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How to Migrate a WordPress Site From a BackupBuddy Backup With ImportBuddy

Move a WordPress site from a full BackupBuddy archive with ImportBuddy: prepare a clean host, upload the ZIP and importer, configure the database, migrate URLs, test everything, and remove temporary files.
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To move a WordPress site with a BackupBuddy archive, upload the complete backup ZIP and its matching importbuddy.php file to a clean directory on the new server, open /importbuddy.php, and follow ImportBuddy’s six-stage restore process. The importer extracts the files, creates or connects to the destination database, imports the SQL data, rewrites URLs and paths, and removes its temporary files.

Test the migrated site on the new host before changing DNS or deleting the original. A full archive is required for a complete move; a database-only export cannot restore themes, plugins, uploads, or other files.

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What you need before starting

ImportBuddy is the standalone PHP importer supplied with BackupBuddy archives. A full BackupBuddy backup contains the WordPress files and database needed to restore the site or move it to another hosting server. You also need the matching importbuddy.php file and the password set for that importer.

1. A complete backup and the matching importer

In the old site’s BackupBuddy backup area, download a full backup archive and its corresponding importbuddy.php. Keep both files together. If the old site is unavailable, retrieve the archive from the off-site storage location where you saved it; the BackupBuddy documentation specifically recommends maintaining an off-site copy such as Stash.

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Do not assume that a database-only backup is interchangeable with a full backup. A database export contains posts, pages, settings, users, and other database records, but it does not contain the WordPress core files, themes, plugins, or media stored on disk.

2. A clean destination directory

Prepare the directory that will serve the new site. The migration guide calls for an empty destination with no existing WordPress installation. Remove or relocate any files that could conflict with the extracted archive, while retaining access to the hosting account and its file-transfer credentials.

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3. Destination hosting details

Have the new server’s database host, database name, database user, database password, and table prefix ready. You also need the destination site URL, including whether it uses http or https and whether WordPress will live at the domain root or in a subdirectory.

If the hosting control panel allows ImportBuddy to create a database, you may use that option during the database-settings stage. Otherwise, create an empty database and user in the hosting panel first, then grant the user the permissions required by that host.

Upload the archive and open ImportBuddy

Upload with FTP or SFTP

  1. Connect to the new host with FTP or SFTP and open the clean directory that will contain the WordPress installation.
  2. Upload the full BackupBuddy ZIP archive.
  3. Upload the matching importbuddy.php file into the same directory.
  4. Leave the ZIP filename unchanged. ImportBuddy uses the archive as provided; renaming it can prevent the importer from identifying or opening it.

Some BackupBuddy workflows let ImportBuddy retrieve an archive from Stash instead of requiring a local ZIP upload. The six-stage process is otherwise the same, but the archive-selection screen will use the remote copy.

Open the importer URL

In a browser, visit the destination address followed by /importbuddy.php, for example https://example.com/importbuddy.php or https://example.com/new-site/importbuddy.php when WordPress is being installed in a subdirectory. Enter the ImportBuddy password when prompted. The importer does not use your normal WordPress administrator password at this point.

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If the page returns a 404 error, verify that the file is in the directory mapped to the URL, that the filename is exactly importbuddy.php, and that the domain or subdirectory points to the directory where you uploaded it. If the page downloads instead of executing, the destination server is not processing PHP correctly and the host must correct that before the migration can continue.

The six ImportBuddy stages

Stage 1: Authenticate and choose the backup

Enter the importer password. ImportBuddy then lists available local archives and, where configured, offers retrieval from Stash. Select the full backup that matches the uploaded importer. Confirm the archive name and size before proceeding; selecting an incomplete or database-only file will not produce a complete site.

Stage 2: Unzip the archive

Start extraction and allow ImportBuddy to unpack the archive into the destination directory. Large archives can take time and require free disk space for both the compressed ZIP and the extracted files. Do not close the browser or delete the ZIP while extraction is running.

If extraction stops, check the host’s available disk space, PHP execution limits, and file-permission policy. A reliable FTP/SFTP transfer is also important: a partially uploaded ZIP may be present but unusable.

