Transitioning your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org offers greater flexibility and control. Many beginners start with WordPress.com but soon run into its limitations and seek more advanced features.
By moving to the self-hosted WordPress.org platform, you gain access to a wider range of themes, plugins, and customization options that aren’t available on WordPress.com.
At WPBeginner, we have 15+ years of expertise using WordPress.org. So, you can rest assured that we have a deep understanding of carrying out this transition. Plus, if you want more control over your WordPress site, we know that making the switch is worth it.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to properly move your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition.
Why Move From WordPress.com to WordPress.org?
WordPress.com allows anyone to start a blog by creating a free account. This makes it easy for beginners to start blogging quickly without dealing with any technical issues.
However, many users realize their free WordPress.com blog has some limitations. These include the limited ability to monetize, the inability to install plugins, third-party ads displayed to users, and more.
This is why users often switch to the more powerful and popular self-hosted WordPress.org platform. Alternatively, you could upgrade to a paid WordPress.com plan.
We compared WordPress.com and WordPress.org thoroughly. This side-by-side analysis explains both platforms’ differences, advantages, and disadvantages.
We recommend using WordPress.org because it gives you complete ownership of your website and the freedom to control all its features. To learn more about all these features, see our complete WordPress review with pros and cons.
That being said, let’s look at how to migrate your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org properly.
Things You Need Before You Start
To start with self-hosted WordPress.org, you’ll need a WordPress hosting account and a domain name.
We recommend Bluehost because it is one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.
They are also offering WPBeginner users a free domain name and a huge discount on web hosting. You can get started for $1.99 / month (and this also includes free SSL).
You’ll still need web hosting if your WordPress site has a custom domain name. Go ahead and sign up with Bluehost, and under the domain step, add your blog domain.
In the later steps, we will show you how to keep the same domain while transferring from WordPress.com to WordPress.org without losing search rankings.
In addition to the hosting account, you’ll also need access to your WordPress.com account to easily transfer your posts, pages, images, comments, and other data to your self-hosted WordPress site.
Bonus Free Offer: Since many of you asked for this, we are now offering a free migration service from WordPress.com to WordPress.org as part of our free WordPress blog setup service. During this guided transfer, one of our expert team members will do the entire migration for you (100% free). This means you can switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org without any risk.
However, if you like learning and doing things yourself, you can follow our step-by-step tutorial below.
Video Tutorial
If you’d prefer written instructions, then just keep reading.
Step 1: Exporting Data From WordPress.com
First, you need to sign in to your WordPress.com site and go to your account dashboard.
From there, you will need to switch to the WP Admin view for the blog or website you want to migrate. Simply click on the three-dot menu next to your site name and then select WP Admin.
This will bring you to the traditional WordPress admin dashboard.
From the left column, you need to click on the Tools » Export menu and then click on the ‘Export All’ button.
This allows you to export your WordPress site. Once the export file is ready, a download link will be visible. You can click to download the zip file on your computer.
WordPress.com will also email the link to your email address.
Once you have downloaded the file to your computer, you need to unzip it.
Inside it, you’ll find an XML file with all your posts, pages, images, comments, custom fields, categories, tags, navigation menus, and other data.
Step 2: Setting Up WordPress
Now that you have exported your WordPress.com data, setting up a fresh WordPress install on your web hosting is next.
WordPress is very easy to install, and it only takes a few clicks. If you signed up with Bluehost like we mentioned above, then WordPress will be automatically installed for you.
Alternatively, if you choose a different hosting service, then you can follow our step-by-step tutorial on how to install WordPress within 5 minutes.
Once you have installed WordPress, it is time to import your content into your new self-hosted WordPress website.
Step 3: Importing Content into a Self-Hosted WordPress Site
To import your old WordPress.com site content to your new WordPress.org site, you will need to log in to your freshly installed WordPress website’s admin area.
From here, you need to visit the Tools » Import page and click on the ‘Install Now’ button below WordPress.
WordPress will now install the WordPress importer for you.
Once it’s done, click on the ‘Run importer’ link to continue.
