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A complete BackupBuddy backup can move an entire WordPress installation—files and database—to a clean server. The matching importbuddy.php script is the standalone importer: upload both files to the destination, open /importbuddy.php, and follow its six stages to extract the archive, configure the new database and URLs, import and update the data, and remove temporary files.
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This procedure applies to the legacy BackupBuddy/ImportBuddy workflow. SolidWP announced on November 20, 2024 that BackupBuddy had been renamed Solid Backups — Legacy, while Solid Backups — NextGen is the forward-looking service. Existing ImportBuddy archives can still be used for a migration when you have the complete archive and its matching importer file.
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ImportBuddy is not a backup generator or a partial content exporter. It restores a full BackupBuddy archive on another server. A full archive normally contains the WordPress core files, themes, plugins, uploads and database required to reproduce the site. A database-only backup cannot by itself restore media, plugins, themes or other files.
Required items
- A complete or full BackupBuddy backup ZIP. Use the original archive without renaming it.
- The matching
importbuddy.phpfile and its importer password. - FTP/SFTP access to the new server, or the documented remote-storage retrieval route if the archive is stored in Stash.
- A destination hosting account with a clean directory and a PHP/MySQL-compatible WordPress environment.
- Access to the destination database details: server/host, database name, username, password and table prefix.
- Control of the destination domain or temporary URL so you can test the restored site before changing DNS.
Get the archive and importer together
From the old site, download the full backup and its associated importbuddy.php from the BackupBuddy backup area. Keep an off-site copy, such as the documented Stash storage option, in case the local download is incomplete. The importer must correspond to the archive; do not assume an importer file from a different backup is interchangeable.
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Prepare a genuinely clean destination
Create or identify the directory that will become the new site’s document root. The migration guide calls for no existing WordPress files at that location. Remove an automatically installed WordPress copy, placeholder index files and old configuration files, or use a new empty directory. Existing files can create false results during extraction and can be overwritten by advanced importer actions.
Choose the migration route before uploading
The correct route depends on what you backed up and what is changing. Use this comparison to avoid starting a full restore when a different plan is required.
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| Situation | Appropriate route | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Move one site with its plugins, themes and media | Full archive plus importbuddy.php |
Destination directory should be empty. |
| Only a database export is available | Manual WordPress file transfer plus database import | A database alone does not contain uploads, themes or plugins. |
| Archive is on the local computer | FTP/SFTP upload of the ZIP and importer | Do not rename the ZIP during transfer. |
| Archive is in Stash | Upload the importer and retrieve the archive through the documented remote-storage option | Confirm that the destination can reach the storage service and that the archive is complete. |
| Domain and path remain identical | Restore with the existing URLs, then test the site | DNS and certificate changes can still affect access. |
| Domain, protocol or directory changes | Restore and use the URL/path migration stage | Serialized WordPress data and hard-coded paths need careful replacement. |
| Multisite network | Use the documented multisite process only after reviewing its limitations | Only the main site’s database tables migrate automatically; subsite replacements require separate work. |
Upload the backup to the new host
- Log in to the destination server with FTP/SFTP or the host’s documented file manager.
- Open the clean directory that will serve the site. This is commonly the document root for the domain, but the exact path is host-specific.
- Upload the full BackupBuddy ZIP and the matching
importbuddy.phpinto that same directory. Keep the ZIP’s original filename. - Wait for the transfer to finish completely. Large archives can take a long time; compare the local and remote file sizes when your client provides that information.
- Point a temporary hostname, hosts-file entry or staging domain at this directory if you need to test before public DNS changes. Do not delete the source site yet.
When both files are present, browse to the destination URL followed by /importbuddy.php, for example https://example.com/importbuddy.php. The page should ask for the ImportBuddy password. If it returns a 404 or downloads PHP as text, stop and correct the document-root or PHP configuration before proceeding.
The six ImportBuddy stages
1. Authenticate and select the backup
Enter the importer password. ImportBuddy then lists an uploaded archive or offers the documented Stash retrieval path. Select the intended full backup and verify its filename before continuing. If the archive does not appear, check that it is in the same directory, that the transfer completed, and that the file was not renamed.
Use the archive’s date and size to distinguish it from older backups. A successful password entry does not prove that the ZIP is complete; a damaged or partial archive will usually fail later during extraction or database import.
2. Unzip the archive into the destination
Choose the extraction action and allow ImportBuddy to unpack the files into the clean directory. Do not refresh repeatedly or remove files while extraction is running. The time depends on archive size and server disk speed.
