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Most WordPress imports fail for a specific, diagnosable reason: the WXR file exceeds an upload limit, PHP runs out of memory, the request times out, the XML is malformed, attachments cannot be fetched, or an earlier attempt already imported part of the content. Identify the exact error before changing settings. Back up the destination, preserve the original export, and inspect the site after every failed run so a retry does not create duplicate posts, users, terms, or media.
Start with a safe diagnosis
Do these checks before raising limits or clicking Import again:
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- Record the exact message. “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive,” “Allowed memory size exhausted,” “Maximum execution time exceeded,” a gateway timeout, and “There was an error when reading this WXR file” point to different remedies.
- Confirm the file type. WordPress’s native export is WXR, an XML format. Keep the original file unchanged and work from a copy when testing repairs.
- Check that the file is complete and readable. An interrupted download, truncated transfer, or damaged archive can look like a server-limit problem but will continue to fail after limits are raised.
- Inspect the destination before retrying. Review posts, pages, users, taxonomies, and Media Library items. The WordPress Administration Handbook warns: “When you resolve the error and try again, you may create duplicate data.”
Match the message to the remedy
| Error or symptom | Most likely cause | First action | Access usually required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upload exceeds the permitted size | upload_max_filesize or post_max_size is too low |
Compare both values; make post_max_size larger than upload_max_filesize, or split the export |
PHP/server configuration or hosting support |
| Allowed memory size exhausted | PHP cannot allocate enough memory while parsing or inserting the WXR | Raise PHP memory_limit where permitted, or divide the XML into smaller files |
PHP configuration, hosting support, or a smaller import job |
| Maximum execution time exceeded | The browser request outlasts PHP’s execution limit | Raise the limit if allowed, split the job, or run it with WP-CLI | PHP/server configuration or SSH for WP-CLI |
| Gateway, proxy, or browser timeout | A web server or proxy closes a long-running admin request | Use WP-CLI or smaller batches; changing only PHP may not change the proxy timeout | SSH or hosting support |
| There was an error when reading this WXR file | Malformed, incomplete, or invalid XML/WXR | Regenerate the export and validate the replacement before importing | Access to the source site or an XML validation tool |
| Posts import but images do not | Attachment fetching is disabled, source URLs are unreachable, or download limits block the requests | Enable attachment handling, test source URLs, and check server limits | WordPress admin, server access, or source-site access |
| The run finishes but content is missing or duplicated | A partial import completed before the failure, or a retry reinserted existing records | Inventory the destination before any further run and choose a cleanup or fresh-destination strategy | WordPress admin and, for large cleanups, database/hosting support |
Fix an upload-size error
Two PHP settings control the size of a browser upload. upload_max_filesize limits the individual file; post_max_size limits the entire HTTP POST request. The WordPress.org FAQ states that post_max_size must be larger than upload_max_filesize. If the file is larger than either ceiling, the importer may reject it before WordPress can process any XML.
Check the effective values
Look at the values active for the web server running WordPress, not just a local command-line PHP installation. A hosting panel, a permitted php.ini, or an equivalent PHP configuration interface may expose them. Managed hosts may prevent customer changes; in that case, ask support which limits apply to the site and whether they can raise them for the migration.
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Understand the published example
A WordPress.org FAQ published in 2018 shows these illustrative settings: memory_limit = 300M, post_max_size = 200M, upload_max_filesize = 100M, and max_execution_time = 600. They are examples, not universal recommendations or a guarantee that a particular import will complete. The relative relationship between the two upload settings matters more than copying those numbers.
When you cannot raise the limit
Do not repeatedly submit a file that the server rejects. Export or divide the content into smaller WXR files, then import each piece separately. Preserve the original export and label each part so you can track what has already been processed. A smaller file reduces upload size, memory demand, and the length of each browser request, but it does not repair malformed XML.
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Fix “Allowed memory size exhausted”
The WordPress Importer README explains that a very large export can exceed the host’s configured PHP memory limit. Parsing XML, creating posts, resolving authors and taxonomies, and processing attachments can all consume memory during one request.
