Move a local WordPress site by transferring both its files and database, then making sure the live installation uses the destination database credentials and public URLs. You can do this with a migration plugin or by transferring the files and database manually. Back up the complete site first; the manual route also calls for more direct file and database administration.
You will need access to your local WordPress installation and a destination host with a domain and database. The steps below cover both approaches, followed by checks to make sure the public site works.
Before you move the site
Create a recoverable backup of the entire WordPress directory and its database before changing or uploading anything. Include images, plugins, themes, and other files; WordPress’s migration handbook recommends backing up both the files and database.
- Confirm you can access the local site’s files and database.
- Have access to the destination host, its file manager or FTP/SFTP service, and the database tools it provides.
- Record the destination database name, username, password, and host value. You will need these for a manual transfer or a plugin installer.
- Keep the local copy intact until you have checked the live site.
For either method, domain or path changes can leave local addresses embedded in database content or settings. Plan to replace those addresses carefully after the transfer.
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Method 1: Move the site with a migration plugin
A migration plugin packages the site and guides you through moving that package to the destination. WPBeginner’s example uses Duplicator; its illustrated workflow creates a package on the local site, uploads the package and installer to the live host, and then imports the site using destination database details. The plugin’s own page describes local-to-live migration and search-and-replace features, but those are vendor-described capabilities, not a guarantee of compatibility with every site or host.
- Install the migration plugin on the local WordPress site. Follow its current instructions to create a package or export. Check that the package creation process completes before proceeding.
- Upload the package and installer to the destination. Use the host’s file manager or FTP/SFTP and follow the plugin’s instructions for where those files belong.
- Run the installer or import process. Enter the destination database details when prompted. Review any warnings and do not overwrite an existing destination site unless you intend to replace it.
- Complete the import and test the live site. Check the public URL, representative pages, images, links, and WordPress admin access. Use the post-move checklist below.
This is a guided alternative to manually exporting and importing a database. Plugin features and host compatibility vary, so follow the current plugin documentation and keep the backup available. A paid feature is not automatically required; check which capabilities are included in the version you choose.
Method 2: Transfer the files and database manually
Manual migration gives you direct control but requires file transfer and database administration. You will export the local database, transfer the WordPress files, create and import into a destination database, configure the live site to use it, and update URLs if the domain or path changes.
- Export the local database. Use the database tool available in your local development environment, such as phpMyAdmin, to export the WordPress database as an SQL file. Keep the export unchanged as a backup.
- Transfer the WordPress files. Copy the complete WordPress installation to the destination host using its file manager or FTP/SFTP. Include the content directory, which contains uploads, themes, and plugins, as well as the other installation files.
- Create a destination database and user. Use your hosting control panel’s database tools. Record the database name, username, password, and database host value shown by the host.
- Import the SQL export. Select the destination database in its database tool and import the SQL file. Confirm that the import completes without errors.
- Update
wp-config.php. In the transferred WordPress files, setDB_NAME,DB_USER,DB_PASSWORD, and, if necessary,DB_HOSTto the destination host’s values. Incorrect credentials commonly prevent WordPress from connecting to its database. - Update the site addresses and replace old URLs if needed. The WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) must reflect the live address. If the domain or installation path changed, also replace old local URLs elsewhere in the database; details follow below.
If the database name and user remain the same and the URL has not changed, copying the files and database may require fewer configuration changes. For a new destination database, update the credentials in wp-config.php regardless of whether the public URL changed.
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In WordPress, the WordPress Address (URL) identifies where the WordPress core files are installed; the Site Address (URL) is the address visitors use to reach the site. These settings are important, but changing only them may not remove local URLs stored in posts, settings, or other database values.
Back up the database before making URL changes. WordPress’s migration guidance lists WordPress-aware tools such as Better Search Replace, Velvet Blues Update URLs, and WP-CLI’s search-replace command when available. Jetpack’s migration guide warns that direct SQL replacement is riskier than using a plugin. Avoid running a blind find-and-replace across database fields: serialized data can be damaged by a naive replacement.
Choose a tool that supports WordPress data and follow its instructions for the old and new URL, including any changed installation path. If you are comfortable with WP-CLI and it is available on your host, use the WordPress-aware wp search-replace command rather than editing SQL values indiscriminately.
Check the live site after migration
Open the public site and test the pieces most likely to reveal an incomplete transfer or stale local address:
- Load the homepage and several internal pages, including a post and any important landing page.
- Check that images and other media load, and that internal links point to the public domain rather than a local address.
- Sign in at
/wp-adminand confirm the dashboard and key plugins work. - In WordPress, open Settings > Permalinks and save the settings to refresh rewrite rules if pages return errors or the URL structure is not working.
- Check forms, connected services, and other integrations that depend on the site address or credentials.
- If the site address changed, configure any needed redirects from the old address so existing links can reach the new site.
WordPress’s migration handbook discusses URL changes and reconfiguring permalinks when applicable; Jetpack’s guide also recommends checking the migrated site and its URLs.
If the destination is WordPress.com
WordPress.com has requirements that do not apply to every hosting provider. Its documented plugin-import workflow requires a fresh destination site on a paid plan and warns that the import replaces destination content. Check those conditions before starting. Afterward, review administrators, plugins, licenses, domain configuration, content URLs, and connected services. In this specific workflow, subscribers and post likes do not transfer automatically.
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