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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCopying wp-content is necessary for a WordPress move, but it is not a complete migration. The folder contains your themes, plugins, and uploaded media; posts, pages, comments, users, settings, and other database-backed data remain in the WordPress database. To move the site reliably, back up the files and database, copy wp-content to a compatible WordPress installation, import the database, update wp-config.php, repair URLs if the domain or path changes, and test before changing DNS.
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This guide covers a manual transfer from one host to another, including custom content locations, permissions, serialized URL data, validation, and rollback planning.
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What a wp-content transfer does—and what it does not do
WordPress separates the application files from the content you add or configure. The wp-content directory is the user-owned area: it normally contains installed plugins, themes (including customized themes), and files uploaded through the Media Library. WordPress’s file-backup guidance identifies wp-config.php and the complete wp-content directory as especially important files to preserve. See WordPress’s file-backup handbook.
The database is a separate part of the site. It stores posts, pages, comments, users, settings, menus, widget configuration, and plugin or theme data. A folder copy cannot recreate those records. Conversely, a database export without the matching themes, plugins, and uploads produces a site with missing presentation and media.
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| Component | What it contributes | Required for a complete move? |
|---|---|---|
wp-content |
Themes, plugins, uploads, and other site files created or installed by you | Yes |
| Database export | Posts, pages, comments, users, settings, menus, and plugin/theme records | Yes |
wp-config.php |
Database credentials, table prefix, and optional content-directory definitions | Yes, either copied and edited or recreated correctly |
| WordPress core | The application files in the destination installation | Install a compatible copy on the new host |
WordPress’s migration documentation states that when moving to another server or location, you do not need to reinstall WordPress as a product; in practice, the destination still needs a compatible core file set and your original database and content files. Read the official procedure at Migrating WordPress.
1. Create a complete, recoverable backup first
Do not begin by deleting files on the old host or pointing the domain at the new one. Make a backup set that can restore the original site if the transfer fails.
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wp-contentdirectory and the old root-levelwp-config.php. A full file backup is preferable because it preserves core files, server-specific files, and any custom files outside the usual directories. - Export the database. Use the old host’s database-management tool or its documented export method to create an SQL dump. WordPress explains the database-backup process in Backing Up Your Database.
- Keep the two parts together. Label the files with the site name and backup date, and store the SQL dump beside the file backup. Do not assume that a hosting snapshot or a downloaded folder includes the database.
- Protect sensitive data. The SQL dump can contain private site data, and
wp-config.phpcontains database credentials. Store both somewhere access-controlled, and do not leave temporary archives in a publicly reachable web directory.
Before proceeding, confirm that the backup is readable: inspect the archive or downloaded directory, verify that wp-content/plugins, wp-content/themes, and wp-content/uploads are present, and check that the SQL export has a nonzero size. These checks do not prove that every file is intact, but they catch an empty download before it becomes your only copy.
2. Record the old configuration
Open the old wp-config.php and record the values you will need on the destination:
- Database name
- Database username
- Database password
- Database host
- Table prefix, commonly a value such as
wp_but not necessarily that exact prefix - Any custom
WP_CONTENT_DIRorWP_CONTENT_URLdefinitions
The wp-config.php reference documents that WordPress can place wp-content outside the normal application directory when those constants are defined. If the old site uses them, copying a directory into the default location without reproducing the definitions can make WordPress look in the wrong place.
Also note the current site URL and, if relevant, whether WordPress runs from a subdirectory. A domain or path change affects stored URLs and rewrite rules later in the process.
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3. Prepare the new host before uploading anything
- Create the destination database and database user. Use the new host’s control panel or database tools. Grant the user the permissions required by the host’s WordPress setup, and record the new database name, username, password, and host value.
- Identify the document root. Find the directory that serves the new domain or staging address. Uploading to a neighboring directory will produce a site that appears unchanged because the web server is reading a different location.
- Install a compatible WordPress core. Set up a clean WordPress file set in that document root, or use the host’s supported installation process. Do not overwrite the old backup while preparing the new installation.
- Preserve the starter files. Before replacing the destination
wp-content, copy or archive the new host’s original directory. It may contain host-specific defaults that you want available for comparison or rollback.
The destination core does not need to contain your old content yet. The important preparation is a functioning document root, an empty or newly created database, and credentials that you can place in the configuration file after the import.
4. Download and upload wp-content securely
Use SFTP whenever the host offers it. Learn WordPress recommends SFTP over FTP because SFTP encrypts the password while it is sent over the network; its migration lesson explains the distinction at Migrate, Copy, Or Clone A Site.