Raise memory only where the host permits it
Change the effective PHP memory_limit through the site’s permitted php.ini, hosting control panel, or a host-supported setting. Confirm the new value in the same PHP environment used by the WordPress web process. A value changed for command-line PHP may not affect the dashboard importer.
Use smaller jobs when configuration is locked
If the host will not increase memory, split the exported XML into several valid WXR files and run them one at a time. The importer README specifically recommends breaking a very large export into smaller pieces when the host’s PHP memory limit cannot accommodate it. Keep each piece well formed: arbitrary byte-level slicing can remove XML structure and create a parser error.
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Reduce expensive work
Attachments and image processing increase the work performed during an import. If the destination already has the media, or if you can restore media separately, omit attachment processing for that run. With WP-CLI, the installed import command documents skip options for attachment handling and for image_resize; verify the exact syntax with wp help import before running it.
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Fix execution-limit and gateway timeouts
A browser import is one long HTTP request. PHP may stop it at max_execution_time, while a reverse proxy, web server, or hosting gateway may impose a separate timeout. A blank page or gateway error does not prove that no data was written; the importer may have inserted records before the connection closed.
Increase the limit when possible
If you control the PHP configuration, increase the execution limit for the migration and confirm the value is active for the web request. The 2018 WordPress.org FAQ’s example uses max_execution_time = 600; treat that as an illustration, not a required setting. If a proxy has a shorter timeout, changing PHP alone will not solve the problem.
Split the import or move it to the command line
Smaller WXR files shorten each request. For a large export, a slow attachment workload, or a site behind strict browser or proxy limits, use WP-CLI over SSH:
wp import /path/to/export.xmlThe official command is wp import <file>. Its documented options include attachment handling and image_resize, which can skip time-consuming thumbnail generation when that trade-off is acceptable. For example, an installation may support:
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wp import /path/to/export.xml --skip=image_resizeUse wp help import on the destination to confirm options and syntax for the installed WP-CLI/importer versions. Skipping image resizing changes the result: thumbnails that would normally be generated during import will not be produced by that run.
Fix malformed or unreadable WXR XML
The importer source identifies malformed XML as a parser failure and displays “There was an error when reading this WXR file.” Raising memory or execution limits cannot repair missing closing tags, truncated content, invalid characters, or a file that is not actually a complete WXR export.
Regenerate first
The safest repair is to create a fresh export from the source WordPress site, download it again, and compare the file size with the source copy. Preserve the failed file for diagnosis rather than editing it in place. If the source export repeatedly produces invalid XML, investigate the source site’s export process or ask the site host for help.
Validate before importing
Open the replacement in an XML-aware editor or validator and confirm that it is a complete WordPress WXR document. Validation should happen before changing server settings or attempting another import. A file can be valid XML yet still contain content the importer cannot process; in that case, regenerate a narrower export and test that smaller file.
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Splitting is appropriate for a large, valid export, but cutting the file at an arbitrary character can place an <item> or CDATA block in two pieces. Each part must retain the XML structure required by the importer. If you cannot produce valid parts confidently, create several smaller exports from the source site instead.
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Recover missing images and attachments
WordPress can import post text while failing to download the referenced media. Attachment handling must be enabled, and the importer must be able to reach each source URL. A source site that requires authentication, blocks automated requests, has moved files, or responds too slowly can leave posts intact but media absent.
Check the three points of failure
- Importer setting: confirm that fetching attachments is enabled for the run. WP-CLI exposes attachment-related import options; check
wp help importfor the installed command. - Source reachability: test representative image URLs from the destination server’s network, not only from your own browser. A URL that opens for you may still be blocked for server-side requests.
- Destination limits: attachment downloads can hit PHP memory, execution, request-size, disk-space, or server-security limits. Review the host’s logs and ask support which restriction was triggered.
Choose whether to retry media
If posts and terms are already present, do not blindly rerun the whole WXR. First determine whether the importer can retry attachments without reinserting content, or whether a separate media migration is safer. When a clean retry is impossible, work on a backup or fresh destination so duplicate records do not compound the problem.
