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Before making changes, it is worth preparing your site, exporting content, checking ownership of domains and paid plans, and understanding how DNS affects visitors and email. A careful transfer helps prevent missing images, broken links, downtime, or search visibility issues after the move.
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Decide What Type of Transfer You Need
Before you export files, change DNS records, or invite another user, define what “transfer” means for your situation. A WordPress.com site can be moved in several different ways, and each one affects different parts of the site: ownership, content, hosting, domain registration, email, search visibility, and paid plan features. Choosing the right path first helps you avoid unnecessary downtime or losing access to upgrades tied to the current account.
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- Transfer the site to another WordPress.com account: Use this when you want another person or organization to own and manage the same WordPress.com site. This keeps the site on WordPress.com, but changes the owner. It is often used when handing a client site to a client, moving a personal project to a business account, or transferring control to a new administrator.
- Migrate from WordPress.com to self-hosted WordPress: Choose this if you want to run the site on your own hosting account using WordPress.org software. This gives you more control over themes, plugins, server settings, ecommerce tools, membership systems, and custom code, but you also become responsible for hosting, backups, security, and updates.
- Transfer a custom domain to another registrar: This applies when your domain, such as example.com, is registered through WordPress.com and you want to manage it at a different domain registrar. This does not automatically move your website content; it only moves the domain registration.
- Point a custom domain to a new host: Use this when you want the domain to stay registered where it is, but load a site hosted somewhere else. This usually involves changing nameservers or DNS records rather than transferring the domain registration itself.
If your goal is simply to let someone else edit the site, you may not need a full transfer. Adding the person as an Administrator, Editor, or other user role may be enough. A full site ownership transfer is more appropriate when the other party should control billing, plan renewals, domain settings, and permanent site ownership. For client work, confirm which account will pay for future upgrades before starting the transfer.
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| Goal | Best option | Main items affected |
|---|---|---|
| Give another person full control of the same WordPress.com site | Transfer site ownership within WordPress.com | Owner account, billing access, plan management, admin control |
| Use custom plugins, advanced themes, or your own hosting | Migrate to self-hosted WordPress | Content, media, theme setup, plugins, hosting, database |
| Move domain management away from WordPress.com | Transfer the domain to another registrar | Domain registration, renewal billing, registrar settings |
| Keep the domain registered at WordPress.com but use another host | Update DNS or nameservers | Website routing, DNS records, email records |
Also check whether your site uses WordPress.com-specific features before deciding. Features such as built-in subscriptions, blocks tied to a paid plan, premium themes, ecommerce tools, video hosting, and email forwarding may not move automatically to another environment. If you are moving to self-hosted WordPress, you may need replacement plugins or a new theme setup. If you are only transferring ownership within WordPress.com, most site content and settings stay in place, but paid subscriptions and domain ownership may require separate confirmation.
Finally, identify whether your domain and your website are managed together or separately. Many transfer problems happen because the site is moved but the domain still points to the old location, or the domain is transferred without updating email records. Write down your current site address, custom domain, registrar, WordPress.com plan, DNS provider, email provider, and the destination account or host. With that information in hand, the next steps become much clearer: prepare the site, back up the content, make the correct transfer, then test everything after the move.
Back Up and Prepare Your WordPress.com Site
Before you transfer a WordPress.com site, take time to prepare the content, settings, users, and domain details. A clean preparation step reduces missing media, broken links, permission problems, and avoidable downtime. This applies whether you are moving the site to another WordPress.com account, exporting it to a self-hosted WordPress installation, or separating a custom domain from the site.
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Start by signing in as an administrator or site owner. If the site has mulle users, confirm who owns the site, who manages billing, and which account controls the domain. On WordPress.com, ownership, paid plans, domain registrations, email services, and premium features may be tied to a specific account, so you should identify these before starting the transfer. Also check whether the site uses a custom domain, paid theme, plugins, ecommerce tools, or third-party integrations, since these may need separate handling after the move.
Create an export of your content
For a standard content backup, go to Tools > Export in your WordPress.com dashboard. Choose Export all to download an XML file containing your posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, menus, and other content records. This file is the main transfer file used when importing content into another WordPress site. Save it somewhere safe, such as cloud storage and your local computer, and avoid renaming it in a way that makes it hard to identify later.
The XML export does not always behave like a full server-level backup. It may not include every design setting, plugin configuration, custom CSS rule, widget placement, or media file as a standalone archive. During import, WordPress usually attempts to fetch media from the original site, so keep the source site online and public until the new site has finished importing and you have confirmed that images and downloads came across correctly.
Prepare the site before exporting
- Update important content: Remove old drafts, spam comments, unused pages, and duplicate media if they should not be moved.
