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You do not need to export Tumblr before starting. The normal route is WordPress’s built-in Tumblr importer: open Tools → Import, install and run the Tumblr importer, then authorize access to your blog. It brings Tumblr posts and media through the Tumblr API. A separate Tumblr ZIP export is worth creating first as a recovery archive, but it is not the usual input for the WordPress importer.
Expect a content migration rather than a visual clone. Your posts and media can move, while the Tumblr theme, site design, widgets, navigation, and WordPress plugins must be selected or rebuilt on the new site.
What you need before importing
Prepare the destination and the source before you connect anything. The importer requires an active WordPress.com site or a self-hosted WordPress installation, plus an administrator account that can install import tools.
- A working WordPress destination: Confirm that the site loads, has enough storage for the incoming media, and that you can reach the administration dashboard.
- Administrator access: The official importer is managed from
Tools → Import. A user who cannot install plugins or import content may not see all required controls. - Access to the Tumblr account: You must be able to authorize the blog. For some self-hosted installations, WordPress asks for a Tumblr OAuth Consumer Key and Secret Key; WordPress.com presents an approval handoff instead.
- A backup decision: If the Tumblr blog is important, create and download its ZIP export before changing the source. Tumblr keeps a completed export for only three days and limits each blog to four exports per month, so download it promptly.
- A review window: Reserve time to check links, dates, formatting, authors, embeds, and media after the importer finishes. Do not delete or radically change the Tumblr blog until those checks are complete.
WordPress’s documentation describes the Tumblr option as importing posts and media through Tumblr’s API. Read the current Tools Import screen documentation and the WordPress importing guide if the labels in your dashboard differ.
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Choose the right migration route
There are two useful, but different, operations. The API importer is the route for creating WordPress posts and media. Tumblr’s ZIP export is an archive of the blog’s content and is valuable for recovery or reference; it is not a substitute for the WordPress importer’s connection to Tumblr.
| Route | Best use | Authentication | Content scope documented by the service | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress Tumblr importer | Populate WordPress with Tumblr posts and media | Tumblr OAuth keys on some self-hosted sites; approval handoff on WordPress.com | Posts and media obtained through the Tumblr API | Does not transfer the Tumblr design, theme, or WordPress plugins |
| Tumblr ZIP export | Keep an independent archive and recovery copy | Tumblr web account settings | HTML post files, media, a comments CSV, and HTML representations of messages and posts; the archive can include drafts, private, flagged, reblogged, and other hidden posts | Liked posts are excluded; the download is time-limited and must be handled separately from the WordPress import |
If your immediate goal is a working WordPress blog, start with the importer. If you need a safety copy or want to preserve material outside the importer’s documented scope, make the ZIP as well.
Import Tumblr into self-hosted WordPress
The following sequence follows the official WordPress importer workflow. Menu wording can vary slightly by WordPress version or hosting configuration, but the importer remains under the Import tools.
- Sign in as an administrator. Open your WordPress dashboard and select
Tools → Import. - Locate Tumblr. If Tumblr appears in the list, choose Install Now when the importer is not installed. When installation completes, select Run Importer.
- Start the Tumblr connection. The importer explains that Tumblr needs an application connection. Follow the link or instructions it provides to create a Tumblr application, then return to the importer.
- Enter the OAuth credentials. Copy the Tumblr application’s OAuth Consumer Key and Secret Key into the corresponding WordPress fields. Treat both values as credentials: do not publish them in a post, screenshot, support forum, or public repository.
- Connect to Tumblr. Select Connect to Tumblr. Complete Tumblr’s authorization screen with the account that owns the blog you are moving and approve the requested access.
- Select the blog and start the import. If the Tumblr account contains more than one blog, choose the intended source. Start the importer and leave the dashboard open until it reports completion or an error.
- Record the result. Note how many items were created and whether the importer reports skipped or failed media. Do not assume a successful screen means every post type or external embed was reproduced identically.
The WordPress Developer Resources guide explains the need for a Tumblr app and the two OAuth values in its importing content instructions. The WordPress documentation also defines the Tumblr importer as a tool for importing posts and media through the API.
Use the WordPress.com Tumblr workflow
WordPress.com has a guided version of the same importer. The support instructions reviewed August 12, 2026, use the following path:
- Open the WordPress.com dashboard for the destination site.
- Choose
Tools → Import. - If Tumblr is not listed, select Choose from full list, select Tumblr, and choose Install or the equivalent install control.
