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How to clone a WordPress site

Creating a Perfect Copy: How to Clone a WordPress Site Safely 

Written By: author avatar Joella Dunn
author avatar Joella Dunn
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.
     Reviewed By: reviewer avatar John Turner
reviewer avatar John Turner
John Turner is the President of Duplicator. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.

A clone is a fully functional duplicate of your site, living on a different server or domain. Same looks, same functionality, but invisible to anyone but you.

You could set up a cloned copy of your site on a server you want to migrate to. You’ll have time to get everything set up in the new location while your old site is still up.

Cloning can also be useful for staging and development. Design agencies use it to work on clients’ sites without affecting their live visitors.

You might think cloning is complex, but you can do it in just a few minutes!

Table of Contents

Quick Summary of How to Clone a WordPress Site

1. Back up your site.
Duplicator is a backup and migration plugin that can quickly clone your site. Simply create a new backup and select the data you want to clone. Then, download this backup.
2. Upload the backup to the new server.
Next, install Duplicator Pro on the second location. Drag and drop the backup archive file into the Import page. You could also upload both the archive and installer files to the new server with an FTP client.
3. Create a new database.
Use your web host’s control panel to create a new database. You should also create a new user and assign it to the database.
4. Finish the installation.
Finally, launch the Duplicator installer. It will fully upload your cloned website files and database to the second site.

Why You Might Need to Clone Your WordPress Site

Cloning involves saving a copy of your website in a new location. This is an exact copy that is fully operational.

Although this might seem similar to a backup, there is an important difference.

When you back up your site, you’ll save a dormant, inactive copy. If you accidentally break something on your live site, you can restore this saved backup.

A clone is an exact duplicate of the WordPress site, except it’s independent and fully functional. You can change the site clone without affecting your live website.

On a cloned staging site, you can perform a complete redesign, install updates, add new software, and edit files without breaking your live site. 

If you’re moving to a new web host or domain, you can clone the original site and set up the cloned version on the new server. This prevents any downtime that could harm your User Experience (UX). 

Website clones can also be helpful for web developers.

Instead of working on the live site, you can clone your client’s website to a subdomain. Using this staging environment, you’ll be able to make changes safely.

How to Clone a WordPress Site

As a beginner, cloning may seem like a difficult process. Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through every step of the way!

Step 1: Download a Cloning Plugin

To start cloning your website, we’d recommend installing Duplicator. With over 1.5 million active installations, this plugin is the most popular option for WordPress cloning.

Duplicator Pro plugin

Using Duplicator, you can copy your WordPress site to a different domain, web host, or local environment.

You won’t have to manually download or upload data. Plus, you won’t suffer from any downtime.

Rock Lobster Webdesign is a digital agency that learned how to boost design efficiency with Duplicator. See how they clone clients’ sites to development servers for safe testing!

First, choose your preferred license for Duplicator Pro. Although you can download a free version, the premium subscriptions include drag-and-drop migrations, cloud storage, automatic backups, and much more.

Once you download Duplicator, install it in your WordPress dashboard.

During checkout, you’ll get a license key for Duplicator Pro. Before you start using the plugin, go to Duplicator Pro » Settings » General.

Activate Duplicator license key

Paste your key into the License Key settings.

Step 2: Create a Backup

After activating Duplicator, you’ll need to create a backup. This will bundle together your plugins, themes, database, and other WordPress files.

Once you compile all your data into a zip file, you can easily migrate it to a different location. 

First, find Duplicator » Backups » Add New.

Add new backup with Duplicator

On the next page, give the backup a name. Then, choose a storage location.

With Duplicator Pro, you can connect third-party providers like:

Duplicator backup first step

In the Backup section, choose which site components you want to include. For a fully cloned copy, select Full Site.

Full site backup preset

After you click Next, Duplicator will scan your website. You’ll receive evaluations for your WordPress setup, files, and database.

Duplicator backup scan

Even if you see a notice, you can continue with the build process. Hit Create Backup.

On the Backups page, you’ll see an Installer file and an Archive zip file. Before you move on to the next step, download both of these.

Download backup files

Duplicator is also a WordPress backup plugin. Once you download your site’s backup files, you can restore these files whenever you need to. 

You could also consider setting up automatic backups so you always have a cloned copy on hand.

Step 3: Upload the Cloned Files to Your New Server

Once you have a copy of your WordPress site, it’s time to upload it to a different location.

If you’ve already installed WordPress, open your dashboard and install Duplicator Pro. Then, find the Import Backups page and upload your backup’s archive file.

Import a backup with Duplicator

However, you don’t have to have WordPress installed!

