How to Move a Site from WordPress Multisite to Single Install

Moving a site from a WordPress multisite network to a single install can seem challenging, but it’s a necessary step if you want to give a site more independence.

Whether you’re managing a growing network or need to separate a website, this process ensures that your site maintains its SEO rankings and preserves all its content.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through each step to smoothly transition a site from WordPress multisite to its own standalone WordPress installation. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth migration without losing any important data or rankings.

Why Move a Site From WordPress Multisite to Single Install

WordPress multisite is a core WordPress feature that allows users to create multiple websites using the same WordPress installation.

It is turned off by default but can be easily turned on to set up a multisite network. To learn more, see our article on creating a WordPress multisite network.

After using WordPress multisite for a while, some users may feel that one or more of their sites could benefit from having a separate single install.

Here are a few scenarios when you may need to move a site on a multisite network to its single install.

• A site needs its own domain for better search visibility: Moving a site to its own installation allows it to have a unique domain, which can improve its SEO rankings and brand identity.
• Restructuring the multisite network: You may want to reorganize or disband a multisite network by moving individual sites to their own installations. For example, companies that run regional sites under a multisite network might decide to separate them for easier management or to target specific markets more effectively.
• The site no longer fits within the network: Sometimes, a site that was once part of a multisite network may outgrow its original purpose or no longer align with the group. For instance, a student’s blog on a university network may need to be moved to a personal site as they transition to a professional setting.
• Improved site performance and security: Running a site as a single installation can improve performance and enhance security, especially if the multisite network is large and resource-intensive.
• Easier customization and management: A single installation allows for more customized themes, plugins, and settings explicitly tailored to that site, making it easier to manage and update without affecting other sites in the network.

In our experience, WordPress multisite is a great solution for many use cases. However, a separate installation allows a site to grow independently with more flexible options.

Here are the steps to easily extract a site from a multisite network to its own WordPress install.

Step 1: Getting Started

You’ll need a domain name to move a website from a WordPress multisite network.

You are good to go if you already have a domain name on which you want to install a single site.

If you don’t have a separate domain name, you’ll need to register and add a new domain name to your hosting account.

We recommend using Domain.com. They are one of the best domain name registrars in the world and offer beginner-friendly domain management experience.

For more details, see our article on how to register a domain name.

Alternatively, you can buy a separate hosting account and domain name for your fresh WordPress install.

We recommend using Bluehost. They are offering a free domain name with a generous discount on hosting.

Basically, you can get started for $1.99 per month.

After getting your domain name and hosting, the next step is to install WordPress.

See our step-by-step WordPress installation tutorial if you need help.

Important: Before you make any big changes to your WordPress multisite, you must create a complete WordPress backup.

Now that everything is set up, let’s move a site from the WordPress multisite network to a single installation.

Step 2: Exporting a Single Site in WordPress Multisite Network

The built-in WordPress import/export functionality works the same way in multisite as it does on a single site install. We will use the default tools to export the data from a site on a WordPress multisite network.

First, log in to the dashboard of the single site you want to move and then click on the Tools » Export page.

Next, you want to ensure all content is checked. Click on the Download Export File button.

WordPress will now create an XML file containing all your data and send it to your browser for download.

Be sure to save the file on your computer because you will need it later.

Step 3: Importing Child Site to New Domain

Login to the WordPress admin area on the new location where you want to move your child site and then go to Tools » Import. On the import screen, WordPress will show you a number of import options.

You need to click on the ‘Install Now’ link below ‘WordPress.’

Wait for the importer to be installed, and then click on the ‘Run Importer’ link.

On the next screen, you will be asked to upload the WordPress export file you downloaded earlier from the WordPress multisite.

Click on the Choose file button to select the file from your computer, and then click on the ‘Upload file and import’ button.

WordPress will ask if you would also like to import users on the next screen. If you do nothing, then WordPress will import all users. This is recommended if you do not want to change authors.

You will also see the Import Attachments option, which you should check so that WordPress can download images from your posts and pages.

Don’t worry if it misses out on some or most of your images. You can import them separately afterward.

Click on the ‘Submit’ button to continue.

WordPress will now start importing your content. Depending on how much content you have, this will take a few minutes. Once it is done, you will see a notification that says, ‘All done. Have fun!’

That’s all. You have successfully imported data from a multisite network child site to an individual WordPress install. There are still a few things left to do.

Step 4: Setting up Redirection

If you were using WordPress multisite with custom domains, then you don’t have to set up any redirection.

However, if you were using subdomains or directory structures in your WordPress multisite, you need to set up redirection so that users coming to your old URLs are redirected to your new site.

There are two ways to do this: You can set up a redirect using a WordPress plugin (recommended) or add some code to your WordPress .htaccess file.