- Run the importer, then select Connect to Tumblr to begin.
- When Tumblr opens, sign in if necessary and approve the connection for the blog you want to move.
- Return to WordPress.com and let the import complete. Keep the tab open and note any completion message or skipped items.
WordPress.com’s current labels and the approval handoff are documented in Import from Tumblr. If your dashboard uses a different label, begin at the Import screen rather than searching for a separate migration product.
Creating the Tumblr connection for a self-hosted import
The self-hosted importer cannot read your Tumblr account merely from your blog address. It uses Tumblr’s API and an OAuth application as the connection point. The WordPress handbook directs you to create an app on Tumblr, copy its Consumer Key and Secret Key, and paste them into the importer before selecting Connect to Tumblr.
Use the app-creation instructions presented by the importer and the WordPress Developer Resources documentation. Enter the values exactly as issued. A missing character, an extra space, or credentials from a different Tumblr application can prevent authorization. Make sure the Tumblr account approving the request can access the specific blog selected for migration.
Do not place the keys in theme files or publish them while asking for help. If you suspect that a key has been exposed, stop the import and follow Tumblr’s current application-management process to replace or disable it before trying again.
Create a Tumblr ZIP backup before changing the source
Tumblr’s export is started from the web account settings, not from the Tumblr mobile or desktop apps. Each blog is exported separately.
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- Sign in to Tumblr on the web and open account settings.
- Select the blog you want to preserve.
- Scroll to the Export section and choose Export [blog name].
- Wait while Tumblr prepares the archive. Processing time depends on the amount of content.
- When Download backup appears, download the ZIP to a location you control and keep an additional copy if the material is important.
Tumblr states that a completed backup is retained for three days and that each blog can be exported four times per month. Those limits make the download step part of the backup, not an optional later action. The full procedure and current limits are in Tumblr’s Export Your Blog help article.
What the ZIP contains
The archive can be broader than the API import. Tumblr describes these components:
- Posts folder: an HTML file for each post, including reblogs, drafts, private posts, flagged posts, and other hidden posts.
- Media folder: uploaded images, videos, and other media. Tumblr lists formats such as JPG, GIF, PNG, and MP4.
- Comments CSV: a CSV file containing comments included in the export.
- Conversation and post HTML: HTML representations of messaging conversations and posts.
Liked posts are explicitly not included. Keep the ZIP unchanged as an archive; opening its HTML files can help you find a missing item, but it does not automatically create WordPress posts.
What moves to WordPress and what does not
The documented importer scope is posts and media from Tumblr’s API. That scope should guide your expectations, especially for unusual post types and material that is not ordinary published content.
| Item | What is established | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Published posts | Posts are within the importer’s documented API scope. | Check titles, body content, publication dates, slugs, and status after import. |
| Uploaded media | Media is within the documented importer scope. | Open representative images and videos in WordPress and check captions, alt text, dimensions, and playback. |
| Tumblr theme and visual design | Not transferred by a content import. | Choose a WordPress theme and recreate colors, typography, layouts, and custom templates. |
| WordPress plugins | Not part of a Tumblr-to-WordPress content transfer. | Install and configure only the WordPress plugins your new site actually needs. |
| Navigation and widgets | They are part of the presentation layer rather than the imported post content. | Rebuild menus, sidebars, footer links, and widgets in WordPress. |
| Comments and messages | The ZIP can contain a comments CSV and HTML conversation records; the importer documentation does not promise that these become WordPress comments or pages. | Keep the ZIP as the authoritative archive and decide manually whether any records should be recreated. |
| Drafts, private, flagged, hidden posts, reblogs, and liked posts | The ZIP documentation lists the first group as exportable and explicitly excludes liked posts. The importer sources do not provide a complete compatibility matrix for every Tumblr status or post type. | Use the ZIP to identify material requiring manual handling, and test a representative sample before relying on the migration for unusual content. |
Learn WordPress summarizes the presentation limitation directly: transferring content does not include the site’s design, themes, or plugins. Its explanation is available in Tools: Import and Export.
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Verify the new WordPress site after import
Run a structured review rather than checking only the front page. Use a sample that includes old and recent posts, text-only entries, image-heavy posts, video or audio embeds, reblogs, and any content that matters commercially or legally.
Check the content record
- Compare the number of imported posts with the Tumblr dashboard and investigate any large difference.
- Open posts from several years and confirm titles, body text, publication dates, authors, categories, tags, and featured images where applicable.
