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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To export a WordPress site completely, save both parts of the site WordPress identifies as essential: the database and the files. The dashboard’s Tools > Export command creates an XML/WXR content file, but it does not clone your theme, plugins, settings, or uploaded media binaries. Use that export for content transfers; use a database dump plus a copy of the complete WordPress directory for a restorable backup or a move to another host.
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This guide shows both methods, explains what each contains, and gives a controlled migration sequence for a new server or domain.
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Choose the export you actually need
“Export my WordPress site” can mean two different jobs. Decide the scope before downloading anything so you do not mistake a content file for a working backup.
| Method | What you get | Access needed | Best use | What it cannot do alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard XML/WXR | Posts, pages, comments, taxonomies and attachment references | WordPress administrator access | Moving selected content into another WordPress installation | It does not include the active theme, plugins, site options or the binary files in your media library |
| Database dump | WordPress tables containing content, settings, users and other stored data | Hosting control panel, phpMyAdmin, a MySQL tool or an authorized command-line method | One half of a full backup or migration | It does not contain files such as themes, plugins, uploads or wp-config.php |
| Files plus database | The database and the complete WordPress directory, including wp-content |
File access plus database access | A restorable backup, host change or domain move | It still requires careful URL, credential and rewrite-rule work when the address changes |
WordPress Developer Resources states the rule plainly: “There are two parts to backing up your WordPress site: Database and Files.” A full export means preserving the pair, not merely downloading an XML file.
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Prepare before you export
A few minutes of preparation prevents an incomplete archive or an avoidable outage.
Record the site’s current details
- Write down the current domain, protocol (
httporhttps), any subdirectory path, and the filesystem path where WordPress is installed. - Record the WordPress version, PHP version and database type or version if your host displays them. These details help you reproduce a compatible destination.
- Confirm you can sign in as an administrator and that you have access to the hosting panel, SFTP/FTP or file manager, and the database tool required for a full export.
- List special integrations, scheduled tasks, custom code and non-standard files you expect to find outside the normal WordPress folders.
Choose a quiet window
For a full backup, place the site in a quiet maintenance window if possible. Avoid publishing posts, uploading media or changing settings while you are dumping the database and copying files; otherwise the two parts may represent slightly different moments. If you cannot take the site offline, note the exact start and end time and plan a final database export immediately before the cutover.
Plan secure storage
Create a dated folder on local storage for the database dump and file archive. An external drive is useful for a second local copy. Treat wp-config.php and the SQL dump as sensitive: they can contain database credentials and private site data. Restrict access to the archive and do not leave it in a publicly served web directory.
Export content with WordPress’s dashboard
Use this route when you need to transfer editorial content to an existing WordPress installation and do not need to reproduce the current design or server configuration.
- Sign in to the WordPress dashboard with an administrator account.
- Open Tools > Export.
- Select All content, or choose Posts, Pages or Media if you want a narrower scope.
- Click Download Export File and save the resulting XML/WXR file locally. Keep the original filename or add a date and scope to make it unambiguous.
- On the destination site, open Tools > Import, choose WordPress, and upload the XML/WXR file. If the importer is not installed, WordPress will prompt you to install or activate it.
- When prompted, assign imported authors to existing users or create the appropriate accounts. Choose whether the importer should fetch referenced attachments if that option is offered.
- Review the imported posts, pages, categories, tags, comments, links and media references before making the destination public.
What the XML file contains
The WXR file is a structured content transfer. It can carry posts, pages, comments, taxonomies and attachment references. It is useful for combining content or moving it into a fresh installation.
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What the XML file does not contain
- The active theme and its customization files.
- Plugins and their code or stored configuration.
- Site-wide options that are not represented as transferable content.
- The binary image, video and document files themselves. The export can contain references and metadata; the destination must obtain the actual files separately.
- Server-level settings, PHP configuration, rewrite files and credentials.
Consequently, an XML export cannot by itself recreate the running site. If the destination has no matching media files, imported posts may show broken image links even though their attachment records are present.
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For a backup you can restore, or for a migration that should preserve the site’s appearance and behavior, complete all of the following steps.
1. Export the database
- Open your host’s phpMyAdmin, cPanel database interface, MySQL tool or an approved command-line utility.
- Identify the database used by this WordPress installation. The database name, username, host and table prefix are recorded in
wp-config.php; do not expose that file publicly. - Use the tool’s export function to create a full SQL dump. Retain the generated
.sql,.gzor.bz2file exactly as downloaded. - Save the dump in the dated backup folder. If the tool offers a structure-and-data option, include both so the tables can be recreated on another server.
Do not assume that a database-only export includes uploaded images or plugin code. Those live in the file copy described next.
2. Download the complete WordPress directory
- Connect with SFTP, FTP, your host’s file manager or a host backup facility.
- Download the entire directory in which WordPress is installed, not only the visible pages folder.
- Confirm that
wp-contentis included. Its subdirectories normally containuploads, themes and plugins. - Preserve
wp-config.php,.htaccesswhere used, custom drop-in files and any other files your installation added. - Wait for the transfer to finish and compare the local folder with the remote listing. A failed transfer of one large upload can leave an apparently complete but unusable archive.
The files and database must be kept together. The database points to attachment paths, active themes, plugin settings and site URLs; the file tree supplies the code and binary media those records expect.
3. Store and label the pair
Place the file copy and database dump in one dated folder or archive, for example a folder named with the site and export date. Keep an untouched original before editing URLs, changing credentials or deleting anything on the source server. Make a second copy on separate local storage when the site is important.
