Attempt to import results in a blank page

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  glsmyth · Member · Mar 25, 2026 at 4:11 pm

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  I have exported posts from another wordpress.com website. I would like to import them into chessmeanderings.wordpress.com.

  From the dashboard, I go to Tools, then Import. I click “Run Importer” in the next to last option (under “WordPress”).

  This opens a blank page.

  Is this just not working, or am I doing something wrong?

  Thanks –

  george

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  james3265166 · Member · Mar 26, 2026 at 5:23 pm

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  It’s frustrating when a standard tool like the Importer leads to a dead end, but a blank page on your site usually indicates a temporary “handshake” error or a timeout between your browser and the WordPress.com servers. This “White Screen” often occurs because a browser extension, such as an ad-blocker or a privacy tool, is interfering with the JavaScript required to run the import process. To fix this, try opening your dashboard in an Incognito or Private browser window, which disables extensions and clears the temporary cache, then navigate back to Tools → Import to run the WordPress importer again. If it still fails, check the size of your exported .xml file; if the file is exceptionally large, the server may “choke” and display a blank screen, in which case you should go back to your original site and export your posts in smaller “chunks” by date or category to ensure a smoother transition.

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  glsmyth · Member · Mar 31, 2026 at 2:28 pm

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  Thanks for the answer. I used a different browser and things appeared to work, although they actually didn’t.

  Specifically, I wanted to move the contents of https://ckforclubplayers.wordpress.com/ into https://chessmeanderings.wordpress.com/

  I was able to export the former and import it into the latter. However, I have no idea where it imported the posts. I expected that I would see them within the Posts, but they are not there, despite being told that the import was successful. It did ask me to choose a theme, which I do not understand, as the latter already has a theme, so maybe it thinks that I want to start a new blog? (I want to consolidate two blogs, which is the opposite.)

  If you have any idea as to what is going on, then I would appreciate feedback, as this is getting to be too much for this non-technical person.

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  adeyeban · Member · Mar 31, 2026 at 9:26 pm

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  Hi George,

  This isn’t something you’re doing wrong—it’s usually caused by a temporary importer glitch or a browser/plugin conflict. First, try running the importer in an incognito window or a different browser, and ensure your XML file size is within the allowed limit. If the page still loads blank, it may be a server-side issue on WordPress.com, so I’d recommend retrying later or using the built-in importer via the WP Admin dashboard instead of the simplified view.

  If you’d like, I can handle the import for you and make sure all posts, images, and formatting come through correctly without errors.

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  glsmyth · Member · Apr 1, 2026 at 12:59 am

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  Thanks anyway, I appreciate your help, but I think I’ll just not bother and will do it manually.

  Thanks –

  george