How to Transfer WordPress.com to WordPress.org Self Hosted

How to Transfer WordPress.com to WordPress.org Self Hosted .elementor-19992 .elementor-element.elementor-element-19992{text-align:center}Last Updated on March 11, 2020Want to know how to transfer wordpress.com to wordpress.org? In this post, Im going to give you the exact step-by-step instructions on how to do that.First of all, however, let me just point out that there are services that will take care of this for you like CMS2CMS if you find the whole thing too technical, overwhelming, or you just plain dont want to learn how to migrate wordpress.com to self hosted options. Disclosure As an independent review site, we get compensated if you purchase through the referral links or coupon codes on this page â€" at no additional cost to you. Dismiss alert Now lets dive into some of the reasons why people should be doing it:WordPress.com is a great tool for new bloggers to begin flexing their creative muscles and get a feel for the platform.But it has a lot of limitationsâ€"youre subject to WordPress.coms terms of service, you cant upload plug ins or use custom themes, and you cant monetize your site, because all that ad space belongs to WordPress.com.In other words, while you might call it “my blog” its not really your blog/website at all.WordPress.com cant compare to the flexibility and freedom that a self-hosted version of WordPress offers. Join the FREE TrainingDo You Want To Learn How To Build 6 Figures Authority Sites?Join This Free Training To...Finally have a proven method to finding profitable nichesGet access to a foolproof keyword research methodLearn how to outsource quality contentLearn how to build white hat links to your site without headaches Upon switching, youll be rewarded with better design options, loads of space, and way more opportunities for eCommerce.For professional bloggers (and those who want to be pros), making this move is a no-brainer.You might also like: Best WordPress hosting Table of Contents Here is how to transfer WordPress.com to WordPress.org1. Sign up for web hosting and a domain name2. Data migration on your move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org3. Import content to the new self-hosted blog4. Import your links5. Finishing touchesHere is how to transfer WordPress.com to WordPress.orgIf you dont yet have a personal domain or hosting provider, I recommend HostGator Hostingâ€"theyre inexpensive, reliable, offer great support, and youll be able to grab both  your hosting and domain name from them.Theyre currently $2.64 month with my link (above), so probably cheaper and more reliable than BlueHost, GoDaddy etc  HostGator tailors their service to bloggers and boasts very close to 100% uptime, meaning that you (and your fanatic followers) don’t have to worry about your site going offline. Phew.Dont panic. This process is fast and easy, and I’ll walk you through every step.Login to your HostGator control panel (login information should be in your inbox), and then look at the left sidebar. About halfway down the page, you should see a button to Inst all WordPress. Click it!Youll be taken to Mogomarketplace.comâ€"the site HostGator uses to help you install new platforms. Here, youll have the option to either Install or Import WordPress. Choose Install.You should now see a loading bar at the top of your page. When its done, youll be able to see your login credentials:P.S.S:  If youre not using HostGator, try visiting your hosts webpage for specific details on installing WordPress, or check out this WPBeginner how-to page which runs through installation instructions for numerous hosting platforms).If you need more help with this step, or if you just want some more of my advice on choosing a domain name, finding hosting, or hunting down the best blogging platform, I have a more detailed breakdown on my homepage.2. Data migration on your move from WordPress.com to WordPress.orgNow that you have your domain and hosting, its time to migrate your blog.First, were going to create a file that will let you transfer your content, pictures, comments, and all the other essentials of your blog.To do this, login to your WordPress.com dashboard and click Tools on the left sidebar menu. Youll now see an option to Export, which should look like this:Free Version and following this tutorial. Dont waste your money on the guided transferâ€"youve got me to walk you through this process, after all!3. Import content to the new self-hosted blogThe next step in your move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org is to transfer all of the data you just saved from your old blog to the new, self-hosted blog that you set-up in Step 1.To do this, login to your self-hosted blogs dashboard via mydomainname.com/wp-admin (replacing mydomainname with your domain name, of course), and pick Tools from the sidebar. From here, you should be presented with an option to Import new data, like so:WordPress. When youre asked to choose a file from your computer, choose the .XML file we created in Step 2.4. Import your linksIf youve been relying on WordPress .coms Links feature whenever you include a hyperlink in a post, then youll need to export your blogroll links as well. If you havent been using this feature, please skip to Step 5.You need to make sure that your site isnt riddled with broken links after your moveâ€"for that, youll need to export your WordPress.com blogroll.Your first step is to download a Link Manager plugin on your self-hosted blog. Once youve downloaded the plugin, make sure you click Activate. After its activated, you should see a new option in your side menu called Links.From here, you can import your links but first, we need to export them from your WordPress.com blog. To do this we must save your blogroll in OPML format. Dont worry, its easier than it sounds!Simply type: mydomainname.wordpress.com/wp-links-opml.php into your address bar (again, subbing out mydomainname with your domain name). This will bring up an OPML file of your blogroll in your browser window, and you can save this information to your hard drive by pressing Command+S on your Mac or CTRL+S on your PC.Congratulations, youve just backed up your links!Now that youre equipped with your OPML file, and your self-hosted site has a Link Manager, its time to import your links. On your WordPress site click Tools and then Import. Youll now be instructed to upload the OPML file you saved.And its really that easy! Wait for the progress bar to finish, and WordPress to verify a successful transfer, and then move onto the final step5. Finishing touchesThere are just one or two final things to do before youve finished migrating your blog to its newer, better home:Update your links. Youve already updated your blogroll, so all external links should be taken care ofâ€"all you need now is a bit of house cleaning! If youve ever inter-linked your posts to each other, make sure you revisit those and update them to match your new domain.Link maintenance may seem tedious, but think of this like moving to a new houseâ€"you need to inform every service youre signed up for and mailing list youre subscribed of your new mailing address, or else your letters will never reach you.Make your WordPress.com blog private. You probably dont want visitors to discover your old site in lieu of the new. To solve this problem, make your old blog private by clicking Settings, then Reading on your WordPress.com dashboard. Then select I would like my site to be private.Of course, because you have a crowd of followers hanging on your every word, you dont want to up and move without warning, so you should probablyMake a post advertising the move. Keep your fan base in the loopâ€"make sure they know about the move and can still find you afterward. Make a post informing your followers about the domain change.One final note, WordPress.com sells a Site Redirect service, which will automatically send every visitor to your new blog. Its a great option with a dual purpose!In addition to making sure that your followers can find you, Site Redirect will also ensure that Google and other search engines are redirected to your new blog, so you dont lose any valuable SEO youve built up over your blogging career.Remember, WordPress.com is a great tool for classroom blogs or people dipping their toes into the blogging world, but when its time to go pro, you cant beat a self-hosted blog so if you want to transfer WordPress.com to WordPress.org youre making the right move. The basic software is freeâ€"meaning theres never been a better time to make the move! WordPress.com vs WordPress.org Blogger to WordPress