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4. Optionally add a content export
You may also create the dashboard XML/WXR file as an independent safety copy. Label it as content-only so nobody later mistakes it for the full backup. It is useful if you need to import selected posts without restoring the entire database.
Verify the export before trusting it
A backup is valuable only if it opens and can be used. Perform these checks while the source site is still available.
- Open the XML/WXR in a text editor or importer and confirm that it contains the intended scope. The latest expected post or page should appear near the end of the file.
- Check that the SQL dump exists, has a plausible non-zero size and can be opened or inspected by your database tool. An empty file or an HTML error page saved with an
.sqlextension is not a backup. - Browse the local file copy and confirm that
wp-content/uploadscontains the expected media years, months or directories, plus the themes and plugins you rely on. - Confirm that
wp-config.phpis present and stored securely. You will need its values during restoration, but it should not be publicly downloadable. - For high-value sites, import the database and files into a private test environment. A test restore is the strongest verification because it proves the pair works together rather than merely existing.
Move the site to a new host or domain
The safest order is to prepare the destination, restore the files and database, adjust credentials and URLs, then test before changing DNS or disabling the source.
1. Prepare the destination
- Create the destination database and database user, and note the new database name, username, password and host value.
- Install a compatible PHP/database environment and create the directory that will serve the WordPress site.
- Keep the destination private with a temporary hostname, access restriction or maintenance page while you test.
2. Upload the files
Upload the complete WordPress directory to the destination path. Preserve permissions appropriate to your host and ensure that wp-content, uploads, themes, plugins, wp-config.php and any custom rewrite file are present.
3. Import the database
Use the destination’s phpMyAdmin, MySQL tool or supported command-line method to import the SQL dump. Large compressed dumps may require the host’s import facility rather than a browser upload. Do not overwrite the only original while experimenting.
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4. Update wp-config.php
Edit the destination copy so its database name, user, password and host match the new database. Preserve the correct table prefix and any security salts or custom constants unless you have a deliberate reason to change them. Store the edited file securely.
5. Handle a changed domain or path
If the URL stays identical, the database can usually be used without a broad URL replacement; you still need to test the destination privately. If the domain, protocol or subdirectory changes, replace old URLs carefully in the database and in serialized settings. A simple text substitution can corrupt serialized data, so use a migration utility that understands WordPress serialization or a host-supported equivalent. Check both http and https forms and any old subdirectory path.
6. Test before cutover
- Load the homepage and several posts, pages and category archives.
- Sign in and sign out with an administrator account.
- Open images, downloads, galleries and other media.
- Check menus, widgets, forms, search, comments and plugin-provided features.
- Inspect internal links for the old domain and watch the browser for mixed-content warnings.
- Confirm HTTPS, redirects, canonical URLs and robots settings are appropriate for the destination.
7. Refresh rewrite rules
A domain or path change can temporarily produce 404 responses while rewrite rules and settings are stale. In the WordPress dashboard, open Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes without changing the structure. This rebuilds the rewrite rules on hosts that support it.
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8. Switch traffic and preserve the source
After the private tests pass, point DNS or the domain to the new host, monitor the live site and keep the old site plus the untouched original backup. Do not delete or alter the source until logins, media, forms, links, redirects and permalinks have worked through a normal usage period.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use WP-CLI for repeatable content exports
On a server where WP-CLI is installed and authorized, wp export creates WXR files without using the dashboard. It supports an output directory, date filters, file-size splitting and options to skip comments, authors or terms. Run wp help export on the installed version to see the exact syntax and available options before scripting it.
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A basic run writes a WXR export to the directory you specify. Date ranges can limit the content window, and splitting can make very large exports easier to handle. These controls improve repeatability but do not change the scope: WP-CLI export still produces content XML, not the site’s configuration, theme and plugin files or attachment binaries. Pair it with a database dump and file backup when recovery or a full migration is the goal.
Common export and migration failures
“The imported posts have missing images”
The WXR file carried attachment references, not the binary files. Restore or copy wp-content/uploads separately, then check that the destination URLs and file permissions point to the copied files.
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Recheck the database name, username, password, host and table prefix in wp-config.php. Confirm that the destination user has permission to the imported database and that the database server is reachable from the web host.
“The homepage works but internal pages return 404”
Save the permalink settings again, verify the destination’s rewrite support and inspect the site URL and home URL for an old domain or subdirectory. Test a post URL before changing additional settings.
“The site redirects to the old domain”
Search the database, configuration files, redirect rules and plugin settings for the old address. Replace URLs with a serialization-aware method, then clear relevant caches and test both logged-in and logged-out requests.
“The XML export stops before the newest content”
Open the file and check the final entries. If the latest expected post or page is absent, repeat the export after confirming the dashboard account can see that content. Keep the earlier file but label its narrower scope clearly.
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“The backup exists but will not restore”
Inspect the SQL file for an incomplete transfer or an error page, verify that all of wp-content arrived, and compare the database timestamp with the file-copy timestamp. Restore both into a test environment before attempting another live cutover.
A practical decision checklist
- Only moving articles or pages: use Tools > Export and import the WXR into the destination.
- Preserving the exact site: export the database and download the complete WordPress directory.
- Changing hosts with the same domain: restore files and database, update database credentials, test, then switch DNS.
- Changing the domain or path: add a serialization-safe URL replacement, test redirects and HTTPS, and re-save permalinks.
- Creating a dependable backup: keep the database and files together, store an untouched copy separately and perform a test restore.
The reliable definition of a full WordPress export is therefore simple: a usable database dump matched with a complete, verified file copy. The dashboard XML file remains valuable for content portability, but it is not a clone of the running site.
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