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Stage 3: Enter URL and database settings

Provide the new database server, database name, database user, database password, and table prefix. Then enter the destination site URL and, if shown separately, the WordPress URL. Use the exact final scheme and path. For example, choose https:// only when the destination certificate and web-server configuration are ready for HTTPS.

The database prefix must match the tables in the archive unless you intentionally change it. An incorrect prefix can make WordPress appear not to have any users or content even though the SQL import completed.

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When the hosting integration supports it, ImportBuddy can create the destination database from this screen. If it cannot, use the credentials for the database you created in the hosting panel. Do not enter the old host’s database password unless the same database account exists on the new server.

Stage 4: Import the database

ImportBuddy loads the archive’s SQL data into the destination database. This recreates WordPress content, settings, users, plugin data, and other records stored in MySQL or MariaDB.

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The importer exposes advanced options for unusual recovery cases. Use them cautiously: the migration guide warns that some options can overwrite files or erase existing database content. On a clean destination, the standard import path is normally the least destructive choice. Before enabling an advanced option, confirm what it changes and make a separate copy of anything already on the new server.

Stage 5: Migrate URLs and paths

After the SQL import, ImportBuddy updates the database values that refer to the old domain, directory, or server paths. This is the step that makes links, embedded media, serialized settings, and other location-dependent values point to the new address.

Review the old and new URLs carefully when the move changes a domain, protocol, or subdirectory. A change from http://old.example to https://new.example, for instance, affects more than the site title: internal links, image references, canonical settings, and plugin configuration may all contain the former value.

Open the migrated site in a separate browser window and check the front page, several posts, navigation menus, and media before accepting the final migration step. If the site is inaccessible, stop and correct the URL or database settings rather than repeatedly running replacements against an uncertain database.

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Stage 6: Final cleanup

When the site loads correctly, complete ImportBuddy’s cleanup action. Remove the temporary importer files, including importbuddy.php and any extraction or status files that ImportBuddy identifies. Leaving an importer accessible on a public URL gives an attacker a tool for inspecting or altering the installation.

Keep the original backup in secure storage until the new site has passed its checks and you have confirmed that the source site is no longer needed.

Check WordPress before changing DNS

A server move requires both the site files and the database. ImportBuddy handles the transfer, but the destination still needs a functional WordPress configuration and web-server setup.

Configuration and URLs

  • If the database name or user changed, verify that wp-config.php contains the destination credentials.
  • Confirm that the WordPress siteurl and home values use the intended domain, protocol, and path.
  • Make sure the destination certificate works if the site is meant to use HTTPS.

Site functionality

  • Sign in through the normal WordPress login and test an administrator action.
  • Open posts, pages, category archives, navigation links, and a selection of images and downloads.
  • Visit the media library and upload a harmless test image if the site’s workflow requires uploads.
  • Save the permalink settings once, then test a post URL and a 404 page.
  • Submit each important form and verify that its notification or storage behavior works.
  • Check plugin and theme behavior, especially caching, security, ecommerce, membership, and page-builder components.
  • Review scheduled jobs and any host-level cron tasks that run under the new path or domain.
  • Inspect login redirects and mixed-content warnings after enabling HTTPS.

Use a temporary hosts-file entry, a staging domain, or the host’s preview address when you need to test the new server without sending public visitors there. Change DNS only after these checks pass. Keep the old site online until DNS propagation has completed and the new site is serving the expected content.

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Choosing the appropriate migration route

The correct route depends on what you have, where the archive is stored, and whether the address or site structure changes.

