Moving a free wordpress.com blog to a new site which is self-hosted

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  rosegraceshine · Member · Dec 31, 2014 at 5:17 pm

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  How can I move my wordpress.com blog to a self-hosted site? I have a domain, but I have not yet bought hosting as I wanted to wait until I am ready to transfer. I just have no idea how. I am not very technologically minded and I have no idea how to even start?!

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

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  timethief · Member · Dec 31, 2014 at 5:22 pm

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  You can hire a web host and move your content into a WordPress.ORG install. http://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-a-blog/#moving-to-wordpress-org

  Here’s a summary of the steps you need to take to move your content.

  WordPress.com and WordPress.org are completely separate.
  http://support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

  1. Hire a web host http://wordpress.org/hosting/ and purchase a domain.

  2. Set up a WordPress.org install and equip it with a theme and plugins.
  http://wordpress.org/themes/
  http://wordpress.org/plugins/

  3. To move your content you need to create an XML export file of your content. It will not include the theme and widgets as they cannot be exported. Export your content out of your WordPress.com blog http://en.support.wordpress.com/export/ and import it into the install.

  4. WordPress.com is the top level domain here and all blogs hosted by WordPress.com are on .wordpress.com sub-domains.

  (a) Purchase a site redirect upgrade from wordpress.com
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/site-redirect/

  (b) Or if you have domain mapping then see here http://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/move-domain/#change-name-servers-to-point-the-domain-outside-of-wordpress-com and here http://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/move-domain/

  5. Transfer subscribers. See http://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-a-blog/moving-your-subscribers/

  6. Set your wordpress.com blog visibility to private. To change blog visibility to private go to > Settings > Reading scroll to Blog Visibility and choose option 3 . See the guide here http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/

  Alternatively you can purchase a Guided Transfer and Staff will do the move and set up for you http://en.support.wordpress.com/guided-transfer/

  WordPress.com and WordPress.org have different log-ins and run different versions of themes with same names. If you don’t have a username account at WordPress.ORG click http://wordpress.org/support/ and register one on the top right hand corner of the page that opens, so you can post to the support forums there and receive advice from WordPress.ORG bloggers.

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  rosegraceshine · Member · Dec 31, 2014 at 5:58 pm

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  Hello,

  Thanks so much for this! Some parts of it are still too technical for me however. I’ll re read it and if I still have no joy I may have to try and employ someone to do it for me!

  Thanks again,

  Rose

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  timethief · Member · Dec 31, 2014 at 6:27 pm

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  You’re welcome and best wishes.