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Import failures are not transactional: the request can stop after users, terms, posts, or some attachments have been written. The dashboard’s final error therefore describes the stopping point, not necessarily the amount of data already stored.
Inventory the destination
Before another attempt, record counts and examples for:
- posts and pages, including their titles, dates, authors, and slugs;
- users and author accounts;
- categories, tags, custom taxonomies, and term relationships;
- Media Library items and their file URLs;
- comments or other content included in the export.
Compare that inventory with the source export. Keep a list of which WXR part, date range, or content type was attempted and whether the process reached completion.
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Pick a recovery path
- Fresh destination: for a migration that has barely started, restoring the backup or resetting a disposable destination can be safer than removing uncertain partial data.
- Targeted cleanup: if the destination contains other legitimate content, identify only the records created by the failed run before deleting anything. Database-level cleanup should be handled by someone who can restore the backup.
- Resume with a narrower export: when the existing records are correct, export only the remaining content and avoid re-importing completed items.
Never assume that a second run will detect every existing record. The Administration Handbook’s duplicate-data warning is why inspection belongs between every attempt.
Browser importer or WP-CLI?
The browser importer is convenient for a small WXR and requires only WordPress administration access. WP-CLI is usually the better fit when a job is large, attachment-heavy, or affected by browser and proxy timeouts, provided you have SSH or equivalent command-line access.
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|---|---|---|
| Access | Administrator account and a browser | SSH or another shell with WordPress and WP-CLI available |
| Best data volume | Small exports that finish within web limits | Large exports or multiple batches |
| Timeout exposure | PHP, browser, web-server, and proxy request limits | No browser request; still subject to server resources and shell/session practices |
| Attachment workload | Runs in the same long web request | Can use documented attachment and image_resize skip options where appropriate |
| Visibility during failure | May end with a generic browser or gateway message | Prints command-line output that is easier to log and review |
| Duplicate risk | Partial writes remain if the request stops | Partial writes also remain; inspect the destination before rerunning |
WP-CLI does not make malformed XML valid or remove the need for backups. It changes how the job is executed, so parser, source-URL, memory, disk, and duplicate-data problems still require their own fixes.
A safe procedure for splitting and retrying
- Preserve the original. Make a working copy and record its checksum or file size so later parts are not confused with the source export.
- Create valid smaller exports or WXR parts. Prefer separate exports from the source site. If an XML splitter is used, require that every output file remains a complete, readable WXR document.
- Test one small part. Use a backup or staging destination first. Confirm posts, authors, taxonomies, and media behavior before processing the remaining parts.
- Record completion. Maintain a simple log with the part name, start and finish time, command or admin action, and any error text.
- Inspect after each run. Check the destination inventory before starting the next part. Stop if duplicates, missing authors, or unexpected media behavior appear.
- Change one variable at a time. If the first part fails, do not simultaneously alter PHP memory, upload size, execution time, and attachment settings; otherwise you will not know which change solved or caused the result.
Prevent the next import failure
- Keep a complete source export and a destination backup until the migration has been verified.
- Check effective PHP values before beginning, including
upload_max_filesize,post_max_size,memory_limit, andmax_execution_time. - Use a smaller test export to verify authors, taxonomies, content, and attachment behavior.
- Plan a command-line run for large or attachment-heavy jobs instead of discovering browser limits halfway through.
- Confirm that source media URLs will remain reachable for the entire migration window.
- Keep the exact error text and destination inventory for every attempt; those records let hosting support distinguish a limit problem from malformed data or a partial import.
When to contact hosting support
Ask the host for help when you cannot change PHP settings, need the effective values for the web process, receive gateway timeouts, or suspect outbound requests, disk space, or security rules are blocking attachments. Provide the exact error, WXR file size, approximate content volume, whether the run was in the browser or WP-CLI, and what appeared in the destination afterward. This gives support enough context to adjust the permitted limit or recommend smaller batches without asking you to repeat an unsafe full import.
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