switching from wordpress.com to wordpress.org – how?

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    I have a premium wordpress.com blog. (Purchased in June 2014)

    I just learned that to install the theme I want (theme-fusion avada), I need to have a self-hosting blog on wordpress.org instead.

    How can I transfer my premium blog from wordpress.com to wordpress.org?

    thank you
    Amanda Klang

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

  • Unknown's avatar
    lizthefair · Member ·

    I’ve tagged this thread for staff assistance. If you subscribe to the thread you’ll get an email as soon as they are able to reply.

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Ok thanks!
    (Now just have to figure out how to subscribe to a thread…)

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi again lizthefair,

    Thanks for helping me once already!
    But I don’t see how to subscribe to the staff assistance thread in order to see a response to my question above.

    Can you tell me how to do that?

    thanks again,
    Amanda

  • Unknown's avatar
    lizthefair · Member ·

    No problem. On the right side of your screen you’ll see a link that says subscribe to topic. If you click it you’ll be all set.

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi again Liz,

    Actually, I just see a link that says “unsubscribe from topic”
    I’m already subscribed to this topic.

    But I don’t see a way to subscribe to another one.

    thanks again,
    Amanda

  • Unknown's avatar
    lizthefair · Member ·

    If you are subscribed to this topic you are all set. This is the thread to which staff will respond.

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    ok, thanks so much!

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Provided you are logged in under the same username account that registered the blog and purchased the upgrades, you ought to be able to request a refund from your dashboard > Store > My Upgrades

    WordPress.com provides a 30-day refund on all upgrades except Domain Registrations, Domain Renewals, and Guided Transfers.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/upgrades/#refunds
    Note: It takes from 1 – 2 weeks for the refund to be received.

    To disable autorenew, provided you are logged in under the exact same username account that registered the blog and purchased the upgrades go to > Store > My Upgrades and click the “disable auto-renew” link.

    You will want to retain your domain and Staff will assist with that.

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

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

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

    3. Export your content out of your WordPress.com blog http://en.support.wordpress.com/export/ and import it into the install.

    4. Purchase a site redirect upgrade from wordpress.com
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/site-redirect/ 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/ and http://jetpack.me/support/subscription-migration-tool/

    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.

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi Timethief,

    Thanks for your comprehensive response.

    It has been more than 30 days since I purchased my premium upgrade for my wordpress.com blog.

    (I purchased it about 45 days ago, on June 12 2014)

    How does this change my situation?
    Can I still transfer my domain name?
    (And will it become amandaklang.org?)

    thanks again,
    Amanda Klang

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    I guess it was 41 days ago…

  • druesome · Staff ·

    Hey Amanda,

    I’d be glad to issue you a refund for the Premium upgrade. Since you are keen on still using your domain “amandaklang.com” on your WordPress.org blog, I would keep it and go for a partial refund of $73. That’s $99 for the cost of Premium less $26 for the domain upgrade costs. If that sounds good to you, let me know.

    To go about transferring to a WordPress.org blog, I would refer to this support page:

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

    Once your new web space is setup, that would be the time to point your domain to your new blog by changing its name servers:

    Change a Domain’s Name Servers

    Let me know how you wish to proceed. Thank you!

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi Druesome,

    Thanks very much for your offer of a refund on my premium upgrade.

    I took a couple of days to think about what will be involved in moving my new blog to wordpress.org, and I’ve decided that I DO want to do it.

    And since I also want to keep my domain name, amandaklang.com, the partial refund of $73 sounds just fine.

    I looked over the instructions and I will do the transfer myself.

    Can you please confirm that this will go forward and let me know when I can start setting up my new wordpress.org blog?

    thanks so much,
    Amanda Klang

  • druesome · Staff ·

    Hi Amanda,

    I’ve gone ahead and cancelled the Premium upgrade and issued you the partial refund of $73. Please give the refund a day or two to show up back in your account.

    Your domain upgrades are still there — feel free to change its name servers anytime during your transfer. If you need anything else, let me know. Thanks!

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi again Druesome,

    I’ve got a question about my blog transfer to wordpress.org

    I know I have to pick a web host, and I’m going to go with Blue Host.

    But they are offering me a free domain name. And if that’s the case, why am I still paying $26 to wordpress.com for a domain upgrade?

    Unless I have misunderstood something, it seems like I shouldn’t need to pay the $26 to wordpress.com. I did not ask you this before because I had not yet looked into hiring Blue Host as my web host. And I didn’t realize that they would offer me a free domain name.

    So, could you also refund me the $26 that I am currently paying for a domain upgrade? I do not need to retain any of the content that is currently on my blog.

    thanks very much,
    Amanda Klang

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    If I have misunderstood anything in this process, do let me know.

    thanks,
    Amanda

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi again,

    I’m guessing that I need to keep my domain name from wordpress.com
    And that I can forget the $26 dollar refund.

    So far I’ve hired a web host (Blue Host) and installed WordPress.

    I now have to purchase a theme. (I’ve chosen AVADA).
    And I’ll have to figure out that plugin stuff.

    But I’m wondering about the 60-day wait after establishing a domain name.

    I got mine – amandaklang.com – on June 12 2014.
    Does that mean I have to wait until August 12 to use it with my new self-hosted wordpress.org blog?

    thanks!
    Amanda

  • druesome · Staff ·

    Hey Amanda! Indeed it’s a good idea to keep your domain registered with us for the time being instead of canceling it, as canceling a domain may bring about headaches in getting it back.

    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/cancel-domain/

    The good news is, while your domain is within the 60-day hold period, you may use it on your new self-hosted blog by just changing its nameservers.

    Change a Domain’s Name Servers

    After the 60 days, please feel free to transfer the domain to the registrar of your choice.

    Transfer a Domain to Another Registrar

    If you need help in pointing your name servers to Bluehost or had any other questions, let me know!

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    Hi Druesome,

    Thanks again for your response.

    I feel fine, now, with keeping my domain name registered with wordpress.com.

    I will transfer it to my new web host Bluehost in a few days, when the 60-day post-registration period has ended.

    Meanwhile, I have just pointed my name servers to Bluehost. (With up to a 72-hour wait time.)

    Here’s my question:

    Once the 72-hour wait time is up and my name servers are pointed to Bluehost, can I install my new non-Wordpress theme (already purchased) onto my existing domain name (meaning, onto my blog)?

    Or do I have to wait until my domain name is registered with Bluehost – 13 days from now?

    thanks very much,
    Amanda Klang

  • Unknown's avatar
    amandaklang · Member ·

    The reason I ask is that the theme I’ve chosen is not useable with a wordpress.com blog.

    Which is one reason I decided to move my blog over to wordpress.org.

    thanks again!

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