- Open an SFTP connection to the old host with the host name, port, username, and authentication details supplied by that host.
- Navigate to the old WordPress installation and select the complete
wp-contentdirectory, not just one of its children. - Download the directory to a protected local location. Retain its internal structure, including
plugins,themes,uploads, and any additional directories created by your site. - Close the old-host transfer and connect to the new host’s SFTP service.
- Open the destination document root and locate its WordPress
wp-contentdirectory. - Upload the old directory. Depending on the client, you can rename the destination directory and place the old one in its place, or merge the old contents into it after preserving the destination copy.
FTP can transfer files when SFTP is unavailable, but it does not provide the same protection for credentials in transit. Never upload a database dump or wp-config.php to a publicly accessible directory simply to make the transfer easier.
5. Replace or merge the destination content directory carefully
A clean installation creates a starter wp-content. You have two safe approaches:
- Replace it: rename the new directory, then place the backed-up old directory at the expected path.
- Merge it: copy the old
plugins,themes,uploads, and other required directories into the new directory, allowing the old files to take precedence where names collide.
Replacing is easier to reason about when the old site’s directory is complete. Merging can preserve a host-provided file, but it can also leave an obsolete file that was not present on the old site. Whichever method you use, keep the destination backup until the new site has passed testing.
Check ownership and permissions using the new host’s documented defaults. Incorrect values can cause upload failures, plugin errors, or a blank page even when every file is present. Do not blindly copy numeric ownership from the old server; the account and web-server user may be different on the new host.
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6. Import the database and update wp-config.php
- Import the SQL dump. Use the destination host’s database tool or documented command-line procedure to load the old database into the new database. Import into the database you created for this WordPress installation.
- Edit the destination configuration. In the new
wp-config.php, set the database name, username, password, and host to the new values. Preserve the old table-prefix value unless you intentionally changed table names during the import. - Reproduce custom content constants. If the old configuration defines
WP_CONTENT_DIRorWP_CONTENT_URL, set compatible paths and URLs on the new host. If you are returning the folder to the standard location, remove or revise those definitions only after confirming how the old site used them. - Save the file outside public downloads. The configuration must be readable by WordPress but must not be exposed as a downloadable backup.
If the database import reports errors, stop and resolve them before changing DNS. A partial import can leave tables missing while the front end appears superficially available.
7. Handle a domain or path change safely
If the domain and installation path are unchanged, the imported URL values may already point to the correct location. If either changes, update WordPress’s stored home and siteurl values and then address URLs embedded elsewhere in the database.
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After URL changes, review media links, internal links, forms, redirects, and plugin settings. A successful replacement of the two main URL options does not guarantee that every plugin-created value has been updated.
8. Test the new site before switching traffic
Use a temporary host name, hosts-file mapping, or the new host’s preview address if available. Test while the old site remains online so you can compare behavior and recover without a public outage.
- Front end: Open the home page, representative posts and pages, category or archive pages, and a page with a form.
- Administration: Sign in to
/wp-admin, open the dashboard, and confirm that menus, settings, and user access are present. - Theme: Confirm that the active theme is the expected one and that customized templates or child-theme files are present.
- Plugins: Review the Plugins screen, check activation status, and exercise features that matter to the site rather than assuming a copied directory proves they work.
- Media: Open existing images and documents, upload a test file, and verify that the generated media URL uses the intended domain and path.
- Forms and integrations: Submit test forms and check the receiving mailbox or service. Do not use real customer data for a test submission.
- Scheduled work: Confirm that scheduled posts, maintenance jobs, and other recurring tasks are present and operating under the new host’s conventions.
- Permalinks: Visit a pretty-URL post and page. If they return 404 errors, save the permalink settings again in the WordPress dashboard and verify the new host’s rewrite configuration.
Record each failure and fix it on the new host before cutover. Testing only the home page can miss broken uploads, administrator access, forms, or scheduled jobs.
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9. Change DNS and keep a rollback path
If the domain is moving, lower the DNS TTL ahead of time when practical. After the destination passes testing, change the DNS records to the new host. DNS caching means visitors may continue reaching the old server for a while, so keep the old site available and unchanged until traffic has settled and the new site is stable.
Do not delete the old files or database immediately. Keep the original backup and the old host until you have confirmed that the public domain resolves correctly, logins work, media loads, forms arrive, and no critical scheduled task is failing. If a serious problem appears, restore DNS to the old host, correct the destination, and repeat validation before trying the cutover again.