- Record theme and layout details: Note the active theme name, homepage settings, menu locations, widget areas, custom CSS, and any block patterns or template changes you may need to recreate.
- Check media-heavy pages: Review galleries, downloadable files, podcast embeds, and video blocks so you can verify them after the transfer.
- Save SEO details: Document page titles, meta descriptions, slugs, redirects, analytics IDs, and search console verification methods if you use them.
- Review users: Remove inactive users and confirm which authors should be recreated or mapped on the destination site.
- List connected services: Make a note of newsletter forms, payment buttons, social sharing tools, email marketing connections, and ecommerce settings.
If you plan to move to self-hosted WordPress, set up the destination hosting account and install WordPress before importing. Make sure the new site can accept uploads large enough for your export file, and choose a theme that can support your existing structure. If you are transferring to another WordPress.com account instead, confirm the recipient account exists and uses the correct email address. For a custom domain transfer, gather registrar access, domain contact details, nameserver records, DNS records, and any email routing settings before making changes.
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Finally, choose a low-traffic time for the transfer and avoid publishing major updates during the move. If new posts, comments, or orders are added after you export, they may need to be exported again or copied manually. Keeping the original site unchanged during the transfer gives you a reliable source to compare against once the destination site is ready.
Transfer a WordPress.com Site to Another Account
Transferring a WordPress.com site to another WordPress.com account is the simplest option when you want a different person to own and manage the site without changing hosting, themes, posts, pages, comments, or most settings. This is commonly used when handing a client site to a client, moving a personal site to a business account, or transferring ownership after a sale. The process keeps the site on WordPress.com, so there is no need to install WordPress elsewhere or manually move files.
Before you begin, make sure the receiving person already has a WordPress.com account. You will need the username or email address connected to that account. The current owner should also review paid plans, domains, premium themes, plugins, and billing details, since some purchases may need separate handling. If the site uses a custom domain, check whether you are only transferring the site itself or whether the domain registration should move to the new owner as well.
Steps to transfer ownership
- Sign in to the WordPress.com account that currently owns the site.
- Open My Sites and select the site you want to transfer.
- Go to Users or Users > All Users, depending on the dashboard view.
- Invite the new owner as an Administrator if they are not already added to the site.
- Wait for the new user to accept the invitation from their WordPress.com account.
- Return to the user management area and choose the option to transfer site ownership, if available for that site.
- Select the new account as the owner and confirm the transfer.
After the transfer is accepted, the new owner becomes responsible for the site’s main administrative control. The previous owner may remain as an administrator unless removed, so review the user list immediately after the handover. For client work, it is usually best to keep only the client as owner and assign yourself a lower role, such as Administrator or Editor, depending on the ongoing support arrangement.
What usually transfers with the site
- Content: posts, pages, comments, menus, categories, tags, and media library items.
- Design: active theme, customizer settings, widgets, navigation, and block patterns saved to the site.
- Site settings: homepage settings, discussion settings, permalink structure, and general configuration.
- Users: existing users and their roles, unless changed during or after the transfer.
Paid features need extra attention. A WordPress.com plan attached to the site may remain connected to the site, but billing ownership, renewal responsibility, and payment methods should be checked in the WordPress.com purchases area. Domains can be more complex: a domain registered through WordPress.com may need to be transferred to the new user’s account separately, while a domain registered elsewhere will stay with the outside registrar unless you update its account ownership there.
Once the transfer is complete, sign in as the new owner and test the main admin tasks. Confirm that the dashboard opens correctly, posts and pages are editable, media files load, forms still send messages, and any paid features remain active. Then visit the public site in a private browser window to check the homepage, navigation, mobile layout, and contact pages. If the previous owner should no longer have access, remove or downgrade their user role after you have confirmed that the new owner can fully manage the site.
Move from WordPress.com to Self-Hosted WordPress
Moving from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress.org site gives you more control over themes, plugins, server settings, ecommerce tools, memberships, advertising, and custom development. The core process is to export your content from WordPress.com, install WordPress on your new hosting account, import the content, then reconnect your domain and review the migrated site carefully.
Before you begin, choose a WordPress hosting provider and set up a fresh WordPress installation. Most hosts offer a one-click WordPress installer from the hosting dashboard. Once WordPress is installed, log in to the new admin area and install a theme that is close to your current design, or prepare to rebuild the design using a block theme, page builder, or custom theme. Your posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, and many media references can be imported, but the exact appearance of your WordPress.com site may not transfer automatically.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Export your WordPress.com content: In your WordPress.com dashboard, go to Tools > Export. Choose Export all to download an XML file containing your site content.
- Install the WordPress importer: On the new self-hosted site, go to Tools > Import, then install and run the WordPress importer.
