Short answer: Import the SQL dump into the MySQL database named in the destination site’s wp-config.php; WordPress itself does not import arbitrary SQL through the editor. Back up the existing database and all site files first, then use phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI, update the old domain with a serialization-aware search-and-replace when necessary, and test the site before deleting any rollback copy.
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What an SQL import changes—and what it does not
A WordPress SQL dump contains database records such as posts, pages, comments, users, options, menus, widget settings and plugin data. Importing it replaces or adds records in a MySQL database; it does not copy the WordPress application files that interpret those records.
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Your destination site’s wp-config.php determines where WordPress connects. The relevant constants are the database host, database name, database user and database password. If those values point to the wrong database, a technically successful import can appear to have done nothing—or can overwrite an unrelated site.
- Database content: posts, pages, comments, settings and other tables present in the dump.
- Files: the active theme, plugins, uploaded media,
wp-config.php, custom server configuration and any code changes. These must be copied or restored separately.
For an existing site, treat the operation as a replacement or migration, not as an editor feature. Keep the current database and a copy of the files until the imported site has passed testing under normal traffic.
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Prepare a safe maintenance window
Record the destination before changing anything
Put the site into a maintenance window so visitors cannot write new comments, orders or other data while the database is being replaced. Record the current database name, table prefix, site URL, PHP and MySQL versions, active theme and installed plugins. This inventory gives you a reference when a post, URL or plugin setting is missing after the import.
Confirm the SQL dump belongs to the WordPress installation you intend to migrate. A dump from a different site, a different table prefix or an incompatible environment can import without an obvious error while leaving WordPress unable to find its tables.
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Export the current database using your host’s database backup facility or phpMyAdmin, and store the export somewhere outside the destination server. Preserve the dump you are about to import as well. The current database backup is your rollback point if the imported data is incomplete or the site receives new writes during testing.
Make a separate copy of the complete WordPress files. Include the active and inactive themes, plugins, the uploads directory, custom code and wp-config.php. A database export does not contain these files, so a database-only migration can produce missing images, a broken theme or inactive functionality even when every SQL statement succeeds.
Do not remove the old database, file copy or backup until the site works through the front end and /wp-admin, and you have checked it while normal traffic is flowing.
Create or select the destination database
In your hosting control panel or MySQL administration tool, create the destination database if it does not already exist. Create or select the database user and grant the privileges required by WordPress. Then open wp-config.php and verify that DB_HOST, DB_NAME, DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD identify that exact database.
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Never infer the target from a hosting account label alone. Copy the database name and user character-for-character, and check the table prefix (commonly wp_, but not guaranteed) before you import.
Choose phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI
| Axis | phpMyAdmin | WP-CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Browser-based graphical interface | SSH or terminal command line |
| Best for | One-off imports and administrators without shell access | Repeatable migrations, automation and large files |
| Main risk | Timeouts, upload limits and selecting the wrong database | Running commands against the wrong path or credentials |
| URL changes | Requires a serialization-safe plugin or tool, or carefully chosen SQL operations | Built-in wp search-replace with dry-run and serialized-data handling |
Use the method you can verify confidently. A graphical import is practical when the dump is modest and your host limits shell access. WP-CLI is usually easier to repeat and automate, and avoids a browser upload for a large file, but only if SSH access, the correct WordPress directory and working database credentials are available.
Import the dump with phpMyAdmin
1. Open the intended database
Sign in to phpMyAdmin from your hosting panel and select the destination database in the left sidebar. Check the database name and existing table list before proceeding. If the database currently contains the live site’s tables, confirm that your backup is complete because the import may replace those records.
2. Use Import and select the SQL file
Open the Import tab, choose the .sql file, review the detected format and character-set options, and start the import. Leave the old database available until the result has been validated. Do not navigate to a different database between selecting the file and submitting the form.
3. Watch for limits and completion messages
Browser imports can fail because of upload-size limits, PHP execution timeouts or a proxy closing a long request. A timeout does not prove that no rows were written; check the table list and the import report before retrying. Retrying blindly can create duplicate or partially applied data. For a large dump, switch to WP-CLI or ask the host to run the import on the server.
After completion, confirm that the expected WordPress tables exist under the prefix recorded earlier. If the dump uses another prefix, WordPress will not automatically discover those tables merely because they are in the same database; investigate the prefix and configuration before changing data.
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Import the dump with WP-CLI
1. Change to the WordPress directory
Connect over SSH and change to the directory containing the destination site’s wp-config.php. Running the command from another installation is a common way to import into the wrong database.
2. Run the import
wp db import database.sqlwp db import imports a database from a file or from standard input. It reads DB_HOST, DB_NAME, DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD from wp-config.php. The command does not create a database; it performs the SQL tasks defined by the file, so the database and user must already exist with suitable privileges.
3. Understand compatibility options
WP-CLI adapts SQL modes that WordPress Core disables, including STRICT_TRANS_TABLES and NO_ZERO_DATE. That can allow some legacy dumps to import more cleanly. The --skip-sql-mode-compat option disables that adaptation; use it only when you have a specific reason to preserve the server’s existing SQL-mode behavior.