Situation What to use Important qualification
Complete site move Full BackupBuddy archive plus matching importbuddy.php Includes files and database; suitable for a server migration.
Only content/settings are needed Database-only backup Does not restore WordPress files, themes, plugins, or uploads.
Archive stored locally FTP/SFTP upload to the clean destination Upload the ZIP and importer together; do not rename the ZIP.
Archive stored off-site ImportBuddy retrieval from Stash, where available Requires access to the remote backup account and the matching importer.
Same domain and path Normal ImportBuddy restore with destination database values URL replacement is simpler, but still verify HTTPS and absolute paths.
Changed domain, protocol, or directory ImportBuddy database-migration stage with the new URL and path Review links, media, redirects, and serialized plugin settings after replacement.
Single-site WordPress Standard full-site workflow All tables belonging to that installation are handled by the normal import.
Multisite network Use the documented multisite limitations as a planning constraint Only the main site’s database tables are migrated automatically in this workflow.
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Multisite limitations you must plan for

A BackupBuddy multisite network moved to another server or URL is not equivalent to a single-site restore. The documented workflow automatically migrates only the main site’s database tables. Subsite URLs and filesystem paths require a separate mass database text replacement.

Conversion between subdomain and subdirectory network structures is unsupported by that workflow. If the network currently uses sites such as site1.example.com and you want paths such as example.com/site1, do not expect ImportBuddy’s standard migration stage to perform that structural conversion. Plan the network rewrite separately and retain a tested copy of the original database.

Troubleshooting common failures

Symptom Likely cause Action
/importbuddy.php shows 404 The file is outside the directory mapped to the requested URL, or the path is wrong. Check the document root, subdirectory path, filename, and upload location.
Importer downloads as text PHP is not enabled or the virtual host is misconfigured. Ask the host to enable PHP execution for that directory before continuing.
Archive is not listed The ZIP is incomplete, renamed, or uploaded to a different directory. Re-upload the original, unchanged archive beside the importer.
Extraction fails Insufficient disk space, interrupted transfer, or restrictive permissions. Free space, verify the transfer, and correct permissions with the host.
Database connection fails One or more destination credentials or the database host is incorrect. Recheck the database server, name, user, password, and prefix in the hosting panel.
Site shows a WordPress installation screen The database was not imported, or the configured prefix does not match the imported tables. Verify the SQL import and the prefix in wp-config.php before repeating any destructive step.
Links point to the old site Old URLs remain in the database or the migration values were entered incorrectly. Recheck the destination URL and path in the database-migration stage, then test media and internal links.
Images are missing The uploads directory was not present in the archive, or URLs still reference the old location. Confirm that the backup was full and inspect the rewritten media paths.
Admin login redirects repeatedly URL or HTTPS values do not agree with the new host configuration. Check siteurl, home, certificate settings, and redirect rules.
Some plugins fail after the move The plugin stores absolute paths, scheduled jobs, or host-specific settings. Open its settings on the new host and review paths, cron configuration, and required PHP services.

Security and rollback precautions

  • Use SFTP rather than unencrypted FTP when the host supports it.
  • Protect the backup ZIP and importer password; a full archive can contain user data, configuration secrets, and private uploads.
  • Do not leave importbuddy.php or temporary extraction files on the public site after migration.
  • Do not delete the source site until the destination has passed functional checks and DNS has settled.
  • Keep an untouched copy of the original archive so you can restart on a clean directory if a database import or URL replacement goes wrong.

What changed after BackupBuddy’s product transition?

SolidWP announced on November 20, 2024 that BackupBuddy had been renamed Solid Backups — Legacy, while Solid Backups — NextGen was positioned as the forward-looking, cloud-based backup service. Existing BackupBuddy archives and their ImportBuddy workflow remain relevant when you need to restore or migrate one of those legacy backups. The newer service is a separate consideration for ongoing backup management after the move, not a replacement step inside this ImportBuddy procedure.

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For a one-time migration, concentrate on the archive, importer, destination database, URL replacement, and cleanup. For long-term protection, establish a new backup schedule only after the migrated site is working and its stored credentials and off-site copies have been verified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change DNS before running ImportBuddy?

No. Run the migration on the new server first and test it through a temporary address or hosts-file entry. Change DNS only after the destination passes the login, links, media, HTTPS, forms, scheduled-task, plugin, and theme checks.

Can ImportBuddy convert a multisite network from subdomains to subdirectories?

Not in the documented workflow. It automatically migrates only the main site’s database tables; subsite URLs and paths need a separate mass database text replacement, and subdomain-to-subdirectory conversion is unsupported.

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