We’ll show you both methods, and you can choose the one that best suits you.

Note: Make sure that your old site on the multisite network and the new domain use the same permalink structure.

Method 1. Setting Redirects Using All in One SEO for WordPress

This method is easier and recommended for all users. We’ll be using All in One SEO for WordPress, which is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market.

It allows you to easily optimize your WordPress site for search engines and comes with powerful features like SEO analysis, custom XML sitemaps, Schema.org support, and a redirects manager.

First, install and activate the All in One SEO for WordPress plugin on your WordPress multisite, and then Network Activate it for the child site. For more details, see our guide on network activating plugins on WordPress Multisite.

Note: You’ll need at least the Pro plan to access the Redirection Manager feature.

Next, you need to install and network activate the Redirection Manager addon. You can find it under ‘Downloads’ from your account page on the All in One SEO website.

Once you have network-activated both plugins, you need to switch to the dashboard of the child site.

From here, go to the All in One SEO » Redirects page and switch to the ‘Full Site Redirect’ tab.

First, turn on the Relocate Site option by toggling the switch next to it.

Then, enter your new site’s domain name next to the ‘Relocate to domain’ option.

Now click on the Save Changes button to store your settings.

All in One SEO for WordPress will now redirect users to your new domain name.

Method 2. Setting up Redirects using the Redirection Plugin

First, you need to install the Redirection plugin on your WordPress Multisite.

You can Network Activate a plugin, or you can log in as Super Admin on your child site and activate the Redirection plugin for that particular site alone.

After that, you need to visit the admin dashboard of the child site where you want to set up the redirect.

Redirecting from Subdomain to New Domain

The Redirection plugin makes it super easy to point a domain name to a different one.

Simply go to the Tools » Redirection page and switch to the ‘Site’ tab.

Simply enter your new domain name and then click on the ‘Update’ button to save your settings.

The plugin will redirect all your site users to your new domain name with the correct permalink structure.

This method has the advantage of still logging in to the admin area of your old subdomain.

Redirecting from Directory to New Domain

If your multisite uses a directory-based URL structure, the Redirection plugin makes it easy to redirect it properly to your new domain.

Simply go to the Tools » Redirection page on your subsite and click the ‘Add New’ button at the top.

This will take you to Redirection’s setup form. Here is how you need to fill in that form:

Source URL: ^childsite/(.*)$
Target URL: https://example.com/$1

Be sure to replace child site and example.com with the name of your subsite and its new location.

Don’t forget to select ‘Regex’ from the dropdown to the right, and then just click on the Add Redirect button to save your settings.

You can now visit your sub-site to see the redirects in action.

Method 2. Setting up Redirects Using .htaccess file

For this method, you need to add redirect rules to the .htaccess file in your WordPress hosting account for your multisite network.

Subdomain to New Domain Redirect

For subdomain installs, you need to use this code in the .htaccess file of your WordPress multisite.

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^subdomain.example.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.example.net/$1 [L,R=301]

This code redirects visitors coming to any page on subdomain.example.com to http://www.example.net. The $1 sign at the end of the destination URL ensures that your users land on the same page they requested.

Redirecting From Directory to New Domain

For directory-based multisite installs, you’ll need to paste the following code in the .htaccess file of your WordPress multisite.

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^childsite/(.*)$ http://example.net/$1 [R=301,L]

This code simply redirects any users coming on http://www.example.com/childsite/ to http://example.net. The $1 makes sure that your users land on exactly the same page or post they requested.

Don’t forget to replace child site and example.net with the name of your subsite and its new location.

Step 5: Troubleshooting the Migration

Moving a site is not a routine task, so you may encounter some issues.

1. Export File Too Large: If your WordPress export file is too large, you may fail to import it properly. You may need to split a large XML file into smaller pieces to fix this.

2. Images Not Imported: Another common issue is that images may not import correctly to your new site. To fix this, you can try importing them as external images.

3. Redirects Not Working: If users are not being redirected correctly to your new site, you need to carefully review your redirect settings. Ensure that your single install and the child site use the same Permalinks structure.

For other issues, see other common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

Bonus: More Expert Guides on Managing a WordPress Multisite

Here are some more resources for managing a WordPress multisite:

• Best WordPress Multisite Plugins You Should Use (Expert Pick)
• How to Create a WordPress Multisite with Different Domains
• Should You Network Activate All Plugins on WordPress Multisite
• Why Do You Not See All Plugins on WordPress Multisite Installs

We hope this article helped you move a site from a WordPress multisite to a single install. You may also want to see our guide on installing WordPress in a sub-directory or take a look at our tutorial on using custom domain aliases for WordPress landing.

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