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3. Enter database and URL settings
Provide the destination database server, database name, database user, password and table prefix. The prefix can remain the old value if you are restoring into a new database, but it must match the tables that ImportBuddy will create or import. If the hosting panel allows database creation from the importer, follow the on-screen instructions; otherwise create the database and user in the hosting control panel first.
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Enter the site’s destination URLs, including the protocol and any directory path. Treat these as separate values when the importer presents them. For example, moving from an HTTPS root domain to an HTTPS subdirectory is not the same change as moving from HTTP to HTTPS on the same host.
- Database server: the host name supplied by the new provider, not necessarily
localhost. - Database name and user: use the exact names, including any hosting-account prefix.
- Password: enter the database user’s current password, not the ImportBuddy password.
- Table prefix: preserve the backup’s prefix unless you have a specific reason to change it.
- Site URL and home URL: enter the final protocol, domain and path that visitors will use.
Use the importer’s connection test if available. A failed test is normally a credential, host-name, permission or database-existence problem; it is not fixed by changing WordPress URLs.
4. Import the database
Start the database import only after the connection test succeeds. ImportBuddy loads the SQL data into the destination database. This can replace tables or content in that database, so confirm that it is new or that you have a separate copy of anything it contains.
Advanced options can change how files and database content are handled. The migration documentation warns that careless use can overwrite files or erase existing database data. Leave advanced settings at their safe defaults unless you understand the specific option and have a current backup of the destination.
A timeout does not always mean the import failed. Check whether tables were created and whether the importer offers a resume or retry action. If you must retry, determine whether the first attempt left partial tables; importing into a clean database is safer than mixing two incomplete runs.
5. Migrate database URLs and paths
After the SQL import, run the database-migration step to update the old site’s URLs, directory paths and related values for the destination. This is essential when the domain, protocol or installation directory changes.
Review the old and new values carefully before committing the replacement. A broad replacement of a short domain fragment can alter unrelated text, while an incorrect path can break plugin settings or media references. ImportBuddy is intended to handle WordPress data that may be serialized; avoid substituting values with a generic text editor or an unqualified SQL search-and-replace.
Open the restored site in a separate browser session and check the home page, an internal post, an image and the WordPress login before declaring the replacement complete. If those work, continue to final cleanup; if they do not, correct the URL or path settings while the importer still provides the migration controls.
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6. Complete cleanup
Use the final cleanup action and remove the temporary importer files, including importbuddy.php and any extraction or temporary files the tool identifies. Leaving the importer publicly accessible exposes a powerful restoration endpoint and can allow someone else to alter or overwrite the site.
After cleanup, confirm that the destination URL loads without the importer path and that the WordPress administrator can log in. Keep the original archive offline until the new site has passed its checks.
WordPress checks after the restore
A server move is complete only when both the files and database work together. WordPress’s migration guidance highlights several settings that need verification.
Check wp-config.php and database identity
If the database name or user changed, inspect wp-config.php and ensure its database constants match the destination credentials and prefix. Do not paste a password into a public support request or leave a temporary copy of the configuration file in the web root.
Confirm siteurl and home
If the URL changed, confirm that the siteurl and home values point to the new protocol, domain and path. A mismatch can produce login loops, redirects to the old host or an administration screen that appears to lose its styling.
Test HTTPS and redirects
- Open the front page and an administrator URL over HTTPS.
- Confirm that HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects go to the new domain rather than the old server.
- Check for mixed-content warnings on pages with images, scripts or stylesheets.
- Verify that canonical links, feeds and XML sitemaps use the intended URL.
Refresh permalinks
In the WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks and select Save Changes without changing the structure. This refreshes rewrite rules on many Apache or compatible configurations. If the site uses Nginx or another server, apply the equivalent rewrite configuration supplied by that host.
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- Open several older posts and confirm that images, galleries and downloadable files load.
- Check the active theme and widgets for missing files or hard-coded old-domain references.
- Review plugin settings, especially those that store absolute paths, API callbacks, cron endpoints or license domains.
- Clear page, object, CDN and browser caches only after confirming the underlying URLs are correct.
Exercise forms and scheduled work
Submit each important contact, checkout or registration form in a test mode and verify delivery. Check scheduled posts, background queues, server cron jobs and external webhooks. A restored database can contain the old server’s scheduled-task assumptions even though the files now reside elsewhere.