It will take you to a screen where you will be asked to upload the WordPress.com XML file that you downloaded in step 1 of this tutorial.
Click on the ‘Choose File’ button to select the file, and then click on the ‘Upload file and import’ button.
Note: If your file size is larger than 2MB, you have two options. One is to ask your web hosting company to temporarily increase that limit so you can proceed with the process. The other option is to split your file using a WXR file splitter.
When you start importing, you can assign imported content to an existing user or create a new user.
You’ll also have the option to import file attachments. You must check this box so your image files are correctly imported.
Step 4: Importing Your Blogroll Links
If you have been using the Links feature on your WordPress.com blog to store blogroll or other links, then you need to follow these instructions to import them. Users who were not using this feature can skip to Step 5.
WordPress does not natively support the blogroll feature. If you don’t have too many links in your blogroll, then see our guide on how to add blogroll links in WordPress without using a plugin.
However, if you have too many links or you would like to keep the blogroll functionality, then continue reading.
Blogroll links are exported in OPML format. It is an XML format that allows you to export and import your links and link categories. Your WordPress.com links have an OPML file located at an address like this:
http://example.wordpress.com/wp-links-opml.php
Replace the example with your WordPress.com blog’s subdomain.
If you are using a custom domain with your WordPress.com website, then your OPML file can be accessed by visiting a URL like this:
http://www.example.com/wp-links-opml.php
Your OPML file will open in your browser window, and you need to save it to your desktop. Press CTRL+S (Command+S on Mac) to save the file on your computer.
Now that you have a backup of your WordPress.com links, the next step is to import them into WordPress. However, self-hosted WordPress does not have a link manager enabled by default.
You will need to install and activate the Link Manager plugin. The plugin’s page says it hasn’t been updated in many years. That’s because it didn’t need updating, and you can confidently install this plugin.
Upon activation, the plugin will add a new menu item labeled’ Links’ to your WordPress admin bar.
Next, you need to install and activate the OPML Importer plugin. This plugin enables a new importer tool that allows you to import blogroll links.
Upon activation, you need to visit the Tools » Import page and click on the ‘Run Importer’ link below the Blogroll importer.
On the Blogroll importer page, you need to upload the OPML file you saved earlier.
Click on the ‘Choose File’ button to select the file, and then click on the ‘Import OPML File’ button to continue.
WordPress will now import your links and link categories from the OPML file.
You will be able to see the progress, and on completion, you will see the success message.
Step 5: Setting Your WordPress.com Blog to Private
Now, if you don’t want to redirect your old users to your new site, this will be your final step.
First, visit your old blog’s WordPress.com dashboard. From the left menu, you need to click Settings » General menu and scroll down to the ‘Privacy’ section.
From here, you need to select the ‘Private’ option and then click on the ‘Save settings’ button.
This will make your old WordPress.com blog private, and it will only be visible to you or other logged-in users that you approve.
Attention: If you have been writing for some time and you have a loyal audience, then it does not make sense to leave them hanging.
Furthermore, if your blog has been out there for a while, then chances are that it is indexed by Google and other search engines.
You can keep all the search engine rankings and easily redirect your old users to your new blog by following Step 6 (highly recommended if your site is established).
Step 6: Redirecting Visitors and Preserving SEO
Redirecting users to the new location with the 301 header is a standard solution to keep search rankings while moving a site from one place to another.
Since you don’t have access to the .htaccess file on WordPress.com, you cannot make any changes to retain search engine rankings.
However, WordPress.com offers a paid upgrade feature called ‘Site Redirect’, which provides this functionality.
Simply go to the Site Redirect page. If you have multiple sites on WordPress.com, you will be asked which one you would like to redirect.
On the next screen, you will be asked to provide the domain name where you want visitors to be redirected. Enter your new WordPress.org site’s domain name and click on the go button.
Note: Site redirect is a paid upgrade and costs $13 per year. It will add a 301 redirect, which redirects your WordPress.com blog’s visitors and search engines to your new site.
Some of you will ask: how long should I keep paying for this Offsite redirect feature?
The answer is for as long as you want to. However, two years would be enough time for your old users to memorize your new domain name.
