The Tool Desk
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What has to move with a WordPress site?
A typical WordPress site has two essential parts: its files and its database. WordPress describes both as necessary to back up a site. The backup handbook distinguishes the two: files include core software, themes, plugins, uploads, and configuration; the database holds posts and other site data. A copy of the directory alone usually does not include the separately stored database.
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Keep the database export and the corresponding files together as one backup set. If one is missing, the destination may lack content or the files and configuration needed to present it as expected. Include the relevant WordPress directory, including wp-content and wp-config.php, as well as .htaccess if the installation uses it. Preserve the original site until you have checked the destination.
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Old URLs remain in content and settings
Changing the site’s domain or installation path does not automatically rewrite every reference stored by the site. Old addresses can remain in the database or in manually written theme files, leaving links or theme displays pointing to the previous location. The WordPress migration handbook explains the relevant URL settings and migration issues.
A blunt replacement can damage serialized data
Some themes and widgets store PHP serialized values that include the length of each string. A plain text replacement can change a URL without updating its recorded length, making the value unreadable. WordPress warns: “If you do a search and replace on your entire database to change the URLs, you can cause issues with data serialization, due to the fact that some themes and widgets store values with the length of your URL marked.”
Use a serialization-aware replacement method rather than a blind database-wide text replacement. WP-CLI’s wp search-replace handles PHP serialized data and offers --dry-run to preview changes without saving them. Review the command’s target scope before running it.
Pretty permalinks need server rewrite support
Pretty permalinks depend on server rewrite configuration. Moving to a different server or directory can leave the destination unable to handle the selected URL structure, even after the database imports correctly. WordPress’s permalink documentation describes the role of permalinks and notes the server configuration requirement. Its migration guidance calls for disabling and reconfiguring rewrite rules when taking a move live if permalinks were in use.
Which addresses and parts of the move should you check?
Distinguish WordPress Address from Site Address
The WordPress Address identifies where the WordPress core files are located. The Site Address is the public-facing address visitors use. They can differ when WordPress is installed in its own directory, so do not assume both should always be identical. Set each to match the intended destination and installation layout.
Identify what is changing
The correct work depends on whether you are changing the domain, moving WordPress into or out of a directory, changing servers while keeping the same public URL, or moving a Multisite network. A server move without a URL change may not require the same URL replacements as a domain change; a directory change may affect both paths and rewrite behavior.
Multisite needs particular care: WordPress says its single-install URL instructions do not apply to Multisite as written. WP-CLI search-replace targets the current site by default; network-wide operation requires explicitly requesting network scope with --network.
Quick Recap
How to move a WordPress site without breaking it
- Inventory the move. Record whether the domain, directory, server, database name or user, or Multisite network is changing. Identify the intended public URL and where the core files will live.
- Make a complete backup set. Export the database and download the relevant WordPress files. Keep both together, and retain access to the original site so you can recover if the destination is incomplete.
- Copy files and import the database. Put the files on the destination and import the matching database export. Update the database credentials in the destination’s
wp-config.phpas needed for that server. - Set the destination addresses. Align WordPress Address and Site Address with the planned core-file location and public-facing URL. Account for an installation in a subdirectory rather than assuming the values must match.
- Replace old URLs safely when needed. Use a serialization-aware method. With WP-CLI, confirm the source and destination strings and the site or network scope; use
--dry-runto preview before committing changes. The command documentation also describes exporting transformed data to an SQL file. - Verify rewrite behavior. Check the permalink structure and destination server configuration. If pretty permalinks were used, reconfigure rewrite rules as required for the new environment.
- Test before retiring the old site. Visit the homepage, representative posts and pages, category and tag archives, media files, and the login and admin areas. Check redirects and any hard-coded theme or menu links relevant to the move.
How to diagnose common migration symptoms
- Images are missing: Check that uploads were copied and that stored image URLs point to the new address. A files-only or database-only move can leave the site without the matching part of its backup set.
- Posts or pages return 404 errors: Check that the destination supports the selected permalink structure and that its rewrite rules are configured for the new server or directory.
- The site loads with the wrong address or links still point to the old site: Check both WordPress Address and Site Address, then look for old references in database content or manually written theme files.
- A theme or widget breaks after URL replacement: A plain replacement may have corrupted serialized values. Restore the matched backup set if necessary and repeat with a serialization-aware method.
- The move is Multisite: Stop before applying single-install instructions or a current-site-only search-replace to the whole network. Confirm the intended site or network scope first.
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