admin panel. On this page, input your migration token and click the ‘Initiate Transfer’ button.

You also have the option to enter your email address if you would like to receive a notification once the transfer is complete.

If you’re transferring your site to a new domain, SiteGround will display a warning message.

Click ‘Continue’ to proceed with the transfer process.

You will be able to see the transfer progress displayed on the screen.

After the transfer is complete, a message will confirm that the process has been successfully finished. You can then check your site before updating your domain’s nameservers to SiteGround.

How to Export a WordPress Site Using Duplicator

Duplicator is one of the top WordPress backup plugins available. It simplifies the process of exporting and importing your WordPress sites.

First, install and activate the Duplicator plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

Note: There is a free version of Duplicator available for you to start with. However, Duplicator Pro offers unlimited backups, scheduled backups, cloud storage integrations, and additional features.

Once activated, navigate toDuplicator » BackupsAccess the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add New’ button located in the top corner.

Next, enter a name for your backup package. You can utilize dynamic tags to automatically format the name, such as including the date and your website’s name for easy identification.

Then, expand the ‘Storage’ section and select a preferred storage location.

For this tutorial, we will stick with the default storage location. If you wish, you can click the ‘Add Storage’ link to select a new location.

Once you have made your selections, click the ‘Next’ button.

The plugin will begin scanning your website.

After the scan is complete, scroll down and click the ‘Create Backup’ button.

The Duplicator plugin will create a backup package of your website, which may take a few moments.

When the process is finished, click the ‘Download’ button to view options for downloading the package files. Select the ‘Both Files’ option.

You can now save the package file to your computer.

Afterward, you can easily restore this backup on your new WordPress site by following our comprehensive guide on migrating WordPress to a new domain.

How to Export a WordPress Site from WordPress.com

Many of our readers are interested in transitioning from WordPress.com to WordPress.org to access additional features and gain complete control over their website.

If you’re currently using WordPress.com, exporting your site is a straightforward process.

Begin by logging into your WordPress.com account and navigating to the Tools » Export section in your dashboard.

Click the ‘Export all’ button to download your text content, which includes pages, posts, and comments (like survey results).

You can also download all your media files, including images used in your posts.

WordPress will provide a download link for your export.

Simply click on this link to save the exported files to your computer.

You can then upload this file to another WordPress.com site you own, using the Tools » Import option on that site.

Tip: If you’re migrating your site to WordPress.org, you’ll need to create a new website and install the WordPress.org software.

We also offer assistance in moving your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org with our complimentary blog setup service. Follow the instructions on that page, and our helpful team will handle everything for you.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Manually Exporting Your WordPress Site Using SFTP and phpMyAdmin

The last method for exporting your WordPress site is a manual approach, which we recommend only for experienced users. Beginners should consider using one of the simpler methods mentioned earlier.

Start by connecting to your web hosting account via SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol). For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on using FTP to upload files to WordPress.

Next, find the root directory of your website and download it to your local computer. This process may take a while, especially if your WordPress site is large.

This process will export all your website files, including media uploads, plugins, and themes. However, it will not include content stored in your WordPress database, such as posts, pages, comments, and contact form submissions.

To export your WordPress database, log in to your web hosting control panel and locate phpMyAdmin. If you’re using Bluehost, you can find it in the cPanel under the Database section.

Once you’re in phpMyAdmin, click the Export button located at the top of the page.

This will present you with various export methods and formats.

If you wish to export all your database tables, simply click the Go button on the following screen.

This will download a SQL file to your computer.

You can upload this file to a new WordPress installation.

If you want to export your database to an existing WordPress site, select the Custom option and check the box for ‘Add DROP TABLE / TRIGGER statement’.

When the database file is imported, any existing databases with the same name will be deleted and replaced with the new data. You can keep the other settings as default, then click the Go button.

Options for Exporting from a Non-WordPress Site

If you’re migrating your site from a different website builder to WordPress, you cannot use the methods mentioned above.

The methods we discussed are exclusively for migrating from WordPress to WordPress.

However, we do provide a step-by-step guide for other platforms as well:

• How to Migrate from Weebly to WordPress
• How to Migrate from Wix to WordPress
• How to Migrate from Joomla to WordPress
• How to Migrate from Medium to WordPress
• How to Migrate from Tumblr to WordPress
• How to Migrate from HubSpot to WordPress
• How to Migrate from GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress
• How to Migrate from Drupal to WordPress

We trust this guide has equipped you with the knowledge to successfully export your WordPress site. Additionally, check out our curated list of top WordPress plugins suitable for any website, as well as our comparison of the leading email marketing services to enhance your website traffic.

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