If you are changing domains, then another thing you want to do is update all in-post URLs. If you ever inter-linked your posts, those links must be updated. You can use our article on how to update URLs when moving your WordPress site.
If you have a custom domain on WordPress.com, you don’t have to worry. Simply change the DNS record to your host, and you will retain all the SEO benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We wrote the first version of this article in January 2013. Since then, we’ve received tons of great questions. We’ve answered a lot of them via email or in comments, so we thought it would be nice to compile the popular ones in one place where everyone can see them.
What happens with my WordPress.com Subscribers?
Thankfully, WordPress.com allows you to migrate your subscribers with one condition. You must use their Jetpack plugin, which adds the same subscriber functionality that you had at WordPress.com.
Once you install and activate the Jetpack plugin, you will need to contact the WordPress.com team and ask them to migrate the subscribers for you. We hope that this will become easier in the later versions of Jetpack, and users will be able to do it themselves.
Can you help me transfer from WordPress.com to WordPress.org for FREE?
Absolutely. We offer migration from WordPress.com as part of our free WordPress blog setup service. If you need our assistance, then simply sign up. It’s free 
What are the costs of switching to WordPress.org?
WordPress is free. However, there are some minimal web hosting costs. We recommend that you read this article on: Why is WordPress free? What are the costs, and what is the catch?
I already paid WordPress.com. Can I get a refund?
Yes, you can. If you recently purchased a custom domain or a paid plan from WordPress.com, then you can ask them for a full refund.
Note: Domain registrations can be canceled within 48 hours of registration, and plans and other purchases can be canceled within 30 days of purchase.
Will my images break?
No, they will not. When you transfer using the import file, all attached images are downloaded, and the link is updated.
However, we noticed one caveat. If your image URL starts with files.wordpress.com, then they will not be converted. If you notice that the image URL has not changed and still points to WordPress.com, we recommend that you use the import external images plugin, which will take care of that.
I registered my domain through WordPress.com. Can I still move?
Yes, you can. WordPress believes in empowering users and giving them complete control of their content. If you already have a domain name through WordPress.com, then all you need is a web hosting account.
We recommend that you set up with Bluehost or any of these other WordPress hosting providers. During the signup phase, you will be asked if you have a domain or want to register a new one.
Simply select the ‘I have a domain name’ option and insert the domain you registered at WordPress.com.
The next thing you will have to do is change the nameservers to point to the hosting provider. We can assist with this as part of our free setup service. You can also ask your web hosting provider for support.
Will my website go down when I switch?
If you do it correctly, then NO. The method we’ve suggested above will ensure that your website never goes down. If you are worried, then know that we are here to help. You are welcome to use our free setup service at any time.
Can I add an online store to my WordPress.org website?
Yes, you can easily add an online store to your self-hosted WordPress.org website without any additional costs. Since Bluehost and other popular web hosts offer free SSL certificates, you simply need to install a WordPress eCommerce plugin to add an online store.
What are some of the must-have WordPress plugins that you recommend?
Now that you have switched to self-hosted WordPress.org, you can install as many plugins as you like.
Here’s our recommended pick:
- AIOSEO – to improve your website’s SEO rankings (used by 3 million sites).
- WPForms – to add a smart contact form on your website (used by 6 million sites).
- SeedProd – to easily customize your landing pages with drag & drop builder – works with all WordPress themes.
- MonsterInsights – to see how people find and use your website. It’s a must-have for bloggers and small business owners.
- PushEngage – to connect with visitors after they leave your website.
- Duplicator – to create daily backups of your new website in case of emergency.
- OptinMonster – to help you get more email subscribers and succeed in your blogging journey.
In addition to these, we recommend looking at our expert pick of the must-have WordPress plugins and useful blogging tools for managing and growing your blog.
You can install all of these plugins from inside your WordPress dashboard. We have created a step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
I want to change my site’s WordPress theme, can I do that?
Yes, you can change your WordPress theme at any time. Another big benefit of switching to WordPress.org is that you get additional customization options and a larger collection of themes to choose from.
