Is it possible to copy a website, as opposed to moving it to another URL? I am using Wordpress on a current URL and have made changes and adjustments to make it look the way I want it to. Now, I would like to use the same formatted theme and copy it to my other URL. Thank you for your time.

Hi Tammy,

You should be able to simply copy the modified theme to the new site, then enable that theme there.

If you need to copy the data as well, you'll need to go through the full procedure. Moving a site and Copying a site are exactly the same.

But copying just a theme is a matter of copying the them files to the new site, and activating it.

Be sure to save copies of any modified files. If there is a theme update and you auto update your theme through WordPress, your changes will be lost. You'll have to copy the changed files back to the updated theme.

If you have any doubts about doing this, I suggest you create a test site and try it first before changing a live site.

Let us know if you run into problems.

Cheers,
Ed

Is this where the child theme might come into play? You can have one theme you want to use and create a child theme use on the other URL?

Yes if you use the child theme, updating the base theme won't affect changes you made to the child theme.

Ed

Thank you Ed. I appreciate you guys!

You're welcome, Tammy.

And we appreciate you guys, too! Keep at it.

Cheers,
Ed

I am sorry to bother you guys again, but when I tried to move my site. It kept directing to the old URL. I read on wordpress.org that I have to change all of my URLS before it will recognize the new domain. Do you have a video on how to copy the site over?

This might help.

www.ostraining.com/blog/wordpress/move-your-wordpress-site/

Where people get hung up with this is after changing the name of the site according to these directions, they can't figure out how to change it back. The simple answer is to not use the original data base, use a copy, so you can switch back to the original after you're done making the copy.

There are a lot of ways to accomplish this. This is only one way. I'll give you a couple of suggestions since we're coming into the weekend we might not be around.

Try using EZPZ backup - See number 8 in this newsletter article www.ostraining.com/blog/wordpress/9-esse...l-wordpress-plugins/

Also another simple method is to install wordpress directly on your local machine and get a generic copy working.

Go to your original and go to the Dashboard > Tools and choose to export everything.

Then go to your working local site Dashboard > Tools and choose to import everything.

Copy over any template changes and make sure all plugins are installed and activated. That should also give you a duplicate site.

Another option is to simply copy everything over and use phpmyadmin to go in and change the url's directly in the data base tables. I think that might be too confusing though, so I wouldn't do it unless you're an expert.

If you run into problems, go ahead and post in the forum. No guarantees, but most of us try to check in on the weekends as well and we might pick up your post. Otherwise, we'll work it out on Monday for you.

Let us know the results.

Cheers,
Ed

Hey Ed! I hope you had a great weekend. I am still a bit confused on this and would love your help to try to get me over the hump. I am trying to create 5 identical templates. I have created the first one, and that is the one I am using to copy everything over. The following is the route I chose to go.

"Also another simple method is to install wordpress directly on your local machine and get a generic copy working.
Go to your original and go to the Dashboard > Tools and choose to export everything.I did this first.
Then go to your working local site Dashboard > Tools and choose to import everything.
Copy over any template changes and make sure all plugins are installed and activated. That should also give you a duplicate site."

First, I didn't install wordpress to my local machine bc I already had a copy of wordpress running on the domain I am trying to copy everything to.
I exported the site from URL 1
Then, I installed the WP Importer on URL 2.
Secondly, I exported from URL 1 to URL 2 via WP Importer
The information that copied over was the posts and page names over.
It did not copy the plugins or the theme, nor any of the colors or style I put togeher.
Now, I am using a premium theme that requires a password, so it may be that it didn't copy over because of this? What am I doing wrong?
Thank you in advance!

Hi Tammy,

Is this something you were looking to do?
www.ostraining.com/blog/wordpress/site-u...-home-url-wordpress/

Thank you Tessa for your help.
I exported the site from URL 1
Then, I installed the WP Importer on URL 2.
Secondly, I exported from URL 1 to URL 2 via WP Importer
Then I went to the link you sent me and checked and all of the stuff was already changed.
Again, the information that copied over was the posts and page names over.
It still did not copy the plugins or the theme, nor any of the colors or style I put together. I am assuming that maybe the theme won't copy over because it is a paid theme and it requires a password.
I am going to try to copy the theme over next time and enter my username and password and see if that works. Thank you again (all of you) for all your assistance. I will be in touch!

Hey Tammy,

Manually copying the files should work for transferring your templates and plugins. Once you do that everything should work just like the previous site.

Essentiall if you have all the files copied, and connect the site to the proper database, you have an exact duplicate.

Ed