wp-migrate

Overview

Guides WordPress site migrations between hosting providers, platforms, and environments. Supports full-site, content-only, and staging-to-production migrations.

When to Use

• User wants to move a WordPress site to new hosting
• User needs to clone a site for staging/development
• User wants to migrate from WordPress.com to self-hosted
• User needs to transfer content between WordPress installations
• User is consolidating multiple sites

Migration Decision Tree

1. What is the source?

   • WordPress self-hosted → Full site or content export
   • WordPress.com → WXR export or WordPress.com MCP
   • Static site → Fresh WordPress installation + content import

2. What is the destination?

   • Hostinger → Use hosting_importWordpressWebsite (preferred)
   • Other hosting → Use SSH/SFTP transfer
   • WordPress.com → Content import via WP admin

3. What scope?

   • Full site (files + database + config) → Full migration
   • Content only (posts, pages, media) → WXR or API transfer
   • Theme/plugins only → Selective file transfer

Migration Workflows

Full Site Migration to Hostinger

1. Backup source: Database dump + wp-content archive
2. Prepare archive: Combine into single zip/tar.gz
3. Import: Use hosting_importWordpressWebsite with archive + SQL dump
4. DNS update: Point domain to new hosting
5. Verify: Check site loads correctly on new host

Content-Only Migration (API-based)

1. Connect both sites: Ensure both are in WP_SITES_CONFIG
2. Export from source: Use list_content to enumerate all content
3. Transform: Adapt URLs, media references
4. Import to destination: Use create_content for each item
5. Transfer media: Download and re-upload media files
6. Verify: Check content integrity and links

WordPress.com to Self-Hosted

1. Export from WordPress.com: WXR export via wp-admin or WP.com MCP
2. Prepare destination: Fresh WordPress on Hostinger
3. Import: Use WordPress Importer plugin or API
4. Redirect: Set up domain forwarding from WordPress.com

Pre-Migration Checklist

• [ ] Full backup of source site created and verified
• [ ] Full backup of destination site (if not empty)
• [ ] DNS TTL lowered to 300 (5 min) at least 24h before migration
• [ ] All credentials documented (source + destination)
• [ ] Plugin list documented (to reinstall if needed)
• [ ] Custom configuration noted (wp-config.php settings)
• [ ] SSL certificate ready for new hosting
• [ ] User informed about expected downtime

Post-Migration Checklist

• [ ] Site loads on new hosting
• [ ] All pages and posts accessible
• [ ] Media files loading correctly
• [ ] Forms and interactive features working
• [ ] SSL/HTTPS working
• [ ] DNS propagation verified
• [ ] Search and replace for old URLs completed
• [ ] Caching cleared and rebuilt
• [ ] Search Console updated with new sitemap
• [ ] Old hosting cancelled or archived

Safety

• ALWAYS backup before migration — both source AND destination
• NEVER delete the source site until migration is fully verified
• DNS changes take 24-72 hours to propagate worldwide
• Test the migrated site using hosts file or staging URL before DNS switch
• Keep source accessible for at least 1 week after migration

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/hostinger-migration.md - Hostinger-specific migration procedures
• references/cross-platform.md - Cross-platform migration strategies