Folder-only, database-only, and complete moves compared
| Transfer type | What it preserves | What is missing | Likely result |
|---|---|---|---|
wp-content only |
Themes, plugins, uploads, and other files in that directory | Posts, pages, comments, users, settings, and database-backed plugin data | A file set without the site’s content and configuration records |
| Database only | Content records and settings stored in SQL | The matching themes, plugins, uploads, and other files | A database that cannot render the original site correctly |
| Files plus database plus configuration | The site’s files, records, and connection settings | Only items excluded from the backup or changed after it was made | The basis of a complete migration, followed by URL repair and testing |
Common failures and precise fixes
The site says it cannot connect to the database
Recheck the database name, username, password, host, and table prefix in wp-config.php. Confirm that the database user exists on the new host and has access to the imported database. A correct SQL file does not help if WordPress is connecting to a different database.
The site loads but posts or settings are missing
The database may not have been imported, may have been imported into another database, or may contain a different table prefix than the configuration expects. Compare the imported tables and the prefix recorded in wp-config.php; if the import was partial, restore from the original SQL export and repeat it.
Images return 404 errors or new uploads fail
Confirm that the complete uploads directory is in the path WordPress expects, then check ownership and permissions using the new host’s defaults. If the old site used WP_CONTENT_DIR or WP_CONTENT_URL, correct those definitions before moving files again.
The front end shows a blank page or a plugin error
Check permissions first, then verify that the complete plugin and theme directories were transferred. Compare the destination files with the backup rather than assuming that a partially copied directory is usable. If the error began after enabling a particular component, use the host’s documented recovery method and restore the last known-good backup if necessary.
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Save the WordPress permalink settings again and verify that the new host is applying the required rewrite rules. Also confirm that the domain and installation path in the database match the URL visitors are using.
Links point to the old domain
Update home and siteurl, then run a migration-safe search and replace that handles serialized data. Do not use a plain text replacement that ignores serialized lengths.
The site works at the temporary address but not after DNS changes
Check that DNS points to the intended document root and that the site’s canonical URL now matches the public domain. Because cached DNS answers can persist until their TTL expires, keep the old host available while different networks finish updating.
Manual transfer or a migration plugin?
A manual move gives you direct control over the files, SQL export, configuration, and verification points described above. It is suitable when you have SFTP and database access and want a transparent rollback set. The trade-off is that you must perform URL updates, serialized-data handling, permissions checks, and testing yourself.
A migration plugin may package some of those operations, but behavior depends on the plugin version, host limits, archive size, and the access it is granted. Before relying on one, verify that it can export and restore both files and the database, handle a domain or path change without corrupting serialized values, show a recoverable backup, and work within the destination host’s upload and execution limits. Confirm current support and pricing in the plugin’s own documentation; no single tool’s capabilities should be assumed from its label alone.
Quick Recap
| Decision factor | Manual transfer | Migration plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Control over files and database | Direct control of each backup, upload, and import | Depends on the plugin’s export and restore workflow |
| Domain or path changes | You explicitly update URL fields and serialized data safely | Verify that the specific version handles serialized values correctly |
| Required access | SFTP or FTP plus database export/import access | Usually WordPress administrator access, with host limits still relevant |
| Rollback transparency | Separate file and SQL backups are easy to inspect and retain | Depends on whether the plugin produces usable, downloadable backups |
| Archive-size limits | Determined mainly by your transfer and database tools | May be constrained by web upload, memory, timeout, or storage limits |
| Cost and support | Uses the access and tools supplied by your hosts; support is host-dependent | Varies by plugin and plan; check current terms before committing |
Final pre-cutover checklist
- Complete file backup includes
wp-contentandwp-config.php. - SQL database export is stored with the file backup and can be read.
- Destination database and user exist, and credentials are recorded.
- Compatible WordPress core is installed in the correct document root.
- Entire
wp-contentdirectory is present, including plugins, themes, and uploads. - Ownership and permissions follow the new host’s documented defaults.
wp-config.phphas the destination credentials and correct table prefix.- Custom
WP_CONTENT_DIRorWP_CONTENT_URLdefinitions are reproduced or intentionally revised. - Domain and path changes were handled with a serialized-data-safe method.
- Front end,
/wp-admin, media, forms, plugins, scheduled work, and permalinks were tested. - DNS TTL was lowered when practical, and the old host remains available for rollback.
- Temporary archives and sensitive dumps are removed from public directories.
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