Many website owners express feeling trapped by the limitations of Ghost and are apprehensive about transitioning to WordPress. Their concerns include losing content, damaging their site, or investing excessive time in the migration process.
In response to this challenge, we created a comprehensive plan to assist users in migrating their websites from Ghost to WordPress. The key is to utilize the right tools and adhere to a simple, step-by-step method that guarantees the accurate transfer of all your essential content.
Today, we are sharing this proven migration process, allowing you to avoid spending hours (or even days!) manually transferring content.
Here’s a stress-free guide on how to transition from Ghost to WordPress.
Transitioning from Ghost to WordPress
At CanadaCreate, we continually explore various platforms, and recently we conducted a thorough comparison between Ghost and WordPress, evaluating both platforms on usability, features, pricing, and more.
We observed several similarities between Ghost and WordPress; however, we found Ghost to be significantly limited in its features.
When we mention WordPress, we are referring to self-hosted WordPress.org, not the hosting service WordPress.com. If you’re unclear about the distinction, don’t worry. Our informative guide on WordPress.com versus WordPress.org will clarify everything for you.
Many readers have shared their experiences of starting their online journey with Ghost, only to find its limitations and choose to transition to WordPress. If this resonates with you, you’re in the right spot. This guide will assist you in navigating the switch:
- Step 1: Getting Started with WordPress
- Step 2: Exporting Content from Ghost
- Step 3: Converting Ghost Export File to WordPress Format
- Step 4: Importing Content into WordPress
- Step 5: Pointing Your Domain to WordPress
- Step 6: Configuring Permalinks
- Step 7: Installing Essential WordPress Plugins and Tools
Step 1: Getting Started with WordPress
To launch a WordPress website, you’ll need a domain name and web hosting.
A domain name is the address of your website (like CanadaCreate.com), which users will enter in their browsers to access it. A web hosting account is where all your website files are stored.
While WordPress itself is free, you will need to pay for a domain name and web hosting, which costs $14.99 per year for the domain and $7.99 per month for hosting.
Fortunately, Bluehost, a recommended hosting provider for WordPress, is offering our users a free domain name and more than 70% off on web hosting services.
Important Note:If you already own a domain name for your Ghost website, you can easily transfer it to your WordPress site after the migration. If you don’t have a domain name yet, you can get one for free when you sign up with Bluehost.
Want to retain the custom domain name from your Ghost site? That’s absolutely doable.
You can set up WordPress on a temporary subdomain for the time being. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you on how to link your custom domain to your new WordPress hosting account later in this guide.
After signing up for a hosting account, you can follow our step-by-step instructions to install WordPress.
Once WordPress is installed, you will access the WordPress admin dashboard, which appears as follows:
Step 2: Export Content from Ghost
Ghost makes it simple to export your content from your account.
Log in to your account dashboard and click on the ‘Settings’ icon located at the bottom of the left sidebar.
Next, click on the ‘Labs’ menu to access experimental features in Ghost.
Select the ‘Export’ button located next to the ‘Export your content’ section.
Your browser will download an export file in JSON format. Since WordPress importer tools do not support this format, you will need to convert it to WordPress XML format.
Step 3: Converting the Ghost Export File to WordPress Format
The default Ghost export file is not in a format that WordPress recognizes, and previously, there was no reliable method to convert it safely.
To address this issue, we developed the Ghost to WordPress Importer tool. This free tool allows you to convert your Ghost JSON export file into a WordPress-compatible XML file.
Visit the Ghost to WordPress migration tool website and complete the form. Then, select the Ghost export file you downloaded earlier.
Click on the ‘Generate WP Import File’ button to proceed.
The Ghost to WordPress migration tool will convert your Ghost export file into the WordPress XML format. Once the conversion is complete, you can download the file to your computer.
You are now ready to begin importing content to your WordPress site.
Step 4: Import Content into WordPress
In your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to the Tools » Import section and click on the ‘Install Now’ link under the WordPress importer.
WordPress will install the importer plugin. Once the installation is complete, the link will change to ‘Run Importer.’
Click on the ‘Run Importer’ link to proceed.
On the following screen, click the ‘Upload file’ button to select the WordPress XML file you downloaded earlier.
