Exporting and importing content between two WordPress sites

The short answer: WordPress has its own tool to carry the content (pages, posts, comments, menus, images) from one site to another, under Tools > Export and Tools > Import. It carries the text, not the theme, plugins or settings. To move the whole site, use a migration.

What goes and what stays

Item Is it in the file?
Pages and posts Yes. You can pick just one type, one author or a date range.
Comments and categories Yes, with the posts.
Menus Yes, when you export everything.
Images The link to each goes; the import can download them from the source site if it is still online.
Theme, plugins and settings No. Install them separately on the new site.

Step by step

1 On the source site, go to Tools > Export, choose “All content” (or just what you want) and download the .xml file.
2 On the destination site, first install the theme and the plugins the content depends on: Installing a WordPress theme.
3 Go to Tools > Import, choose “WordPress” (the dashboard asks you to install the importer; accept) and upload the file. If it is large: Raising the upload limit.
4 Assign the authors to users of the new site and tick “Download and import file attachments” to bring the images.
5 Check: open the pages, the menus and the images. Put the menu in the right location, because the import does not always do it.
This is not a backup. The file does not keep the theme, plugins, settings or users with passwords. To keep the whole site, or to take it from one domain to another, use Moving WordPress to a new domain.
If the source site is no longer online, the images cannot be downloaded. Do the export while it still responds, or take the images folder separately.

Want help moving content from one site to another? Open a ticket with the two addresses.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Moving WordPress to a new domain without losing anything

What to back up before you update WordPress, plugins or PHP

WP-CLI over SSH: updating and fixing WordPress from the command line

RECOMMENDED PRODUCT

WordPress hosting

One-click install, updates handled, and speed that holds up. from $6.60/mo (3-year plan, with coupon)

See plans
  • 0 Users Found This Useful
Was this answer helpful?

Related Articles

How to install WordPress in a few clicks You don't have to download WordPress, create a database and upload files by hand. The installer in cPanel does all of it...
Common WordPress errors: white screen, critical error and how to find the cause The site stopped opening and shows a blank white screen, or the line «There has been a critical error on this website»....
Cannot get into the WordPress dashboard: the six usual causes The site opens, but the admin dashboard does not. Either it asks for the password in an endless loop, or it says the det...
How to remove WordPress from a domain, without leaving anything behind You want WordPress off a domain, because the installation broke, because you are starting over, or because the site is b...
Protecting the WordPress login: three steps in order of effect WordPress’s login address is the same on every site in the world: /wp-admin and /wp-login.php. That means any automated...
The WordPress password reset e-mail does not arrive The short answer: you pressed “Lost your password?” and the e-mail does not appear. Almost always it is one of three cas...