- Inspect line breaks, block quotes, lists, inline code, captions, and special characters. Tumblr formatting may not map perfectly to the blocks or HTML used by your WordPress theme.
- Open internal links and links to other Tumblr posts. A link can remain syntactically valid while pointing to an old Tumblr address that you intend to replace.
Check media and embeds
- Open images at full size and verify that they are present, sharp, and associated with the correct post.
- Test videos, audio, animated GIFs, and third-party embeds on both desktop and mobile layouts.
- Look for externally hosted files, hotlinked images, and embeds that depend on Tumblr-specific markup. The importer documentation does not guarantee identical treatment for every external service.
- Review filenames, captions, and alternative text. Correct accessibility metadata in WordPress rather than assuming it came across.
Rebuild the presentation
- Select a WordPress theme that supports the layout you need.
- Recreate the primary menu, archive links, search, footer navigation, sidebar widgets, and contact or policy pages.
- Check the site title, description, favicon, social links, homepage settings, and date format.
- Compare the new site at common screen widths. A successful content import does not reproduce Tumblr’s CSS, custom templates, or scripts.
Protect links and indexing
Decide which WordPress permalink pattern should represent the old Tumblr URLs before publishing widely. Test a selection of old links and create redirects where you control the mapping. Check the WordPress reading and search-engine visibility settings so a staging copy is not accidentally indexed, and so the production site can be discovered when you are ready.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common import problems
Tumblr is not listed under Tools → Import
On WordPress.com, select Choose from full list; Tumblr may not be shown in the shortened list. On self-hosted WordPress, confirm that you are viewing the administrator dashboard and install the Tumblr importer before looking for Run Importer. The official Tools Import screen documentation describes this install-and-run pattern.
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Check that you used the Tumblr account with access to the intended blog. For a self-hosted site, re-enter the Consumer Key and Secret Key exactly as supplied by the Tumblr application and start the connection again. For WordPress.com, complete the Tumblr approval page and return to the original dashboard tab. If the error persists, record the exact message and the WordPress and importer versions before seeking support; do not post the OAuth values with the report.
Only some content appears
First compare the result with the importer’s stated scope: posts and media through the API. Then consult the ZIP archive for drafts, private or flagged posts, conversations, comments, or other records that are outside that scope. Because the official material does not publish a complete compatibility matrix for every Tumblr post type, treat a partial result as a reason to test samples and handle exceptions manually, not as proof that the entire blog was lost.
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Images or videos are missing
Open the affected WordPress posts and identify whether the file was uploaded to Tumblr, linked from another host, or embedded from a third-party service. Check the Media Library and the original Tumblr post. If the file exists only in the ZIP’s Media folder, retain that archive and upload the required asset to WordPress in accordance with the content owner’s rights and the service’s terms.
The site looks nothing like Tumblr
That result is expected for a content-only migration. Choose a WordPress theme and rebuild the navigation, widgets, typography, colors, and custom layouts separately. A migration plugin designed for a full WordPress-to-WordPress move cannot transfer a Tumblr theme into WordPress automatically; Tumblr’s theme files and WordPress’s theme system are different.
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Tumblr retains a prepared export for three days. Start a new export from the web settings and download it as soon as the button appears. Keep the monthly limit of four exports per blog in mind when planning repeated attempts.
When to retire or change the Tumblr blog
Keep the source blog available while you perform the post-import review and while readers may still be using old links. Once you have verified the WordPress content, stored the ZIP backup, rebuilt the presentation, and planned redirects, decide whether Tumblr should remain as an archive, point visitors to the new site, or be closed. Make that decision separately for each blog if the Tumblr account contains multiple blogs.
The safest sequence is to preserve the archive first, import second, verify third, and only then change the source. This leaves you with a recoverable copy if a post, media file, or hidden item needs to be restored manually.
Quick Recap
Essential checklist
- Confirm administrator access to the WordPress destination.
- Optionally export each Tumblr blog from web settings and download the ZIP within the three-day retention period.
- Open
Tools → Importand install the Tumblr importer. - Authenticate with Tumblr: OAuth Consumer Key and Secret Key on self-hosted WordPress, or the WordPress.com approval handoff.
- Run the import and record any skipped items or errors.
- Review posts, dates, links, authors, formatting, media, and embeds.
- Select a WordPress theme and recreate menus, widgets, and other design elements.
- Set permalink and redirect behavior, then test old and new URLs.
- Keep the Tumblr ZIP and source blog until the migration is demonstrably complete.
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