- Upload the export file: Select the XML file from WordPress.com and upload it to the new site. If the file is very large, you may need to increase upload limits or split the export into smaller files.
- Assign authors: Map old WordPress.com authors to existing users on the new site, or create new users during import.
- Import attachments: Check the option to download and import file attachments so WordPress attempts to copy images and other media into the new Media Library.
After the import finishes, review the new site page by page. Some images may still load from WordPress.com if they were not copied successfully. In that case, re-run the importer, upload missing images manually, or use a media migration plugin designed to pull external images into the local Media Library. Also check embeds, galleries, buttons, contact forms, and reusable blocks, since WordPress.com-specific features may need replacement plugins on the self-hosted site.
If you used WordPress.com features such as subscriptions, stats, related posts, social sharing, or downtime monitoring, install the Jetpack plugin on the self-hosted site and connect it to your WordPress.com account. Jetpack can help preserve several familiar WordPress.com tools, although some features may depend on your plan. For forms, SEO controls, caching, backups, security, and ecommerce, choose dedicated plugins that match your new setup.
| Item | What to Check After Import |
|---|---|
| Posts and pages | Confirm titles, formatting, featured images, categories, tags, and publish dates. |
| Media | Open image-heavy posts and verify that files load from the new domain or Media Library. |
| Menus and widgets | Rebuild navigation menus, footer areas, sidebars, and block widget areas if needed. |
| Design | Adjust theme settings, templates, fonts, colors, and homepage layout. |
When the self-hosted site looks ready, update your domain to point to the new hosting account. If your domain is registered through WordPress.com, you can either change its name servers to your host’s name servers or update DNS records such as the A record and CNAME. Keep the old WordPress.com site available until DNS has fully propagated and you have confirmed that the new site is working correctly on the live domain.
Transfer or Point Your Custom Domain
If your WordPress.com site uses a custom domain such as example.com, you need to decide whether to keep the domain registered at WordPress.com and point it to the new site, or transfer the domain registration to another registrar. These are separate from moving your website content. Your posts, pages, theme, and media can be migrated while the domain remains at WordPress.com, or the domain can be transferred while the site continues to run elsewhere.
Point the domain to your new host
Pointing is usually the fastest option when you are moving from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress site but want to keep domain billing where it is. In your WordPress.com dashboard, open the domain management area for the site, select the domain, and update its DNS records or nameservers using the values provided by your new web host. Many hosts ask you to replace WordPress.com nameservers with their own nameservers, while others provide specific DNS records such as an A record for the root domain and a CNAME record for www.
- Nameserver change: hands DNS management to your new hosting provider, which is simpler if the host manages all records for you.
- A record update: points the root domain, such as example.com, to your server IP address while DNS stays managed at WordPress.com.
- CNAME update: commonly points www.example.com to your root domain or to a host-provided address.
- MX records: keep these unchanged if your email is already working through Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another mail provider.
DNS changes can begin working within minutes, but full propagation may take up to 24–48 hours. During that window, some visitors may see the old WordPress.com site while others reach the new host. To reduce disruption, finish the migration, test the new site on a temporary URL if your host provides one, and only then update the domain records.
Transfer the domain registration
If you want your domain registration, renewals, DNS, and hosting managed in one place, transfer the domain to your new registrar or hosting company. Before starting, confirm that the domain is eligible for transfer. Most registrars prevent transfers within 60 days of a new registration, a previous transfer, or certain contact information changes. You should also make sure the domain is not expired and that you can access the registrant email address.
- Unlock the domain in your WordPress.com domain settings.
- Request the transfer authorization code, sometimes called an EPP code.
- Start the transfer with the new registrar and enter the authorization code.
- Approve any confirmation emails sent to the domain owner contact.
- Wait for the transfer to complete, which commonly takes several days.
Before transferring, copy any DNS records you still need, including records for email, verification services, analytics tools, newsletter platforms, or subdomains. When the transfer completes, check that the new registrar has the correct nameservers and DNS records. If email is attached to the domain, send and receive test messages afterward so you can catch missing MX, SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records quickly.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteAfter either pointing or transferring the domain, update the site address in your new WordPress installation if needed, enable SSL for HTTPS, and test both the root and www versions of the domain. Make sure one version redirects to the other consistently, old WordPress.com URLs redirect where possible, and pages load without mixed-content warnings or redirect loops.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check Content, Media, Links, and SEO After the Transfer
After the transfer is complete, review the new site before you announce the move or cancel any old plan. A WordPress.com-to-WordPress.com transfer usually keeps the site structure intact, but account permissions, connected services, and domain settings can still need attention. A move to self-hosted WordPress requires a closer check because themes, plugins, media handling, redirects, and SEO tools may behave differently on the new host.
