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How to export a WordPress site?

Running a website on WordPress gives us a lot of possibilities - from creating blogs, through company websites, to complex online stores. However, sooner or later, we may be faced with the need to move our website to another server or to another folder. In such a situation, it becomes necessary to export the website. In this article I will describe several methods that will enable us to do this process.

1. Tools built into WordPress

WordPress has built-in tools that allow you to export and import site content, such as posts, pages, comments, categories, and tags. Simply go to your WordPress admin panel, then to the "Tools" > "Export" tab. Then select the type of content to export and click "Download Export File." Unfortunately, this method does not export media files, such as images or site themes.

2. All-in-One WP Migration Plugin

All-in-One WP Migration is one of the most popular WordPress site migration plugins. It allows for a full export of the site – content, database, media files, theme and plugins. After installing and activating the plugin, the “All-in-One WP Migration” tab appears in the administration panel. Go to the “Export” subtab and select “Export to file”. The file with the exported site will be downloaded to your computer.

3. Duplicator Plugin

Duplicator is another popular plugin for migrating WordPress sites. Similar to All-in-One WP Migration, it allows for full site export. After installing the plugin in the administration panel, go to the "Duplicator" > "Packages" > "Create New" tab. After creating the package, download two files - the archive with our site and the installation file.

4. Manual export via FTP

If we have access to our server via FTP, we can manually copy all the files of our website. Then, using phpMyAdmin or another tool, we export the website database. This method is more complicated and requires some technical knowledge, but it gives us full control over what we export.

5. Use of hosting services

Some hosting companies offer tools to migrate WordPress sites. This is convenient, but involves dependence on a specific supplier. Before using this method, it is worth checking carefully what is included in the migration service.

Before exporting a WordPress site, it is always a good idea to make a full backup of the site and database. In case of export problems, we will always have a point of reference. Let's also remember that website migration involves not only exporting, but also importing on a new server. Each of the above methods has its pros and cons - it is worth choosing the one that best suits our needs and skills.

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