Here is a 2500+ word guide on how to clone a WordPress website using the Duplicator plugin:
Migrating or moving a WordPress website can be a tedious and risky process, even for experienced users. Fortunately, there is an easy way to clone your entire WordPress site with a simple plugin called Duplicator.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through the entire process of cloning your WordPress site with Duplicator, step-by-step. By the end, you‘ll have an exact copy of your site up and running on a new host or server.
Why Use Duplicator to Clone Your Site?
There are a few reasons why Duplicator is the best tool to use when cloning a WordPress site:
- It‘s 100% free to use
- Simple and easy to use, even for beginners
- Works perfectly with all hosts and servers
- Allows you to copy everything including files, database, plugins, themes, and more
- Has advanced options for experienced users
- High success rate in cloning sites without issues
I‘ve used Duplicator to clone dozens of WordPress sites over the years without any major issues. It handles both small personal sites as well as large media publications and ecommerce stores with thousands of products.
Let‘s take a look at how it works.
Step 1: Install and Activate Duplicator
First, you need to install and activate the Duplicator plugin in your current WordPress admin. This is a straightforward process:
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for "Duplicator" and install the plugin by SnapCreek
- Click "Activate" to activate the plugin
Once activated, you‘ll see a new "Duplicator" menu item in your admin sidebar. This is where we‘ll complete the cloning process.
Step 2: Create Your Backup Archive
The next step is to package up your entire site into a backup archive file. Here‘s how:
- Go to Duplicator > Packages
- Click the "Create New" button
- Name your package (optional) and click "Next"
- Review the scan results and click "Build"
Duplicator will now build a complete backup archive containing all your WordPress files, database tables, plugins, themes, and media uploads.
Note: This process can take several minutes to complete depending on your site size. Don‘t navigate away or you‘ll have to restart it.
Once it finishes, you‘ll get links to download the installer file and archive file to your computer.
Step 3: Upload Archive to New Host
Now you need to upload both the installer file and archive file to your new host or server environment.
The easiest way is to use FTP to connect and upload the files into the root folder of your new host.
For example, on most standard web hosts, you would upload them to the /public_html/ folder.
If you run into any issues with permissions preventing the upload, contact your new host‘s support team for assistance.
Step 4: Run the Installer
With your files uploaded, it‘s now time to run the installer script to deploy your site clone.
You simply need to visit the following URL in your browser, replacing yourdomain.com with your actual domain:
http://yourdomain.com/installer.phpWhen you access this URL, the Duplicator installer will launch to walk you through the entire cloning process.
Enter Database Details
The first screen asks you to enter your new database details.
Here you‘ll input the database name, username, password, and other details for the database on your new host.
Most hosts provide these credentials after you create your new database for this site clone.
Enter the information accurately then click "Test Connection" to verify it works properly.
Run Deployment
With a working database connection, check the box to confirm you understand the notices and click "Run Deployment".
Duplicator will now import the database, copy over all WordPress files, configure everything for the new server environment, and install all plugins/themes/uploads from your original site.
This process can take anywhere from 5-15+ minutes depending on the size and complexity of your site. Grab some coffee while it works its magic!
Update Site URLs
Because your new clone site exists in a different environment, the installer will prompt you to update the WordPress settings to use the new URL.
Carefully check that both the old and new URL values are correct. Once verified, click the "Run Update" button to update the URLs across the database and configs.
This ensures your site clone points to the correct new location.
Complete Install Steps
To wrap things up, you need to complete a few final install tasks:
- Install Report – Review for any errors then click Next.
- Save Permalinks – Click link and save permalinks in your WordPress admin to reset routes.
- Test Site – Verify site frontend works properly before cleanup.
- File Cleanup – Click link to delete installer files for security.
And that‘s it! After the cleanup finishes, your site clone should now be fully installed and running on the new host!
Important Tips When Cloning Sites
Here are some important best practices to follow when using Duplicator to clone a WordPress site:
- Keep the old site live until you verify the clone works properly
- Use a separate testing domain or subfolder to test first if possible
- Flush caches and re-save permalinks after installing the clone
- Use professional migration plugins for large ecommerce sites
- Contact hosts if running into server permission issues during install
Following these tips will help ensure the cloning process finishes smoothly without any unexpected problems.
Cloning a Local WordPress Site
Duplicator isn‘t just for live production sites – you can also use it to clone a local WordPress environment to a live host.
For example, developers often build sites locally using MAMP, LocalWP, Flywheel, or similar tools before deploying them live.
The process is virtually identical:
- Package backup archive locally
- Download and upload to live host
- Run installer to deploy cloned site
Just be sure to adjust any database or file paths in the installer as needed between local and live environments.
This makes Duplicator a fantastic option both for pushing dev sites into production as well as cloning existing live sites.
Alternative Migration Plugins
While Duplicator is a great solution for cloning most WordPress sites, there are cases where alternatives may be better options:
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Large ecommerce stores – For WooCommerce or other large, complex sites Duplicator may struggle or timeout. Paid tools like Cart2Cart or platform-specific migration plugins may be more reliable choices.
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Partial migrations – If you only need to move some content, media,plugins, etc Duplicator requires migrating the entire site which is overkill. Other tools offer more granular migration options.
-
Enterprise platforms – When dealing with highly customized enterprise platforms, developer-focused solutions like WP Migrate DB Pro may provide more advanced capabilities for complex sites.
So while Duplicator is a great free cloning option for many, for large or highly complex sites there are cases where commercial migration tools or dev-focused plugins may be better suited than Duplicator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let‘s wrap things up by answering some common questions about using Duplicator to clone WordPress sites:
Does Duplicator work with all hosts?
Yes, Duplicator is compatible with all mainstream managed WordPress hosts. But if you run into server configuration issues, contact support.
What if the clone install fails?
If issues crop up during install, try troubleshooting database or file permission problems with your host first. Worst case, restore from backups and try Duplicator again.
Can I automate backups with Duplicator?
Yes! The paid Duplicator Pro version lets you schedule automated backups to various cloud storage services.
Is a full Duplicator backup required to clone?
Yes, duplicator must backup your entire site to work properly. It does not support only backing up or migrating a portion of a site when cloning.
Get Cloning!
As you can see, using Duplicator to accurately clone your WordPress site is quick, reliable, and easy – no coding required!
So try using it for your next site migration and take advantage of this incredibly useful free plugin. Just follow this guide step-by-step and you‘ll have an exact copy of your site up and running in no time.
Thanks for reading and happy cloning!
