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How to Export WordPress Site to Zip File

Exporting your WordPress site allows you to create a backup or move your site to a new host or domain. You can export specific parts of your site or the entire site into a zip file. Here’s a step-by-step guide to exporting your WordPress site.

Why Export Your WordPress Site

There are a few key reasons you may want to export your WordPress site:

Create a Backup

Exporting your site creates a full backup that you can use to restore or migrate your site if needed. Having a recent backup is crucial in case of site crashes, hacks, or other issues.

Migrate to a New Host or Domain

You can use a site export to easily move your WordPress site to a new host or domain. Just import the zip file into the new location to transfer everything over.

Clean Up Your Site

Exporting gives you a chance to prune any unnecessary data or plugins before importing onto a new host. It’s good practice to streamline your site during migrations.

Before You Export

Before starting the export process, it’s important to prep your site:

  • Update Plugins & Themes – Ensure all plugins and themes are updated to avoid compatibility issues. Outdated plugins are more vulnerable to bugs.
  • Clean Database – Run optimizations to clean unnecessary data and keep database slim.
  • Backup Media – Download a separate backup of your media files in case the export fails.
  • Change URLs – Use a search and replace tool to update URLs in database if migrating domains.

Use the WordPress Exporter Plugin

The easiest way to export your WordPress site is by using the built-in WordPress exporter. Just follow these steps:

  1. Go to Tools > Export in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Select whether to export all content or specific types of content.
  3. Click Download Export File to export your site data to a ZIP file.

This exports your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, and other site data. But it does not include your media files, plugins, themes, or other customizations.

Limitations of the WordPress Exporter

The WordPress exporter has some limitations:

  • Does not export theme files and media
  • Size limit of 512 MB
  • Some plugins and custom fields may not export properly

So it’s best for simple site data backups but not full WordPress migrations.

Use a Migration Plugin

For complete WordPress site exports and migrations, a dedicated migration plugin is the best choice. These plugins export your entire WordPress site including:

  • Database tables
  • Media files
  • Plugins
  • Themes
  • Widget and menu settings
  • Other customizations

Some top WordPress backup and migration plugins include:

These plugins create a complete WordPress site export file that you can use for backups or migrations.

How to Use Migration Plugins

Most migration plugins follow these basic steps:

  1. Install and activate the plugin in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to the plugin settings and configure any options.
  3. Click to export and create a full WordPress site export file.
  4. Save the download ZIP/XML file to your computer.

Be sure to read the documentation for the specific plugin for detailed instructions.

Manually Export WordPress Site Files and Database

You can also manually export your WordPress site files and database:

Export WordPress Files

  1. Use FTP or cPanel to download your /wp-content/ folder which contains your themes, plugins, uploads, and other customizations.
  2. Compress /wp-content/ into a ZIP file.

Export MySQL Database

  1. Login to phpMyAdmin and select your WordPress database.
  2. Click export and save the SQL file to your computer.

This gives you the two key components of your WordPress site to transfer to a new host or installation. However, it is more complex and time consuming than using an automated migration plugin.

Import Exported WordPress Site

Once you’ve exported your WordPress site, you can import it to a new host or domain:

  1. Setup a new WordPress installation on the new server.
  2. Install and activate your themes/plugins in /wp-content so they are ready.
  3. Use the WordPress importer, a migration plugin, or phpMyAdmin to import your SQL database.
  4. Update the site URL in Settings > General if migrating domains.

And that’s it! Your exported WordPress site is now live on the new host or domain. Be sure to test everything is working properly. Re-export your site again if you have any issues.

Conclusion

Exporting your WordPress site into a portable ZIP file is easy using the built-in WordPress exporter, migration plugins, or manual downloads. Exports allow you to backup your site or migrate it across domains and servers.

Be sure to properly prepare your site first and have a plan to import the exported ZIP file on the new host. With the right WordPress export and import process, you can seamlessly transfer your site.

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