Review pages, posts, and menus
Open the new site in a private browser window and browse it like a visitor. Check the homepage, main landing pages, blog archive, recent posts, contact page, shop pages if applicable, and any custom post types. Confirm that navigation menus point to the right URLs and that sidebar, footer, and header links still work. If your old site used WordPress.com blocks, shortcodes, forms, galleries, or embeds, inspect those areas closely because some features may require Jetpack, a matching plugin, or manual rebuilding on a self-hosted site.
- Compare the number of published posts and pages against the old site export.
- Check that categories, tags, authors, featured images, and publish dates came across correctly.
- Test contact forms, newsletter signups, search, comments, and e-commerce checkout flows.
- Make sure private, draft, and password-protected content has the correct visibility.
Confirm media files and internal links
Images and downloads are common trouble spots after a migration. Visit several older posts as well as newer ones and confirm that images load from the new location, not from temporary staging URLs. If you imported from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, run a media import or use a trusted search-and-replace tool if file references still point to the old domain. For downloadable PDFs, audio files, or documents, test the links directly and replace any broken file paths.
Next, scan for broken internal links and outdated URLs. If the domain changed, links inside posts may still point to the previous WordPress.com address or a staging domain. Update those links so visitors stay on the live site. For larger sites, use a crawler such as Screaming Frog, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, Semrush Site Audit, or a WordPress broken link checker plugin, then fix 404 pages, redirect chains, and links to missing images. Keep redirects active from old URLs to matching new URLs whenever possible, especially for pages that receive search traffic or backlinks.
Check SEO, analytics, and indexing
Open your WordPress reading settings and confirm the site is not set to discourage search engines. Then review page titles, meta descriptions, URL slugs, headings, image alt text, canonical URLs, and XML sitemaps. On self-hosted WordPress, install and configure an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or All in One SEO if you used WordPress.com SEO features before. Submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and verify the preferred domain version, including HTTPS.
| Item to check | What to verify |
|---|---|
| SSL certificate | The site loads securely at https:// with no browser warnings. |
| Redirects | Old URLs forward to the correct new pages without landing on the homepage by default. |
| Analytics | Google Analytics, Jetpack Stats, pixels, and tag managers are installed and recording visits. |
| Search Console | The domain is verified, the sitemap is submitted, and crawl errors are monitored. |
Finally, test performance and mobile display. Run the site through PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix, check several pages on a phone, and confirm caching or image optimization is working on the new platform. Keep the old WordPress.com site, export file, and domain access available until you have verified content, media, links, email routing, redirects, analytics, and search visibility on the transferred site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my WordPress.com site to another person without giving them my login?
Yes. You can invite the other person as an administrator, then use WordPress.com’s site transfer option to move ownership to their account. Make sure you trust the recipient, because the new owner will control the site, billing, upgrades, and settings after the transfer is accepted.
What is the difference between exporting a WordPress.com site and transferring ownership?
Exporting creates a file containing your posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, and some other content so you can import it elsewhere. Transferring ownership keeps the site on WordPress.com but changes which account owns it. If you are moving to self-hosted WordPress, you usually export from WordPress.com and import into a WordPress.org installation.
Will my images transfer when I move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org?
Images can usually be imported into your new self-hosted WordPress site during the import process if you select the option to download and import file attachments. Large media libraries may need more than one import attempt or help from your hosting provider if the process times out. After migration, check older posts to confirm images load from your new site rather than from WordPress.com.
Do I need to transfer my domain, or can I just point it to the new site?
You can do either, depending on where you want to manage the domain. Pointing the domain means you keep it registered where it is and update DNS records or nameservers to send visitors to the new host. Transferring the domain moves domain billing and management to a new registrar, which can take several days and may require unlocking the domain and using an authorization code.
How do I avoid losing traffic after transferring my WordPress.com site?
Keep the same permalink structure when possible, set up redirects for changed URLs, and verify that your custom domain points to the new site correctly. Check pages, menus, forms, images, and internal links after the move. You should also submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console and monitor crawl errors for the first few weeks.
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Bottom Line
Transferring a WordPress.com site comes down to choosing the right path: move the site to another WordPress.com account, migrate your content to a self-hosted WordPress.org setup, or transfer and update your custom domain. Before you start, back up your content, confirm account access, review plan and domain ownership details, and make of any DNS settings you may need to recreate.
Once the transfer is complete, check that pages, posts, media, menus, redirects, forms, and domain settings are working as expected. If anything looks off, fix it before announcing the move, and keep your old account or records available until you are sure traffic, email, and search visibility are stable.
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