Manually Migrate WordPress Site to a New Host Without Plugins Quickly

To copy a WordPress site from one host to another without using a WordPress plugin, you can follow these manual steps. This process involves migrating both the files and the database. This step-by-step guide to migrate wordpress site requires you to have backend access to your current host.

1. Backup the WordPress Files

1. Access the Source Website via FTP:
   • Use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your existing hosting account.
   • Navigate to the directory where your WordPress site is located, often public_html, www, or a named folder.
2. Download the Files:
   • Select all the files and folders in the WordPress directory.
   • Download them to your local computer.

2. Export the WordPress Database

1. Access the Source Website's Database:
   • Log in to the control panel (like cPanel) of your current host.
   • Open the database management tool (usually phpMyAdmin).
2. Export the Database:
   • In phpMyAdmin, select the database that WordPress uses from the left sidebar.
   • Click on the “Export” tab at the top.
   • Choose the “Quick” export method and the “SQL” format.
   • Click on the “Go” button to download the database SQL file to your local computer.

3. Upload the Files to the New Host

1. Connect to the New Host via FTP:
   • Use an FTP client to connect to your new hosting account.
   • Navigate to the directory where you want to install WordPress (similarly, this is often public_html or www).
2. Upload the Files:
   • Upload all the files you downloaded from the old host to the new host's directory.

4. Create a New Database on the New Host

1. Create the Database:
   • Log in to the control panel of your new host.
   • Find and open the database creation tool (often “MySQL Databases” in cPanel).
   • Create a new database.
2. Create a Database User:
   • Create a new user and assign it to the database.
   • Make sure to grant all privileges to this user on the database.
3. Note the Database Name, Username, and Password:
   • You'll need these details when configuring WordPress.

5. Import the Database on the New Host

1. Access phpMyAdmin:
   • Log in to the control panel of your new host.
   • Open phpMyAdmin.
2. Import the Database:
   • In phpMyAdmin, select the new database you created from the left sidebar.
   • Click on the “Import” tab at the top.
   • Click on “Choose File” and select the SQL file you exported earlier.
   • Click on “Go” to import the database.

6. Configure the wp-config.php File

1. Edit wp-config.php:
   • In the root of your WordPress files on the new host, find the wp-config.php file.
   • Edit the file (you can do this via FTP by downloading, editing, and re-uploading, or by using a file manager in the control panel).
2. Update the Database Details:
   • Find the following lines and update them with the new database details:phpCopy codedefine('DB_NAME', 'new_database_name'); define('DB_USER', 'new_database_user'); define('DB_PASSWORD', 'new_database_password'); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // Usually 'localhost', but some hosts use a different setting.

7. Update URLs (if Necessary)

• If your domain name has changed or you need to update URLs:
  1. Use SQL Queries:
     • In phpMyAdmin, select your database and click on the “SQL” tab.
     • Run the following queries to update the site URL:sqlCopy codeUPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'http://www.oldurl', 'http://www.newurl') WHERE option_name = 'home' OR option_name = 'siteurl'; UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid, 'http://www.oldurl','http://www.newurl'); UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'http://www.oldurl', 'http://www.newurl'); UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value,'http://www.oldurl','http://www.newurl');
     • Replace http://www.oldurl and http://www.newurl with your actual old and new URLs.

8. Final Steps

• Check the Site:
  • After completing the above steps, visit your new domain to check if the site is working correctly.
• Resolve Permalinks:
  • Go to the WordPress admin area, navigate to Settings > Permalinks, and simply click “Save Changes” to reset the permalinks.

By following these steps, you can manually migrate your WordPress site from one host to another without the need for a plugin.