Do I need to convert my wordpress.com account to wordpress.org before migrating to BlueHost?

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  sweetandcrazylife · Member · Nov 13, 2014 at 4:13 pm

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  I currently have a wordpress.com account (sweetandcrazylife.wordpress.com). I recently purchased hosting through BlueHost, and want to migrate my blog over there. Do I need to convert my wordpress.com account to wordpress.org before migrating? I also purchased the right to have my own domain through the upgrades on wordpress.com, although I think this step was not necessary.

  Any help & direction as to next steps would be much appreciated!!!

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

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  thatrobyn · Member · Nov 13, 2014 at 9:00 pm

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  Hello there!

  This guide will step you through the process of moving your site to a WordPress.org instance:

  http://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-a-blog/#moving-to-wordpress-org

  As we only support sites hosted here at WordPress.com, all issues with the new site – including the importing of the file – must be taken to the WordPress.org support community:

  http://wordpress.org/support/

  If you’d like assistance moving your WordPress.com site to WordPress.org, we have a service called Guided Transfer that does all the work for you. Check it out to see if it’s right for you:

  http://en.support.wordpress.com/guided-transfer/

  Once you have the WordPress software installed on Bluehost, have exported your content from WordPress.com, and imported it into your WordPress site at Bluehost, you should be all set.

  You can cancel the domain mapping you have here at WordPress.com. That way, you can “disconnect” your custom domain from your WordPress.com site and use it on your self-hosted (WordPress.org) site.

  If I can help along the way, please let me know! Thanks so much.

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  sweetandcrazylife · Member · Nov 17, 2014 at 1:43 am

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  Thank you for your help, Robyn! So just to be clear – I do have to migrate to wordpress.org (from my current wordpress.com account) in order to take the next step of uploading the data to the bluehost.

  The step would be:
  1. Migrate the wordpress.com site to wordpress.org
  2. Install wordpress software on bluehost
  3. Export XML file from wordpress.org
  4. Import XML file on Bluehost

  Can you just confirm I’ve captured the process steps correctly?

  Thank you again for all of your help!

  Sarah

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  thatrobyn · Member · Nov 17, 2014 at 9:32 pm

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  Hey Sarah!

  I’ve edited your steps a bit to clarify the process:

  1. Install WordPress.org software on Bluehost
  2. Export XML file from WordPress.com in your Dashboard here.
  3. Import XML file on WordPress.org/Bluehost
  4. Cancel domain mapping of sweetandcrazylife.com at WordPress.com if you wish to use it for your self-hosted Bluehost site.
  5. Remap your domain to point to your Bluehost site according to their setup specifications.

  I hope this helps shine some more line on the migration! Let me know if you have any other concerns at all. Many thanks!