In your WordPress admin sidebar, click on the Appearance Menu dropdown and select ‘Themes’ to install a theme.
We have hand-picked some of the best themes to help users avoid choice paralysis. See our guide on the best free blog themes and best multi-purpose themes for WordPress.
You may also want to see our guide on how to properly change a WordPress theme.
We hope this article helped you properly move your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. You may also want to see our checklist of the most important things you need to do after installing WordPress and our ultimate guide on increasing your blog traffic.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Awomojure Oluwaseyi
if am using exampleblog.wordpress.com and i have registered a domain name with godaddy which is exampleblog.com and i want to migrate from the old domain name to new one what can i do?
Rachael
I have completed step one in the process but my website domain was purchased through wordpress.com. Will I need to purchase a NEW Website domain like Bluehost to keep going to get the blog on Wordpress.org?
WPBeginner Support
Hey Rachael,
You’ll need to sign up for a hosting account to start a self-hosted WordPress.org website.Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Afreen
You will have to buy site tedirect tool..
Ankit Dhadwal
Hello Sir,
I have already purchased my hosting and domain name from go daddy. I want to shift my blog from Wordpress.com to my new domain name.
I have followed every single step that you have told but when I’ve downloaded the XML file I got 2 files :-
xyz.wordpress.2017-06-26.001 and xyz.wordpress.2017-06-26.002
now I don’t know what to choose it from. Ive tried importing the first but error is there. and in 2nd only one post is showing. Please help me.
Munna Hossain
Really helpful article. Thanks for sharing another excellent article with your readers. WordPress.Org is the best blogging platform. So you should migrate this platform from other platforms.
Bigesh Chandra
I have my own domain and hosting purchased from Hostgator.in ,then I installed wordpress on my server, but when I tried to monetize my website, the amazon affiliate team responded as, my website is on free plan of wordpress. Why is that so, I already paid my domain and hosting fees to hostgator and installed wordpress on their server. My website link is
Jas
Hi,
This might be a stupid question but I’m really confused. I thought my site was self hosted. My hosting site is GoDaddy and I got my custom domain through them. My site design is not from WordPress, I have Jetpack plug in and am able to install any plugin I want and place ads on my site, yet when I log in to the WordPress it is blue like the WordPress.com. So, does it mean my site is not self hosted and I need to switch? Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Jas,
It would be helpful if you can share the URL of your website.
Admin
Susan
Hi. I have a old Wordpress.com site (which I migrated from into a Wordpress.org site) back in Nov 2015. I’ve just started noticing that the old site is continuing to get a few visitors and comments, and I guess i hadn’t realised it would continue to function. I understand I can either delete it, make it ‘private’, or purchase a redirect for a period of time before deleting it or making it private. I’ve just tried to purchase a redirect by using the ‘store’ icon as the article suggests, but that option doesn’t seem to be available. Can you help me with what I need to do please?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Susan,
The site redirect upgrade is now available under domains. You can also contact WordPress.com support for instructions.
Admin
Ann
I’ve been trying to migrate my .com to .org on BlueHost. If I do the MOJO service, do I have to buy a theme from them?
Roki S
Dear WPBEGINNER Support, thank you for the nice article!
I am having trouble migrating from wordpress.com to a local wordpress.org.
Everything went well except that after importing, when I go to the home page, it does not show the home page of the imported site, it still shows the default home page. Is there a way that I can do a complete import, instead of having to build again? (the home page is not linked to any of my imported stuff).
Your help would be much appreciated!
Thank you,
Roki
Rahul
Few problems I faced after migration.
1) Redirection done to old site but my post display 2 times in reader community.
2) Likes are not migrated. 0 likes my post have
Thanks in advance.
adex
How can I earn with WordPress, an I’m trying to create a students portal including a chat box I will I do thats
Erin
Hi, I’m not very tech savvy, so when I tried to follow your steps above, I must have done something wrong. I was able to export my blog content in step one, but my blog crashed somewhere between step two and step three. Now Wordpress won’t let me import my content, and I don’t know how to fix it. Any chance someone could help me get my blog back?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Erin,
Do you see any error messages?
