Move from WordPress Com to WordPress Org: A Step-by-Step Guide

Moving your WordPress site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org is a bit like upgrading from a shared apartment to a house of your own - it gives you more freedom and flexibility.

First, you'll need to purchase a domain name, which can cost anywhere from $10 to $35 per year, depending on the registrar.

Having a self-hosted WordPress site means you'll have more control over your content and design.

You can choose from a wide range of themes and plugins to customize your site, with many available for free or at a low cost.

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Before migrating to WordPress.org, you need to have a few things in place. You're not ready to migrate just yet, there are a few things you need to put in place first.

Make sure you have a self-hosted domain name, which is a domain name that you own and control, not one provided by WordPress.com. This is a crucial step in the migration process.

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You'll also need to have a web hosting service that meets the requirements of WordPress.org. This means choosing a reliable and scalable host that can handle the demands of your website.

Having a backup plan is essential, so make sure you have a reliable backup system in place before making the switch. This will ensure that your data is safe in case something goes wrong during the migration process.

It's also a good idea to have a clear understanding of your website's current setup and configuration. This includes knowing your theme, plugins, and other customizations.

Exporting your data from WordPress.com is a crucial step in migrating to WordPress.org. To do this, log in to your WordPress.com site and head to Dashboard → Tools → Export.

You'll find two options for exporting your website files – either Export all or Select specific content to export. If you only need to migrate specific WordPress posts or pages, choose Export selected content, but be aware that you'll need to manually select the Author, Status, Category, Start Date, and End Date for posts and pages.

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However, we suggest choosing the Export all option to avoid missing any content. This will download an XML file containing all your chosen content, which you'll need for WordPress.org installation later. Note that the Export Content option is only for pages, posts, and feedback from the WordPress.com site.

If you want to save all of your site's images, videos, audio, and documents, click the Download button inside the Export media library section. This will download a separate file containing all your media files.

To export your WordPress.com data, you can also use the following steps:

The exported file will be a zipped XML file containing all your posts, pages, and media from your WordPress.com website.

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To import your content to WordPress.org, you'll need to prepare the exported XML file from WordPress.com. Make sure you know exactly where it's stored, so you can quickly upload the file later.

You can find the WordPress importer plugin in the Tools section of your WordPress admin panel. Click the Install Now button to install it, and then hit the Run importer button.

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Select the exported XML file from your computer by clicking Choose File, and then upload it by clicking Upload file and import. You'll see two options: Assign Authors and Import Attachments. For the Assign Authors section, you can import authors from WordPress.com, create a new user, or assign an existing WordPress.org user.

To import attachments, check the box that says Download and import file attachments. This will migrate all media files attached to your posts and pages. Once you've selected your options, click Submit to finish the import process.

Here's a quick summary of the import process:

After the import is complete, you'll see a success message. It's a good idea to browse through your site and make sure everything looks just right. Check for any missing content or broken links and fix them as needed.

Setting up self-hosted WordPress is a crucial step in migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. You can install WordPress.org on your hosting platform with a one-click WordPress install, such as Bluehost, which will also set up your site title and create a username and password for your WordPress dashboard.

To get started, log in to your hosting account and look for the WordPress icon. Click on it and follow the prompts given. This will help you install WordPress and set up your site.

With self-hosted WordPress installed, you're ready to migrate your website from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.

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Installing WordPress is a straightforward process. You can install WordPress.org on your hosting platform easily, thanks to one-click installations offered by some hosting providers, such as Bluehost.

To get started, log in to your hosting account and look for the WordPress icon, then click on it and follow the prompts given. This will not only help you install WordPress but also set up your site title and create a username and password for your WordPress dashboard.

You'll need to create a fresh WordPress install at your new hosting provider, perform some basic housekeeping, and then export your content from WordPress.com. This will give you a clean slate to work with.

Here are the basic steps to install WordPress:

Your WordPress site's permalinks affect the structure of your site's URLs. To ensure a seamless transition, you'll want to make sure that your new self-hosted WordPress.org installation uses the same permalink structure as your WordPress.com website.

