Migrating our site to another website.

  • Unknown's avatar
    digitalteamcbstechday · Member ·

    Hi. We would like to move our website and all its content from a free account to another WordPress account that is paid and connected with an external hosting service. How do we go about doing this?

    WP.com: Yes
    Jetpack: No
    Correct account: Yes

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

  • Unknown's avatar
    knowmorewithkashyapsandhya · Member ·


    Migrating content from a free WordPress website to a paid WordPress website connected to an external hosting service involves several steps. Here’s a guide to help you through the process:1. Upgrade to a Paid WordPress.com Plan:

    .1. Upgrade to a Paid WordPress.com Plan:

    • Log in to your free WordPress.com account.
    • In the WordPress.com dashboard, go to “Plans.”
    • Choose a paid plan that suits your needs and upgrade your account.

    2. Export Content from Free WordPress.com Website:

    • In the WordPress.com dashboard, go to “Tools” > “Export.”
    • Select “All Content” to export your posts, pages, media, and other content.
    • Download the export file (an XML file) to your computer.

    3. Set Up a Self-Hosted WordPress Website:

    • Choose a hosting provider and purchase a hosting plan.
    • Install WordPress on your hosting server. Many hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installations.
    • Follow the hosting provider’s instructions to set up your domain and complete the installation.

    4. Import Content to Self-Hosted WordPress:

    • Log in to the dashboard of your self-hosted WordPress website.
    • In the WordPress dashboard, go to “Tools” > “Import.”
    • Choose the WordPress importer and upload the XML file you exported from your free WordPress.com website.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions to import your content.

    5. Update Permalinks and Settings:

    • Go to “Settings” > “Permalinks” and configure your permalink structure.
    • Review and update other settings in the WordPress dashboard to match your preferences.

    6. Configure Domain and DNS Settings (If Applicable):

    • If you were using a custom domain with your free WordPress.com website, update the domain settings for your new hosting environment.
    • Adjust DNS settings if needed, ensuring that your domain points to your new hosting provider.

    7. Reconfigure Widgets, Menus, and Themes:

    • Recreate any custom widgets, menus, and themes on your new self-hosted WordPress website.

    8. Verify Site and Functionality:

    • Go through your site to ensure all content, images, and functionality are working correctly.
    • Test links, forms, and other interactive elements.

    9. Cancel the Free WordPress.com Plan (Optional):

    • If you no longer need the free plan on WordPress.com, you can consider canceling it.

    10. Contact Support (If Needed):

    • If you encounter any issues during the migration process, reach out to the support teams of both WordPress.com and your hosting provider for assistance.

    Ensure you refer to the latest documentation provided by WordPress.com and your hosting provider, as procedures and features may have changed. Always backup your content before making significant changes to avoid data loss.

  • staff-oikake · Staff ·

    Hi @digitalteamcbstechday

    You can export the contents of a free site by using the export tool:

    WP
    Export Your Website’s Content
    in WordPress.com Support
    4 min read
    Using the Export tool, you can move your WordPress.com site’s content to a new home on the internet. This guide will explain the step-by-step process for exporting your site’s content. Before You Get Started Before exporting your content: Make sure your site’s privacy settings are set to Public. This is required to ensure images are transferred to your new website. Clean things up a

    Hope this helps. If you need further assistance with this, don’t hesitate to let us know!

  • staff-oikake · Staff ·

    Hi @knowmorewithkashyapsandhya

    Thanks for your contribution to our forums!

    In the future, please try to keep your replies more succinct and check if the request is already covered in one of our support docs: https://wordpress.com/support/ as it happened in this specific case.

    Please also be sure to double-check your answers for accuracy, including any links and attributions. This is especially important if you’re using AI assistance, which tends to invent links and imply it is staff.

    You can read more about Best Practices & Community Standards here: https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/best-practices-community-standards/?view=all

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