Admin
Bethany Cipiriano
If I export my blogs from wordpress.com and import it to my wordpress.org, the permalink must match first, right? If it is successfully moved, can I change the permalink after to a shorter one? Will that affect my SEO? (There are no external referring links yet)
Taj-marie
hello
i want to start a lifestyle blog would you recommend that i start it on wordpress.org since i intend to make some money off my blog when it is running to its full potential . if a set it up on wordpress.org how much do i pay will i have my own custom domain name that once typed in users will find me. can i set the blog up myself or do i need a professional.
thanks in advance.
WPBeginner Support
Hey Taj-marie,
Yes, you will have your custom domain name. For detailed information, please see our guide on how to start a WordPress blog.
Admin
Barbara Griffith
Hi,
I signed up for the free Wordpress.com and later purchased a domain name registration (without hosting) from GoDaddy. I ran into some problems trying to add my custom domain, mostly the cost of upgrading to a paid hosting plan, and I’m not sure what I should do now.
First question, do you support custom domain mapping, without additional costs? Since my domain is pretty much parked on GoDaddy, I will still need to purchase hosting somewhere. Should I get my hosting through GoDaddy, since.my domain is already registered with them? Lastly, do you have any kind of promotional discounts for GoDaddy managed WordPress hosting?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Barbara,
Yes, you can use your GoDaddy domain name with other hosting companies. All you will need to do is change the domain settings in your GoDaddy dashboard and point it to your WordPress hosting provider’s DNS. See our guide on how to start a WordPress blog if you need help getting started.
As for discount, you can use our GoDaddy Coupon Code.
Admin
Nadia
Hi,
I’m absolutely desperate.
I’m trying to move my blog to selfhosted.
The problem is that wordpress importer won’t import all the files. It only says that some files exist already because I tried several times.
What can I do to solve the problem?
Best,
Nadia
WPBeginner Support
Hi Nadia,
WordPress importer is smart enough not to import duplicate content. Check your posts and pages to make sure that it has already imported those items.
Admin
Melody
I followed these steps to migrate my site from Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org but I’m not sure if I did this correctly. Seems like there’s a holdup with my domain transfer. Would you guys be able to help me check if I migrated things over correctly? Thanks!
Tammy
I purchased my domain name registration through WordPress and want to migrate over to WordPress.org to launch a true website. Will I always have to pay WordPress for this domain registration?
And once I select a web hosting site, do I pay any more fees to WordPress?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Tammy,
Yes you will have to pay WordPress.com for domain renewal fees each year. You will have to pay nearly the same amount if you transfer your domain elsewhere. If you want you can transfer your domain to your WordPress.org hosting provider. However, you may be asked to renew your domain name upon transfer.
Admin
Anabela Vaz
I just upgraded my free Wordpress to premium plan just yesterday and I paid $99
After reading this article I taught it wise to chose self hosted with Wordpress.org over premium plan with Wordpress.com.
Please can I get my premium refund back so that I can move to Wordpress.org?
Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Hi Anabela,
WordPress.com Plans and other purchases can be canceled within 30 days of purchasing. Please contact WordPress.com support for more help.
Admin
Vinita
How long do you guys take to migrate? I have created my domain on wordpress.com (personal plan) today. It has a very basic information and now I want to migrate to wordpress.org. Can you guys help?
WPBeginner Support
Hey Vinita,
Please check out our free blog setup page.
Admin
arushi
Hi I wanted to get google analytics and somehow my wordpress.com doesnt allow me to get one. What do you suggest I do ? Thanks and I will like to use the service if .org gets me analytics data.
Thanks
Este Ginelle
I have a blog and I want to move it over to wordpress.org. Are you all still able to help me with the process.
WPBeginner Support
Hi Este Ginelle,
Yes, please take a look at our free blog setup service.
Admin
Tanvi Garg
Hi, i need some help regarding my domain. I have both hostings .com as well as .in I have already switched followers,likes to my .org domain. But i would like to redirect my users from .com to .in,if some user open .com ?. How this can be possible ?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Tanvi,
You can update your domain’s Name Server settings and point them to your .org hosting service. Add the .com domain name to your hosting service and then redirect it to your .in domain name.