Click the ‘Upload file and import’ button to continue the process.
WordPress will upload the import file. After this, you will need to assign authors to the content.
You can either import an author from your Ghost site, create a new author, or assign all content to an existing WordPress user.
Make sure to check the box next to ‘Download and import file attachments.’ This option will attempt to retrieve images from your Ghost website and import them into the WordPress media library for future use.
After the importer completes its process, a success message will appear.
Sometimes, you may notice a minor issue, such as a few posts not transferring during the import, or the process timing out.
No need to worry! You can run the importer tool multiple times. It is designed to skip any duplicates and will only retrieve the content that was missed during the initial import.
Step 5: Directing Your Domain to WordPress
Once you have successfully transferred your content from Ghost to WordPress, it’s time to direct your users to your new WordPress site.
If your website was using a Ghost branded sub-domain (like yourwebsite.ghost.io), you cannot redirect that link to your new WordPress site. Instead, we suggest updating your Ghost website with a plain text notification to inform users to visit your site at the new address.
Conversely, if you were using a custom domain like yourdomain.com, you can update its DNS settings to point to your new WordPress hosting provider.
To modify your domain settings, log in to your domain registrar account and locate the option to update the DNS settings.
In the DNS settings section, you need to input the nameserver information provided by your new WordPress hosting company. Typically, it appears as follows:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
For instructions specific to other domain registrars, check out our comprehensive guide on how to easily update DNS nameservers.
After updating the DNS nameserver, your domain will display your WordPress site instead of your previous Ghost site. Please note that it may take a few days for the changes to fully propagate.
Step 6: Configuring Permalinks
The next step is to redirect visitors from each page of your Ghost site to the corresponding post or page on your WordPress site.
Ghost sites typically use the post or page name as their default permalink structure. You can replicate this on your WordPress site by navigating toSettings » Permalinksand selecting ‘Post name’ as your preferred URL structure.
Remember to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your updates.
Note:If your Ghost site was hosted on a subdomain, you won’t be able to set up redirects by merely changing permalinks.
Step 7: Install Essential WordPress Plugins and Tools
Congratulations on successfully transitioning from Ghost to WordPress!
Now it’s time to harness the full potential of WordPress with its incredible plugins and tools designed to enhance your website’s growth. Here are some essential tools to kickstart your journey:
1. WPForms – WPForms is your go-to solution for effortlessly creating any type of form you need, whether it’s contact forms, surveys, or more. It’s the top-rated contact form plugin available. We utilize WPForms across CanadaCreate and all our partner brands – be sure to check out our detailed WPForms review for all the essential insights.
2. All in One SEO – AIOSEO is the most comprehensive SEO plugin for WordPress available today. It’s user-friendly and includes a setup wizard, SEO audit tool, TruSEO score for your posts and pages, and other features designed to boost your traffic. We rely on AIOSEO to optimize every article we publish on CanadaCreate, and it has significantly improved our search engine rankings (for more details, see our AIOSEO review).
3. PushEngageImagine sending instant messages directly to your visitors’ devices, even after they leave your site. PushEngage is the top choice for delivering these push notifications. It’s an effective strategy to re-engage users, increase page views, and convert casual visitors into dedicated followers. We utilize this tool at CanadaCreate and many of our partner brands, and it has proven to be highly effective.
4. MonsterInsightsDo you want to track who visits your website and their actions? MonsterInsights simplifies the process of linking Google Analytics with your WordPress site. It presents clear and concise reports directly in your WordPress dashboard, allowing you to monitor your website’s performance effortlessly. It’s undoubtedly the best Google Analytics plugin we’ve tested, which is why we use it at CanadaCreate (we’ve also created a detailed MonsterInsights review based on our experiences).
5. SeedProdSeedProd is a robust WordPress page builder that empowers you to create stunning landing pages for your site. It also features a theme builder, enabling you to construct an entire WordPress theme without any coding skills.
Looking for more fantastic tools and strategies to enhance your new WordPress website? Explore our comprehensive list of essential WordPress plugins suitable for various blogs and websites.
We trust that this guide has assisted you in successfully migrating from Ghost to WordPress. Don’t forget to check out our post-installation checklist for WordPress and our comprehensive review of WordPress to discover its advantages and disadvantages.
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