Migrating From wp.com To wp.org? Here’s How You Can Ensure a Seamless Move

You’ve hit WordPress.com’s ceiling. Your site is ready to scale, but you’re trapped by limited customization and zero control over plugins.

The thought of migrating from wp.com to wp.org probably seems daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. You can complete the entire migration in under 2 hours with zero data loss.

This guide lays out the definitive, step-by-step framework for making the switch. All you have to do is follow this process precisely to ensure a safe and smooth WordPress site migration.

WordPress.com limits you to approved themes and basic features. But switching to WordPress.org lets you do more.

You can choose any theme, remove ads, and use the plugins your business needs. This guide will walk you through how to make this migration happen.

Pre-migration essentials

Before you begin, make sure you have these in place:

A website backup: If you have a free site, use the export tool to download a copy of your content. If you have a paid plan, use a free backup plugin to take a quick backup of your site.

Choose a hosting provider: Select a reliable host for your WordPress.org site.

Secure your domain: Buy and set up your domain, ensuring that you have complete control over it.

Migrating from wp.com to wp.org

There are two ways to migrate your site, and it depends on what type of WordPress.com plan you have. If you’re using a Free plan, go with the manual migration method below. If you have a Business plan or higher, it’s easier to use a migration plugin.

A) Manual migration

This method requires a few more steps than the plugin method, but it’s simple if you follow the steps exactly. Here’s how to go about it:

Step 1: Export your WordPress.com content

• Navigate to your WordPress.com Dashboard. Under Tools, find Export and click on it

• Select All content and Download Export File (.xml format)

• Now you need to export your media library. Navigate to Tools and find Export Media Files

• Once you find it, click on the Download button, and a file in a .tar format will be downloaded

Step 2: Set up your new WordPress.org site

• Install WordPress on your hosting account. Most hosts offer one-click WordPress installation through their control panel. If yours doesn’t, check their help documentation or search for ‘WordPress installation guide for [your host name]’ to find step-by-step instructions.
• Once your site is up, navigate to your hosting dashboard and get your FTP/SFTP credentials ready

Step 3: Import content to the new site

• Access your WordPress.org admin dashboard. Navigate to Tools and then Import

• Look for the WordPress Importer. Once you find it, install it if you haven’t already

• After the install, run the importer and upload your .xml file

• Import or create new users and assign posts to them if needed. Check Download and import file attachments, and hit Submit

Step 4: Import media files

• Extract the .tar file on your computer and connect to your site via FTP. We will be using FileZilla

• Navigate to /wp-content/uploads/ and upload pictures from the extracted folder here

That’s it! You have successfully migrated your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org manually.

B) Migration using a plugin

If you’re on a paid WordPress.com plan (Business or higher), using a plugin is your best option. While there are multiple migration plugins out there, we recommend using Migrate Guru. 

It handles the heavy lifting on BlogVault’s powerful servers and can migrate sites up to 100GB with zero downtime. Here’s how you can go about it:

Step 1: Prepare both sites

• Navigate to Plugins and then Add New
• In the search bar, look for Migrate Guru. Once you find it, install and activate it on both your sites

Step 2: Run the migration

• In your WordPress.com dashboard, find and click on Migrate Guru. Locate and copy the migration key at the bottom of your screen

• Access your WordPress.org site’s admin panel and navigate to Migrate Guru. Select your hosting provider (or choose Other Hosts if you don’t see yours)

• Enter the migration key from your WordPress.com site and hit Migrate.

Give it a few minutes and your site will be migrated completely. 

Post-migration checklist

Your migration is complete, but you’re not quite done yet. Now you need to verify everything transferred correctly and set up your new site for success. Here’s how to tackle it step by step:

Verify your content and media

First, browse through your posts and pages to make sure everything imported correctly. Check that your images are displaying properly and that your media files are working. This is the most important step. If something didn’t transfer, you need to catch it now.

Fix broken links

If you used the manual migration method, your internal links might still be pointing to your old WordPress.com URLs. Here’s how to fix that:

• Install the Better Search Replace plugin

• Go to Tools, and locate Better Search Replace
• Search for: your-old-site.wordpress.com and replace with: yournewsite.com
• Select All Tables and run the replacement

This will update all internal links throughout your site to point to your new domain instead of the old WordPress.com address.

Update your domain settings

If you had a custom domain on WordPress.com, you’ll need to update your DNS settings to point to your new hosting provider. This ensures visitors reach your new site instead of the old one. 

Test everything

Now test your site thoroughly. Click through all your internal links to make sure they work correctly. Test any contact forms or interactive elements you have. Verify your theme looks the way it should and that your widgets and menus are in place.

Don’t skip the behind-the-scenes setup either. Install and configure the plugins you need. Set up 301 redirects to preserve your SEO rankings, and install a security plugin. Update all your passwords while you’re at it, and configure automatic backups as a safety precaution.

Clean up

Once everything is working perfectly, you can delete your old WordPress.com site. But only do this after you’re 101% confident the migration was successful. Your site is now free from WordPress.com’s limitations and ready to grow.

Troubleshooting common issues

Even with a perfect migration, you might run into a few bumps. Don’t panic. These usually have quick fixes. Here are two common issues that may arise and how you can solve them.

Database connection errors

If you see Error establishing a database connection, your site can’t connect to your database. This typically means your database credentials in wp-config.php are incorrect. Or it could be that your database server is temporarily down. Check with your hosting provider to verify the correct credentials and server status.

Critical errors and white screen

A white screen or the site is experiencing technical difficulties message usually points to PHP compatibility issues or plugin/theme conflicts. Check your error logs through your hosting control panel to identify the specific problem. 

Most migration issues are straightforward to resolve once you know what’s causing them. 

Parting thoughts

WordPress.org offers the control and growth potential that WordPress.com restricts. A structured migration process ensures your content and site integrity remain intact. Remember, regular maintenance, updates, and security measures are key to keeping your site running smoothly and efficiently.

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Written by

Shivani M

Shivani enjoys crafting guides that make every aspect of using WordPress simple and easy to follow. When she's not glued to her laptop, you can find her buried in a good book or occasionally, painting.