Admin
ashek
Is it efect my seo? or google rank?
Napoleon Split
Hi there-
I just migrated from .com to .org.
My old posts- of which there are many, are missing their likes. Also the comment section is closed. How do I reopen the comment section and ensure likes show up?
Tega
Hello, I want to ask if the offer for free migration is still on and if moving will affect my stats and my wordads acct, as I am expecting my money from them for ads on my site
WPBeginner Support
Hey Tega,
Yes the offer is still on. If you are using custom domain then your stats will remain entact. If you are a JetPack premium user, then you can use the same WordAds account on your .org site as well.
Admin
Steph
Today I’ve…
– changed domain from godaddy to bluehost
– exported my .com and imported to a .org
– shut down my .com (set to private)
– removed the own domain I had on my .com account…
BUT when I go to my domain in my browser it’s still set to my .com and just says ‘this page is private’. So it’s not linking new domain (at Bluehost) to my new (Bluehost hosted) .org account. Gah! What am I missing??
Note: apparently because I’m within my first 60 days with GoDaddy I need to wait 44 (yes, 44) days before my domain will transfer. But there must be a workaround whilst this is in progress???
WPBeginner Support
Hey Steph,
Once you change Nameservers, it could take sometime for domain to propagate. If it has been more than a day and you are still seeing the WordPress.com site, then first you should check your domain’s nameserver settings and make sure it is pointing to Bluehost servers.
Admin
Nevila
Hi, I have a blog and purchased a domain on March 31st. If I want to switch from WP.com to wp.org because I cannot install any plugin (to make my blog bilingual) Actually I have bought a Personal plan.
What are the costs that I have to pay for the switch?
thank you
WPBeginner Support
Hi Nevila,
Please see our guide on how to start a WordPress blog for step by step instructions.
As for costs, it actually depends on what you want to do with your site. See our guide on the cost to build a WordPress site for DIY Users.
Admin
Nevila
One question, if I choose Bluehost as a web hosting for my existing blog after migrating from wp.com to wp.org ( while the domain registration I have paid to wp.com), do I have to re-pay the yearly domain registration fee to wp.com or it will be free after the migration? I’m asking this, since Bluehost offers a free domain registration, or is it for new domains that are registered directly to bluehost? I am trying to calculate all the costs for this migration and want to avoid double payments
Thanks
Ken phelan
Hi
I paid for the full business package in .com but now realise I need .org for my requirements.
Can I get a refund on the .com subscription?
Kind regards
Ken Phelan
WPBeginner Support
Hey Ken,
Yes, you can. Domain registrations can be canceled within 48 hours of registration. Plans and other purchases can be canceled within 30 days of purchasing.
Admin
Kenya
I am moving a clients site from .com with a custom domain to self hosted. When I try to do the complete content it wont install the pages and posts, so i did an export of them individually. But the media is in the posts with the old wordpress.com (not the custom) domain name and not in the media files. Can you tell me what the problem might be in the export/import process. I have never had this happen before.
bong
is this the same way moving host to host?
tnx
WPBeginner Support
No the process is slightly different. Please see our guide on how to move WordPress to a new host or server for detailed instructions.
Admin
hma ikbal
Can i hosting my blogspot blog at bluehost or any other hosting provider like as wordpress.
Danielle Bernock
I moved my blog from .com to .org and used the plugin wordpress importer – can I remove the plug in now that the content is moved?
WPBeginner Support
Hey Danielle,
Yes, you can remove the plugin now.
Admin
Janet Wertman
I currently have a wordpress.com blog – I upgraded to have my own domain name – janetwertman.com. I would now like to switch to wordpress.org – but use the same upgraded domain name. I would also like to switch to a new theme – and was hoping there was some way to “practice” before everything went live.
I have no idea what to do first, how to get around the fact that I want to use the same domain name for two different sites until the new one is “ready”. I absolutely want to use your service but I just need to know I am not going to ruin a good thing…
WPBeginner Support
Hi Janet,
You are right, you cannot use the same domain for two different hosts. You can install WordPress on your Windows computer (instructions for Mac) to try out a new theme.
