Yesterday I wrote a post explaining how to move your WordPress install within your website/server. Today I wanted to cover how to move your WordPress install to a completely different server.
Again, the flexibility of WordPress shines, making this not overly difficult to accomplish. If you aren’t changing your domain name, all you need to do is update your wp-config.php file and upload all of your files to their new server.
If you are changing your domain name with your move, here is the information you’ll need:
- Backup your WordPress database.
- Download the complete WordPress install to your hard drive and identify the folder as your OLD installation.
- Login into your old blogs dashboard and update the Settings to reflect the website and blogs new location (both fields should be the same).
- Now, download the complete WordPress install to your hard drive, but this time identify the folder as your NEW installation. This will include the settings change you just made.
- Download a copy of your WordPress database (keeping the old one) and then upload it to the new server. You’ll want to keep the same database name and recreate the user login information (you can use your same user name and password). If you change the database name, you’ll need to update your wp-config.php file to reflect the change.
- Upload your NEW installation folder so that your blog is now working in its new location!
If you want to keep your old blog, you’ll need to upload the OLD folder to the OLD location of your blog and readjust the General Settings tab.
Another way to accomplish all of this is to simply make a fresh WordPress install and export/import your posts to the new location. This isn’t the most ideal method, but it is much easier and will get the job done.
For additional information, you’ll want to consult the WordPress Codex.
Kyle Eslick
Kyle Eslick is the founder and primary author of WordPress Hacks. You can learn more about him at KyleEslick.com or you can follow his personal tweets here.
Nice, best post I found on the subject.
If you add code of a full page template using your code ...
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Does anyone have problem after updating? in my case, my Visitor map doesn't work well after updating >.< 
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14 feature in theme looks quite interesting but yet have problem on SEO with some theme of Wordpress. 
Nicen themes, good work :) 
if you’re using CPanel web panel, it’s much easily using cpanel copy features move to another web server. which save a lot of time.
I recommend strongly to disable ALL plugins via the admin panel before making the copy of the database! Many plugins refer to temporary files or absolute server pathes etc and that can really break down your new installation. After having finished all the copy stuff just log in to your admin panel and activate your plugins.
Just remember if you use the import/export that you are only transferring your pages and posts, not your template. So be sure you know which template you are using and upload that to your new templates directory as well.
I agree about using cpanel if available. I moved about 10 sites in about an hour that way. Pretty amazing.
I created an easy / bullet proof wordpress migration tutorial. The longest part will be downloading/uploading your files.
http://youaskme.ca/how-to-move-wordpress-to-a-new-server/
Nice blog you have here!
hey there.
I have often moved wordpress without a glitch, but now, I have a problem. I am sure I did everything by the book, but still, when I access the newly moved site, wordpress greets me with the famous 5 minute installation
What could have gone wrong so that wordpress doesn’t notice it is actually installed?
Thanks for the great article, I’m going to move my wp to new server soon,,
This worked great. I’ve tried moving CMS sites from one server to another before, and they sometimes require re-installing the CMS, then uploading the files and importing the database. Moving a WordPress blog is as easy as it gets, though. I didn’t have to deactivate any plugins. It was just a download files/export database and upload files/import database procedure.
Quick Q – are there any ftp settings within Wordpress that I have to change now. Transfer has gone fine, except Wordpress is still uploading files to the old server. Or is this to do with DNS propagation?