Test accounts and permissions
Log in as an administrator and, where relevant, as an ordinary user. Verify password resets, email delivery, user registration and role-based access. Confirm that uploaded directories remain writable only where the site requires it; broad write permissions are not a substitute for fixing ownership.
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DNS and cutover sequence
Do not change DNS or delete the old site immediately after the importer reports success. First test the destination through a temporary URL or hosts-file override, then compare key pages and recent content with the source.
- Place the destination behind a temporary hostname or local hosts-file mapping.
- Run the complete WordPress checklist, including login, media, forms, redirects and scheduled jobs.
- Lower the DNS record’s TTL ahead of the planned cutover when your DNS provider permits it.
- Put the source site in maintenance mode or otherwise prevent new writes during the final content sync if the site receives orders, comments or registrations.
- Change DNS to the destination and monitor both access and error logs.
- Keep the source and the original archive until traffic, forms and background jobs have remained stable for a reasonable observation period.
Changing DNS does not change database values. If the public domain is unchanged, leave the site’s URLs unchanged and concentrate on server, certificate and rewrite configuration. If the domain or path changed, complete the ImportBuddy URL migration before cutover.
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Multisite: understand the documented limitation
The documented BackupBuddy multisite workflow does not automatically perform a complete network-wide URL migration. Only the main site’s database tables are migrated automatically. Subsite URLs and paths require a separate mass database text replacement.
Conversion between subdomain and subdirectory network structures is unsupported by that documented workflow. Do not treat a successful main-site login as proof that every subsite is usable. Before attempting a network move, inventory each subsite’s domain or path, uploads, themes, plugins and custom tables, and plan a tested database-replacement procedure for the network’s exact structure.
Because a network-wide replacement can affect serialized values and multiple table sets, keep an untouched copy of the original archive and test the result on a staging destination. If the network depends on domain mapping or unusual rewrite rules, involve someone who understands WordPress multisite before changing DNS.
Common failures and targeted fixes
The importer page is missing
Verify that importbuddy.php is in the destination document root and that the URL includes the filename exactly. Check the domain’s assigned directory and confirm that PHP is enabled. A 404 usually indicates the wrong directory; a file download usually indicates a server that is not processing PHP.
The archive is not listed
Confirm that the ZIP is in the same directory, has its original name and finished uploading. Check permissions and available disk space. If retrieving from Stash, verify the storage login or connection and select the intended archive rather than an older incremental file.
Extraction fails or the server runs out of resources
Check free disk space: extraction requires room for both the compressed archive and the expanded files. Remove the partial extraction, increase the host’s applicable PHP or process limits when possible, and retry from a clean directory. A very restrictive host may require support to raise limits or provide a command-line extraction method.
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Database connection fails
Recheck the database host, name, user and password character by character. Confirm that the user has privileges on that database and that the database exists on the destination server. Hosting providers often add an account prefix to names, so a locally familiar name may be wrong on the new account.
The site redirects to the old host
Inspect the migrated siteurl and home values, then review wp-config.php, redirect rules and caching layers for the old domain. Clear caches only after correcting the stored values. If the browser cached a permanent redirect, test in a private window or with a clean client.
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Check whether the old directory path or protocol remains in attachment metadata and theme/plugin settings. Re-run the controlled URL/path migration with the exact old and new values, then refresh permalinks. Do not perform an indiscriminate replacement across unrelated database text.
Login loops or a broken dashboard
Confirm HTTPS consistency, the two core URL values and cookie-domain settings. Temporarily disable a suspected redirect or security plugin only through a controlled recovery procedure, and restore it after identifying the cause. Do not delete plugin tables or user records to solve a URL mismatch.
Only some multisite subsites fail
This is consistent with the documented limitation: subsite URLs and paths are not automatically completed by the main-site migration. Map each failing subsite’s old and new values and perform a tested network-wide replacement, or restore the network using a method that explicitly supports its structure.
What to do after a successful migration
Record the destination server, database name, PHP and web-server configuration, DNS change time and the archive used. Store the original full backup offline and make a fresh backup from the running destination once it is stable.
If you need ongoing backup management after completing a legacy ImportBuddy move, Solid Backups — NextGen is the current product line positioned by SolidWP for that purpose, while BackupBuddy is identified as Solid Backups — Legacy. Availability, features and commercial terms can change, so verify the current offering directly with SolidWP before relying on it for a production recovery plan.
The migration is finished when the destination serves the intended URL, administrators can log in, media and links resolve, forms and scheduled work operate, and the importer and its temporary files are no longer publicly accessible. Keep the source and archive until those checks have passed and you have a new recovery point.
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