For a standard self-hosted WordPress installation, go to Tools → Export, choose All content or set filters, and download the WXR/XML file. That exports supported content records—not a complete copy of the site. Images may need to be fetched during import, and themes, plugins, settings, files, and server or domain changes require separate handling.
Choose the right kind of export
First decide what you need at the destination. The dashboard export is suited to transferring content into another WordPress site. Moving an entire installation to a new server or changing its domain is a migration, which involves additional files, database, and URL work.
| Route | Best for | What it provides | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard: Tools → Export | Most site owners transferring content | WXR/XML records, with built-in filters | Not a full-site copy; check media and handle site files, design, and configuration separately. |
WP-CLI: wp export |
Administrators scripting or filtering exports | WXR files with command-line filters and output controls | Still excludes site configuration and attachment files. |
| Site Editor theme export | Exporting supported Site Editor theme changes | A theme ZIP containing templates, template parts, and style settings | Not a content export or full-site migration. |
| Full migration procedure | Moving an installation to another server or URL | Guidance for server, files, database, and URL concerns | More involved than importing a content export; use the steps for your specific setup. |
Export content from the WordPress dashboard
- Sign in to the source site and open Tools → Export.
- Choose All content for the broadest standard export, or select a content type. For posts or pages, available filters can narrow the export by category, author, date range, or status.
- Click the download button and save the generated XML file somewhere you can access during import. WordPress calls this format WordPress eXtended RSS (WXR).
The official Tools Export screen documentation describes the download as an XML file. A WXR file contains content records such as authors, terms, posts, comments, and attachment references; it is not a copy of the running WordPress installation.
Import the WXR file and check media
- On the destination WordPress site, open Tools → Import → WordPress.
- If prompted, install or run the WordPress importer, then upload the WXR file.
- When offered, select Download and Import File Attachments if the destination should try to retrieve referenced media from the source.
- After the import, inspect the Media Library and representative posts and pages. Confirm that images and other media display as expected.
The attachment option asks the importer to fetch referenced files; it does not make the WXR itself a self-contained media archive. The Learn WordPress Tools: Import and Export tutorial notes that unattached Media Library items are not included in the XML export. Find and transfer those files separately if you need them.
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A content import does not carry the source site’s design, themes, or plugins. Install the theme and plugins you need on the destination, then check whether any design elements or plugin-dependent features need to be recreated or configured there.
If the site uses a block theme customized in the Site Editor, WordPress provides a separate theme export at Appearance → Editor → More Options → Tools → Export. It downloads a theme ZIP containing templates, template parts, and style settings. This is a way to export supported theme changes, not a replacement for the WXR content export or a whole-site migration. See the WordPress Site Editor documentation.
Use WP-CLI for a scripted or filtered export
Administrators can use the official wp export command to create WXR files. Its options support filtering by date, post type, ID, author, category, and status, as well as output and file-size controls. Consult the WP-CLI export reference for the exact syntax and available options for your installed version.
WP-CLI explicitly states that WXR files do not include site configuration (options) or the attachment files themselves. The documented default maximum individual file size is 15 MB; command options can override it. Treat that as a command default, not a guarantee about the size or completeness of a particular export.
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For a new server or domain, follow a migration process
If your goal is to move the complete site, a WXR export alone is insufficient. A migration can involve the WordPress files and database, server setup, and—if the address changes—updates to stored URLs. The official WordPress migration handbook covers moving sites, changing URLs, and server moves.
- Keep a backup before changing files, database values, or site addresses.
- Follow the migration steps that match your server and whether the domain is changing; the WordPress Address and Site Address are relevant settings.
- For URL changes, use database-aware replacement tools when appropriate rather than making blind manual edits. WordPress warns that URLs can be stored in ways that make simple search-and-replace edits unsafe.
Use the handbook’s relevant procedure rather than treating content export and import as a substitute for moving the installation.
WordPress.com and personal-data exports are different cases
This procedure describes a standard WordPress installation. WordPress.com account-specific export behavior can vary, and the details here do not establish which options apply to a particular WordPress.com plan. If your site is hosted on WordPress.com, follow its current support instructions for your account and intended destination.
Also distinguish a site-content export from Tools → Export Personal Data. That separate privacy tool prepares a ZIP archive of data held about a particular user; it is not an export of the site’s posts, pages, theme, or installation. WordPress notes that the archive may not include data held by third-party services. Details are in the WordPress Privacy documentation.
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