Using Duplicator, you can upload your backup to a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client or cPanel. This will allow you to install the site on a completely empty directory.

If you choose to use an FTP client, we’d recommend FileZilla. This free software makes it easy to connect to your site files and start editing them.

At the top of the FileZilla window, enter your host name, username, password, and port number. Usually, you can find this information in your WordPress hosting dashboard.

FileZilla Quickconnect

After you hit Quickconnect, you’ll see your site files on the right-hand side. Next, open the root directory, which is the public_html folder. Here, upload your Duplicator backup files.

Upload cloned site files

You should see both an installer.php file and a zip file containing your WordPress data. Be sure to delete any other files from your public_html folder. 

Step 4: Create a Database for Your Cloned Site

After you’ve uploaded your cloned files, it’s important to create a new database to store its data. This will allow Duplicator to move information from your old database to the new one.

Your web host will likely allow you to edit your database from your control panel. For example, Bluehost has a setting for MySQL Databases.

MySQL databases

After clicking on this, look for the option to create a new database. Give it a name and click on Create Database.

Create MySQL database

Now, you’ll need to add a new user to the database. In the MySQL Users section, enter a new username and password.

Create MySQL user

You’ll also need to assign that user to the new database.

Add user to database

For the next step, be sure to remember your database information!

Step 5: Run the Duplicator Installer

Finally, open a new browser window. In the search bar, enter your full web address followed by ‘installer.php’. Here’s an example:

https://yourdomain.com/installer.php

On the Duplicator installation page, find the Setup section. Here, enter your new host name, database name, username, and password.

Duplicator installer

Then, scroll to the bottom and hit Validate. Duplicator will test your database connection. If everything is working correctly, select the terms and notices checkbox and click Next.

Duplicator validation

At this stage of the cloning process, Duplicator will import your database and finish the installation. If it is successful, you’ll see an Admin Login button.

Website clone login

With one click, you can log into the WordPress dashboard for your new site! This new WordPress installation will look and function exactly like the original website. 

If you’re migrating your site permanently, you’ll need to update the wp-config.php file to reflect the new hosting information.

Be sure to also implement 301 redirects and inform Google about the change, so that you don’t lose any SEO ranking.

For more information, see our full migration checklist!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you duplicate a WordPress site?

Yes, you can duplicate a WordPress site. First, install a cloning plugin like Duplicator Pro. Then, build a backup of your site and download it. Finally, upload this backup to a new server and run the installer to duplicate your existing site.

How do I download a full WordPress site?

You can download a full WordPress site by logging into that site’s dashboard and installing Duplicator Pro, a backup and migration plugin. Next, create a new backup and include all of the site’s data. Lastly, download both files.

How do I clone a WordPress site without plugins?

To clone a WordPress site without plugins, you’ll have to use an FTP client or cPanel to download a copy of your site’s files. Then, upload these files to the destination server. You’ll also need to export your old database in phpMyAdmin and import it into the new location.

How do I duplicate a WordPress site for staging?

First, be sure to create the staging area using local software like LocalWP, MAMP, WAMP, or XAMPP. You could also use your web host’s staging service. Then, create a backup of your production site with Duplicator and import it into the staging site.

For more details, check out our guide on how to create a WordPress staging site.

How do I migrate my WordPress site using Duplicator?

To migrate your WordPress site with Duplicator Pro, create a new backup. Then, download the backup’s archive file. Once you install Duplicator on your new website, go to the Import page and upload the archive. This will launch the Duplicator migration wizard, which will walk you through the installation.

How do I clone my WordPress site to a new domain?

If you want to clone your WordPress site to a new domain, create a backup of your original site with Duplicator Pro. Then, download the backup’s archive and installer files. Upload these to the new server.

In a new browser, visit https://yournewdomain.com/installer.php

In the top-right corner of the installer wizard, select the Advanced view.

Advanced Duplicator migration

Now you’ll be able to update your domain during the migration. Simply enter your old domain in the Search field and the new one underneath it.

Duplicator search and replace

Duplicator will automatically import all of your old data into the new site. Plus, it’ll search your database for the old domain and update it with the new one.

Conclusion

By now, you can clone your WordPress site to a new staging environment, domain name, or server! 

While you’re here, you may like these extra WordPress tips, tricks, and guides:

Are you ready to clone your existing website? Download Duplicator Pro to quickly create copies of your site and move them wherever you need to!

author avatar
Joella Dunn Content Writer
Joella is a writer with years of experience in WordPress. At Duplicator, she specializes in site maintenance — from basic backups to large-scale migrations. Her ultimate goal is to make sure your WordPress website is safe and ready for growth.

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