The command also provides controls for unique-key and foreign-key checks and lets you pass additional arguments to the mysql client. Read the command’s help output on the installed WP-CLI version before changing those controls, and keep the import log so you can identify the first failing statement.
4. Confirm the target after the command exits
A successful process exit means the SQL client completed its work; it does not confirm that the site files, URL or plugins match the imported data. Check the expected tables and continue with URL correction and application testing before reopening the site.
Change the old domain, protocol or path safely
If the imported site is moving from one domain, protocol or installation path to another, database values can still point to the old location. Review the home and siteurl options, then search the rest of the database for the old address. Media URLs, menu links, widget settings, form actions and plugin configuration commonly retain it.
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Run a dry run first
wp search-replace 'https://old.example' 'https://new.example' --all-tables --dry-runThe dry run reports the scope of the proposed changes without writing them. Inspect the tables and replacement count, and make sure the old and new values include the correct protocol, host and path. A replacement that omits a subdirectory can leave links broken, while an overly broad value can change text that is not a URL.
Apply the replacement with serialization awareness
When the review is correct, run the same command without --dry-run. WP-CLI search-replace searches and replaces strings in the database and intelligently handles PHP serialized data. Use --precise when serialized or otherwise complex data needs extra care. A naïve text replacement can corrupt serialized values because those values store string lengths; changing a URL’s length without updating the length metadata can break widgets, theme settings or plugin options.
Do not use an unqualified whole-database text substitution as a shortcut. If you use another migration utility, it must likewise understand PHP serialization. Keep the pre-replacement database backup so you can restore the original state if a plugin’s data still fails to decode.
Multisite scope
Multisite stores network and site-specific data in separate table groups. Decide whether the change belongs to one site or the whole network before writing anything. WP-CLI supports --network for a network-wide search-replace; a single-site operation must be scoped carefully so it does not alter another site’s domain or path.
Validate the imported site before reopening it
Check configuration and authentication
- Confirm
homeandsiteurlresolve to the intended address. - Sign in at
/wp-adminand verify that the expected administrator account works. - Check the active theme and plugin list against the inventory you recorded.
- Verify that the table prefix in WordPress configuration matches the imported tables.
Exercise the front end
- Open the home page, several posts, pages, category archives and search results.
- Load images and other uploads from representative dates; inspect their URLs and file paths.
- Follow primary navigation, menus and footer links.
- Submit each important form in a controlled way and confirm its expected success message or notification.
- Open plugin screens and settings that are essential to publishing, caching, security or commerce.
Refresh generated routes and caches
In the WordPress administration area, open Settings > Permalinks and save the current structure to flush rewrite rules. Clear WordPress, plugin, server and CDN caches where they are in use. Test again in a private browser window so cached pages or an old login cookie do not hide a URL or authentication problem.
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The import appears successful but the site is empty
First verify that wp-config.php points to the database you imported. Then compare the imported table prefix with the configured prefix. If either is wrong, correct the configuration or re-import into the intended database after restoring the backup. Do not start editing individual options until the connection and prefix are confirmed.
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phpMyAdmin stops partway through
Check the import report and table contents before retrying. Upload limits and execution timeouts are the usual browser constraints. A server-side WP-CLI import avoids the browser request; if shell access is unavailable, ask the host to import the file directly and provide the exact destination database name.
WP-CLI reports credential or path errors
Run the command from the directory containing the intended wp-config.php, then recheck the four database constants and the user’s privileges. Remember that wp db import does not create a missing database. Fix the database account or select the existing destination before running the import again.
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Pages work but images, themes or plugins are missing
This is expected when only the SQL file was moved. Restore the matching WordPress files, including the uploads directory, themes, plugins and custom code. Verify PHP, MySQL and plugin compatibility in the destination environment before treating the symptom as a database error.
Widgets or plugin settings break after a URL change
Restore the pre-replacement database if necessary and repeat the operation with a serialization-aware tool. Check the dry-run scope and use --precise for complex serialized data. Never repair serialized strings with a plain find-and-replace editor.
Only one site in a network is affected
Review whether the replacement was intended for one site or the entire network. For a network-wide domain change, use WP-CLI’s --network scope; for a single site, limit the operation so other site tables and domains remain untouched.
Final cutover and rollback plan
Keep maintenance mode enabled while you complete the checks. Reopen the site only after front-end pages, administration, media, menus, forms, plugin settings, permalinks and caches behave normally. Monitor real requests and error logs during the first normal traffic period.
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Quick Recap
Import checklist
- Maintenance window scheduled and current database name, prefix, URL, PHP/MySQL versions, theme and plugins recorded.
- Current database and complete WordPress files backed up separately.
- Destination database and user created, with privileges confirmed.
wp-config.phpchecked for the intended host, name, user and password.- SQL imported through the selected method, with the old database retained.
- Domain, protocol or path replacement dry-run reviewed before applying a serialization-safe change.
- Front end,
/wp-admin, media, navigation, forms, plugin settings, permalinks and caches tested. - Rollback copies retained until the site has operated normally.
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