By default, WordPress.com websites use the Day and name permalink structure. You can mimic this permalink structure on your WordPress.org site by logging in to your self-hosted WordPress dashboard and going to Settings → Permalinks.

Choose the option for Day and name and save your changes. If you want to change your permalink structure in the future, you can always set up a 301 redirect later on.

To fix link issues, you might need to change URLs and fix permalinks. This is especially true if some of the URLs linked to posts or media files still point to your old WordPress.com site.

To fix link issues, install plugins like Better Search Replace. Once activated, head to Dashboard → Tools → Better Search Replace and add your WordPress.com URL in the Search for field and replace it with the new WordPress.org link.

Here are the steps to change URLs and fix permalinks:

By following these steps, WordPress will update all the old URLs from the WordPress.com site to the new WordPress.org site.

Self-hosting WordPress offers you complete control over your site, including access to backend files, databases, and the ability to customize themes and plugins to your heart’s content.

With a self-hosted WordPress site, you can install any themes and plugins you want, customize your site’s design and functionality, and even tweak the underlying code.

You have full ownership of your website and its content, which means complete control over site management, data, and backups.

You're responsible for maintaining your website, including updates to WordPress core, themes, and plugins, as well as implementing security measures to protect your site from threats.

A self-hosted WordPress website uses the open-source WordPress.org software and is hosted on a web server provided by a third-party hosting company.

Here are the key features and requirements of a self-hosted WordPress website:

You'll likely encounter some issues after migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, but don't worry, they're easily fixable.

First, you'll need to update your URLs to point to your new WordPress.org site. Install the Better Search Replace plugin to replace your old WordPress.com URL with your new one.

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To do this, go to Tools, and locate Better Search Replace. Search for your old site's URL and replace it with your new one, then select all tables and run the replacement.

If you used a manual migration method, your internal links might still be pointing to your old WordPress.com URLs. In this case, you'll need to fix those too.

You can use Kinsta's Search and Replace tool to fix broken URLs. Enter your old WordPress.com URL in the Search box and your new WordPress.org URL in the Replace box, and then click Replace.

To avoid duplicate content and broken links, set up a permanent 301 redirect from your old WordPress.com site to your new WordPress.org site. This will ensure that visitors are taken to your new site instead of your old one.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to fix common issues:

If everything went well, you should see all of your images right away. However, sometimes things go wrong, and it's possible that you might be missing some images.

You can use the free Auto Upload Images plugin to import the missing images for you. Install and activate the plugin, then go to the Posts area in your WordPress dashboard.

Select all of your posts using the checkbox and then select Edit from the drop-down. Click Apply to open the new interface.

Click the Update button and the plugin should then import the missing images for you. This will ensure that all of your images are displayed correctly.

Verify that your images are displaying properly and that your media files are working. This is the most important step to catch any issues before they become a problem.

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You'll need to fix any broken links on your site after migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. This is because internal links might still be pointing to your old WordPress.com URLs.

To fix broken links, install the Better Search Replace plugin. Then, go to Tools and locate Better Search Replace. Search for your old WordPress.com URL and replace it with your new WordPress.org URL.

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If you used Migrate Guru, this step has already been handled. Otherwise, select All Tables and run the replacement to update all internal links.

You can also use Kinsta's Search and Replace tool to fix broken URLs. Enter your old WordPress.com URL in the Search box and your new WordPress.org URL in the Replace box. Leave the Dry Run box checked and then click Replace to see the details of how many potential replacements the tool found.

Once you verify that you properly entered the information, uncheck the Dry Run box and click Replace again to make the changes permanent.

Here are the steps to fix broken URLs using Kinsta's tool:

By following these steps, you can fix broken URLs and ensure that your site is working correctly after migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.

You've made it to the final stretch! Now it's time to finalize the move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. Set up redirects and make your old site private to retain visitors and SEO rankings. This will help ensure a seamless transition for your audience.

To do this, go to your WordPress.com Dashboard, navigate to Settings > General, and find the Redirect link in the Site Address section. Enter your new domain name here, and save your changes. If you decide not to redirect, you can make your WordPress.com site private by setting your site to Private in the Privacy section.