Once you are ready, you can move your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. Once your site is moved you can then install the theme you tried on your local site.
Admin
James
Hello,
I designed a website for a small business on wordpress.com, only to learn that I couldn’t add a payment plugin (like PayPal, for example) unless I switched over to wordpress.org. I followed these steps, and all my content migrated successfully to my new wordpress.org. However, my theme didn’t migrate, and now it seems like I have to start over in terms of design. I had assumed that I would just be looking at my old wordpress.com website, only with more powers of customization, but that didn’t happen. Is there a way to get my theme to migrate over, too, so that I don’t have to redesign my whole website? Thanks in advance for the help, and thanks for all the good information you’ve provided me throughout my design and transition.
WPBeginner Support
Hi James,
Many of the themes available on WordPress.com are also available for WordPress.org websites. Please visit the WordPress.com page for your theme and look for the ‘download for WordPress.org’ link. If you cannot find it, then try contacting WordPress.com support.
Admin
Daniel
Great Article. Thank you so much! I just started last night. Quick Question. I bought Wordpress premium.
I was wanting to add the plug-in Leadpages to wordpress but can’t. Do I need to buy the business edition?
Thank you
Joseph
Hello,
I set up a blog just a couple days ago using Wordpress.com and got the domain name I wanted and paid for a plan. I now realize that I am incredibly limited and want to switch over. However, I am wary of paying multiple sites to host when I am just getting started as I have paid for a year at Wordpress and now regret the decision. If I move over to something like bluehost, do I get to keep my domain or does Wordpress keep that domain? and do you know of anyone getting refunds from Wordpress.com if they want to switch over?
Thank You!
WPBeginner Support
Hey Joseph,
You will be able to keep using your domain name. You will just need to point it to Bluehost servers.
Admin
Wendy Prime
Hi,
I liked your video about transfering from wp to wp.org – I currently have a blog with wp.com – What is the best logistical approach I can take?
I want to keep my domain, I have free email hosting which I want to keep, change my theme to a wpml theme which wp.com does not have but wp.org does, and I want to keep the wp.com dashboard because its comfortable.
What do you recomend?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Wendy,
You can follow the instructions given above to transfer your site on your own. You can also take advantage of our free blog setup service. After transferring your site you will be using self hosted WordPress site’s dashboard which is a little different than what you are used to on WordPress.com.
Admin
Allison Beauchesne
I have tried everything I can think of to transfer my site to wordpress.org. I already owned the domain, and was hosting it through wordpress.com on a basic plan. I switched it to bluehost, and installed wordpress via bluehost. When I use the login information it takes me back to the .com dashboard every time. i have tried clearning my cache/browsing history/etc. and still nothing. I am getting very frustrated! Please help. Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Allison,
Most probably your domain is still pointing to WordPress.com instead of Bluehost. You will need to go to domain settings on your WordPress.com account and change the name servers.
Admin
nick
Dear,
Today a bought a basic domain from wordpress.com. I made a mistake. If I go directly to to blue host the domain is free. Do I need to make a refund in wordpress.com?
Thanks
Justin
Hi, rookie here,
I was using wordpress.com for my blog but have recently purchased a domain for it. Is there any free method of redirecting viewers from my old wordpress.com blog? I don’t really want to pay the wordpress redirection fee.
Thanks for the assistance!
Justin
Hanna Bernard
Hi, how do I import comments to the new site? The WordPress.com blog has many more comments than came through when I imported. is there a way to import only comments now that I’ve gotten the posts imported?
Omer Causey
Based on having a pre-existing account with GoDaddy, I acquired a new domain name a couple of days ago. I signed up for their Managed Hosting for Wordpress and dove in as a Wordpress newbie. I quickly found out that technical support is non-existent. The site building tool seems to be very limited in available themes and plug-ins.
The website I quickly produced as a placeholder will be substantially enhanced over the next several weeks. Do I benefit from switching from GoDaddy hosting to Blue or Gator? Is it a big deal to do it?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Omer,
If you are unhappy with your current hosting service provider then you can always switch to a better option. See our guide on how to move WordPress to a new host or server.
