Transfering complete redesign from local to WordPress hosted site

  • Unknown's avatar
    goldenrulephotographer · Member ·

    I am planning to completely redesign a WordPress hosted site. New theme, new pages, old content. I have imported the content into a local version of WordPress. When I did so the existing theme did not transfer. Therefore, I assume that when I export/import it back to WordPress my theme and new pages will not go with the content.

    Before I do all this work I want to have confidence that I will be able to update the live site with the new site with minimal disruption to the live site. I also don’t want to have to redo all the work I will be doing locally.

    What is the best way to accomplish this?

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

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Woah! You need go be aware of what follows because you cannot import a custom theme into a wordpress.COM hosted blog.

    WordPress.com and WordPress.org are separate and different. You are confusing wordpress.com hosted blogs and wordpress.org installs on paid hosting.

    The only themes we can use here at wordpress.COM on wordpress.COM hosted blogs are found at https://wordpress.com/themes/

    You cannot install any custom theme or any third party theme into any wordpress.COM hosted blog and there is no upgrade that changes that. I believe you are confusing WordPress.ORG software with WordPress.COM hosted blogs.

    There is no FTP access and no blogger installed plugin capability on any free hosted WordPress.COM blogs and there is no upgrade you can purchase here that changes that reality.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/ftp-access/
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/plugins/

    The only themes we can use on WordPress.com hosted blogs are licensed and adapted to run on our multiuser software the themes are found here http://wordpress.com/themes/ and in your dashboard at > Appearance > Themes
    See: http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/

    WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG are completely separate and have different username accounts, logins, features, run different versions of some themes with the same names, and have separate support documentation and separate support forums. Read the differences here http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

    If you want to hire a web host go to http://wordpress.org/hosting first and then set up your own WordPress.ORG install.

    If you don’t have a username account at WordPress.ORG account, then click http://wordpress.org/support/ and register one on the top right hand corner of the page that opens, https://wordpress.org/support/register.php so you can post to the support forums there.
    Resetting your WordPress.ORG password http://codex.wordpress.org/Resetting_Your_Password
    WordPress.org support docs are at https://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Bottom line:
    There is no FTP access to free hosted WordPress.com blogs for security reasons and we cannot:
    upload any third party themes,
    create child themes,
    create our own themes,
    edit templates,
    create own own layouts,
    or use stylesheets from other themes.

    And, there is no upgrade you can purchase here that changes that reality.

  • Unknown's avatar
    goldenrulephotographer · Member ·

    you cannot import a custom theme into a wordpress.COM hosted blog

    Good Lord! Thanks very much for the heads up!

    I’ve been asking questions about this for week over at wordpress.org. Someone pointed out that the sites weren’t related but no one told me that what I was trying to do could not be done.

    And yes, I did make it very clear in my posts that it was a WordPress hosted site that I was redesigning. They told me that BackUp Buddy would not work for this because you couldn’t FTP and you couldn’t transfer the database. But no one told me these other limitations.

    I guess I will have to talk to the site owner and ask if he would consider a paid hosting site.

    How much disruption to the live site would that migration entail?

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Here’s what’s involved in moving from WordPress.COM to a self hosted WordPress.ORG site https://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-to-a-self-hosted-wordpress-site/ As the content is in an XML export file it’s copies and not originals that are moved. When the move is complete make the .wordpress.COM site 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

  • Unknown's avatar
    goldenrulephotographer · Member ·

    That guide if for WordPress.com to paid hosted.

    My situation is a bit different.

    I have done WordPress.com to local. Now I have to redesign. When I am done I will reimport any new live content to my local version.

    Then I need to go from local to paid hosted.

    Will Backup Buddy work for that? Is there a better way?

    Will I then be able to make the paid hosted site Private while I test before I turn it on and make the WordPress.com site private?

    And will I still be able to get to the WordPress.com site once it is private?

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