After that, update your DNS settings to point to your new web host. Keep in mind that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, so be patient. Your new site should now be up and running, but don't forget to check your content for any issues, such as broken links or missing images.

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Now that you've finalized the migration from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, it's time to put your new site through its paces. Test everything thoroughly to ensure a seamless experience for your visitors.

Click through all your internal links to make sure they work correctly. This is a crucial step, as broken links can be frustrating for users and hurt your site's credibility.

Test any contact forms or interactive elements you have, such as email subscription boxes or social media sharing buttons. You want to make sure they're functioning properly and sending notifications to the right people.

Verify your theme looks the way it should and that your widgets and menus are in place. This will give you a sense of whether your site's design and layout have been transferred correctly.

Here's a quick checklist to help you test everything:

Don't skip the behind-the-scenes setup either. Install and configure the plugins you need, and set up 301 redirects to preserve your SEO rankings. Update all your passwords while you're at it, and configure automatic backups as a safety precaution.

By taking the time to thoroughly test your site, you'll be able to identify and fix any issues before they become major problems. This will give you peace of mind and ensure a smooth transition for your visitors.

Now that your import is complete, it's time to polish up your new WordPress.org site. Your menus from the previous site are now available, but you'll need to restructure a few things.

To start, click on "Customize" at the top of your website and head over to the "Menu" section. Select "Primary" as that's the menu you were using in the WordPress.com version of your site.

You'll need to set it manually, so check the "desktop horizontal menu". This will make your new site look more production-ready.

Next, check out the other pages on your new website, such as the About Page. You'll notice that the formatting is off, which is because of a default plugin used on WordPress.com called Layout Grid by Jetpack.

Installing this plugin will help make your WordPress.org website look more like the WordPress.com version. To do this, head over to your dashboard, go to plugins, and click on add new. Type in Layout Grid in the search bar and click on Layout Grid Block by Automattic (WordPress' parent company). Install and activate it.

With the plugin installed, heading back to your About Page, you'll notice that it has the correct formatting from your WordPress.com website. Go through all your pages and check for and fix any formatting errors you may find.

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You'll want to redirect visitors from your old WordPress.com site to your new WordPress.org site to avoid confusion and ensure a smooth transition. This can be done by accessing the dashboard of your WordPress.com site and going to Settings → General.

To achieve this, add your new domain name in the relevant field and hit Go, but keep in mind that this redirect tool costs $19.50/year. If you don't want to invest in this tool, you can set the WordPress.com site to private instead.

Setting the WordPress.com site to private will make it only visible to you and users with login credentials that you have approved. This can be done by heading to General Settings → Privacy and selecting Private.

Alternatively, you can also set up a redirect on your WordPress.com site, but this will cost you $13/year. This is a small fee worth paying if you have an existing audience and don't want to lose them when you make the switch.

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If you changed your site's URL as part of migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, things get a bit trickier. There will be two duplicate versions of your site, one at yoursite.wordpress.com and another at yoursite.com. To fix this issue, you can set up a redirect to take anyone who tries to visit yoursite.wordpress.com straight to yoursite.com instead.

You can create a redirect by going here and selecting the site that you've migrated. Then, you'll need to enter your payment information to finish the process. The cost for this is $13 per year, but it's worth it if you want to avoid losing traffic and links to your old WordPress.com site.

Here are the costs associated with redirecting your WordPress.com site:

A self-hosted WordPress website uses the open-source WordPress.org software and is hosted on a web server provided by a third-party hosting company.

With a self-hosted WordPress website, you have complete control over your site, including access to backend files, databases, and the ability to customize themes and plugins to your heart's content.

You'll need to purchase a hosting plan from a web hosting provider and register a domain name to set up a self-hosted WordPress website.

The key features and requirements of a self-hosted WordPress website include hosting and domain, WordPress installation, customization, control and ownership, costs, and maintenance and security.

Here are the key features and requirements in more detail:

Overall, a self-hosted WordPress website offers more flexibility, control, and potential for customization compared to the hosted WordPress.com service.