WordPress Importer not working

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  sekiko · Member · May 19, 2026 at 4:56 am

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  WordPress Importer not working – file upload has no response and legacy importer stuck on “Processing…”

  Hello,

  I am having trouble importing a WordPress export XML file to my site (sekiko.wordpress.com) and would appreciate any help.

  Here is a summary of what happened:

  1. My site was previously suspended by Automattic Trust & Safety due to affiliate links that were unintentionally included when I imported a backup of my old site. The suspension has since been resolved and my blog was emptied for a fresh start.
  2. I then tried to import a clean XML export file (with all affiliate links removed) using the new importer at Tools > Import > WordPress. However, clicking “Click to upload a file” had no response whatsoever. I tried both dragging and dropping the file and clicking the upload button, and also tested with both Chrome and Safari on Mac, but nothing worked.
  3. I also tried compressing the XML file into a ZIP and uploading that, but again there was no response.
  4. As a workaround, I used the legacy importer at:
     https://sekiko.wordpress.com/wp-admin/admin.php?import=wordpress

  The file uploaded successfully and the screen showed “Processing…” with a note saying a confirmation email would be sent upon completion. However, after waiting over 24 hours, the import was still showing as “Processing…” and no confirmation email was received.

  5. I reset my site and tried the entire process again, but experienced exactly the same results.

  Has anyone else experienced this issue? Is there anything I can do to get the import working?

  Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

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

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  staartmees · Member · May 19, 2026 at 6:14 am

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  Just wait untill a Staff member is online; they can see what went wrong

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  guduvhenio · Member · May 19, 2026 at 9:58 am

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  While you wait

  Since both the new importer and the legacy importer are behaving unexpectedly, this may be an issue on the WordPress.com side rather than with your XML file itself, especially because:

  • The upload button in the new importer is completely unresponsive across multiple browsers.
  • The legacy importer accepts the file but remains stuck on “Processing…” for over 24 hours with no confirmation email.
  • You already tested after resetting the site and using a cleaned XML export.

  A few things you can still try:

  1. Make sure the XML export file is not excessively large. If possible, try splitting the export into smaller files and import them one at a time.
  2. Confirm the XML file is a valid WordPress WXR export and not corrupted.
  3. Try importing a very small test XML file with only 1–2 posts/pages to see whether the importer completes successfully.
  4. Disable any browser extensions/content blockers temporarily during upload attempts.
  5. If possible, test from another network/device to rule out local browser or connection issues.

  However, based on your description, this likely needs staff review because the importer queue or upload handler may be stuck for your site specifically following the Trust & Safety reset.

  Since the legacy importer already accepted the file but never completed processing, staff may need to manually inspect the import job on the backend.

  Hopefully a staff member can check whether the import process is stalled for sekiko.wordpress.com.

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  sekiko · Member · May 21, 2026 at 12:32 am

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  Thank you for the suggestions. I have an ongoing support ticket with WordPress.com staff, so I will wait for their response before trying anything further. I will report back once the issue is resolved.

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  sekiko · Member · May 25, 2026 at 2:42 am

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  Update: Issue resolved!

  The WordPress.com support team got back to me and confirmed that there was a technical restriction left on my site from the earlier Trust & Safety suspension, which was blocking all imports from going through. This is why both the new importer and the legacy importer weren’t working.

  They removed the restriction, and I was then able to import my XML file successfully using the legacy importer at:
  https://sekiko.wordpress.com/wp-admin/admin.php?import=wordpress

  All my posts and pages are now showing up correctly.

  For anyone who experiences a similar issue after a Trust & Safety suspension and site reset, it may be worth contacting support directly to check whether any technical restrictions are still in place on your account.

  Thank you to everyone who responded and offered suggestions — it was very helpful!