Admin
Hanna Bernard
Hi, I’ve followed your steps but only part of the WordPress.com blog content is uploading to the new self-hosted site. Part way through the import it goes to an “Oops! page not found” page and I’m missing tons of Posts and all Tags. It seems it’s wanting to find a wordpress part 2 page that it can’t load.
Any thoughts on this?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Hanna,
The importer is smart enough not to import duplicate content, so you can run it again. If you know exactly the page that’s is causing the importer to stop, then you can go to your WordPress.com site and temporarily save that page as a draft. Now you will need to follow the instructions again from the step 1 to generate a new export file. Once you have successfully imported content into your new self hosted site, you can then manually copy and paste the page that didn’t import successfully.
Admin
Jamar
Hey, I recently started my own blog, but I want to switch to wordpress.org. The thing is, I don’t know the first thing about code. So if I switch, is it possible to update my blog using wordpress.com, and import the changes?
I hope that makes sense
WPBeginner Support
Hi Jamar,
It is possible, but you wouldn’t need to. WordPress.org comes with an easy WYSIWYG Visual editor for you to write your posts, add images, links, etc. It also comes with an easy to use theme customizer that allows you to setup your website without writing any code.
Admin
Annemie
If I want to move my already self-hosted, custom domain wordpress.com blog to .org, do I HAVE to use one of the hosts listed in this article, or can I remain with my current host? My current host is a South African company.
Chiranjit Pal
I have a wordpress blog (free plan) and now i want to get customised domain name. If i simply upgrade my plan from free to premium and pay the bill, will it automatically upgrade my blog? Or i have to do something manually? Please reply.
WPBeginner Support
Hi Chiranjit,
You will need to ask WordPress.com support. Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Indu
I opted to have you move my existing wp.com blog site to wp.org site on March 1st. I have as yet not heard from you. Is your offer of help for real?
When I did not hear back from you after waiting for a good week, I tried to do it myself. I have still not succeeded in doing this. It has been a very frustating experience.
I have not received adequate help when I tried to do it myself. I kept being pointed to links for various articles but none of them helped me accomplish the task of moving my existing induvarma.com site moved to a self hosted site on Blue Host.
I followed all the steps outlined by you – 1. Bought Blue Host hosting service, 2. Installed Wordpress V 4.7.3 from the Blue Host cPanel, 3. Bought a custom theme “Highend” through MOJO Marketplace. I could not upload the theme and move my .xml file that I exported from my current site to the new site. I also tried asking Blue Host for help, but still no luck in getting this done. I desperately need help!!
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Indu
WPBeginner Support
Hi Indu,
We did get your email and we replied back but it seems like you didn’t get our emails. Can you please check your spam folder?
Admin
Chelsea
Hi, I have a wordpress.com site and I just purchased the hosting on Bluehost. I bought my theme at themeforest and I want to stitch everything together to transfer to Wordpress.org
WPBeginner Support
Hi Chelsea,
Please take a look at our step by step instructions on how to start a WordPress blog.
Admin
Rajan
I have a trouble shooting in moving my site from .com to blue host
Out of 12 xml files, i am able to move only 2.
Kay Johnson
Hi,
I have a Wordpress.com blog and would like to transfer it over to Wordpress.org. When I went to the Wordpress.org site, it asked me to download it. When I downloaded it, it was a zip file and wouldn’t do anything or go through the download steps. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Kay,
You will need a domain name and hosting account to create a WordPress.org site. See step by step instructions in our guide on how to start a WordPress blog.
Admin
Yase
I an .org WordPress account and now i want to change my domain. How to change my domain name without losing traffic and any other changes to my WordPress?
Crecynthia R
I currently have a free wordpress.com website and I’ve decided to change my site name as well as get a custom domain name. (For example I’d go from example.wordpress.com to myawesomewebsite.com). It looks like self hosting is the cheapest route as opposed to getting a premium upgrade. My question is what is the proper order that I need to follow? Would I need to change my site name in wordpress? Or would I just set up my domain name in bluehost and then import everything from wordpress.com?