How to Import Files in WordPress

Occasionally, I need to migrate content from an old blog, import product data for my online store, and bring in user information from another system.

So, I found myself diving into the world of WordPress importing — a world with its own terminology, file formats, and technical problems.

The journey wasn’t always smooth. From corrupted CSV files to unexpected timeout errors, each obstacle taught me something valuable about managing a WordPress site effectively.

In this blog post, I’ll share what I’ve learned about importing files into WordPress. I’ll show you the pitfalls to avoid, the tools that actually work, and the strategies that will save you hours of troubleshooting.

Here are the key takeaways:

• WordPress has built-in import tools for basic content migration (posts, pages, comments), but they’re limited
• Migration plugins like Duplicator Pro offer more comprehensive importing with drag-and-drop functionality
• You can import files for website migration, backup restoration, bulk data entry, and content sharing
• Custom backups allow you to select exactly which site elements to transfer
• Always create recovery points before importing to avoid data loss

Quick Summary: How to Import Files in WordPress

Table of Contents

Why Import Files in WordPress?

Here are some reasons you might need to import files in WordPress!

Migrating Your Website

File imports can be useful when you’re migrating your website to a new WordPress installation. By importing files, you can seamlessly transfer all your content, including blog posts, pages, images, plugins, and themes. 

This saves you from the hassle of manually recreating everything from scratch. You can continue to improve your SEO without losing your hard-earned rankings. 

Restoring a Backup

Accidents happen, and sometimes you might accidentally delete important content or encounter technical issues. By importing your backup files, you can easily get everything up and running again. It’s like hitting the “undo” button for your site.

Bulk Data Entry

If you have a large amount of content that needs to be added to your WordPress site, importing files can save you time and effort.

For example, you may have a CSV or XML file with a list of products, blog posts, or user data. Instead of manually entering each piece of data, you can import this file directly into WordPress. 

Integrating External Data

You may want to transfer information from other platforms into your WordPress site. If your product data is in a separate system, you can import that data into WordPress. This will keep everything synchronized and up to date.

Sharing Content Across Sites

Importing files makes it a breeze to share your content across multiple WordPress sites. You can export files from one site and import them into another, maintaining consistent content across your online presence.

Which Import Method Should You Use?

The right method depends on what’s in your file. Find your file type here before you start.

What you have	Use this import method	Watch out for
XML or WXR from another WordPress site	The built-in WordPress importer	Brings content only; no theme, plugins or settings
A full site: files, database, theme, plugins	Duplicator Pro, drag and drop	Needs a paid plan for drag-and-drop imports, but the classic migration is free
CSV of products, posts or users	A dedicated CSV importer like WP All Import	Column mapping is where most imports go wrong
Images, PDFs and other documents	The Media Library uploader	Your server’s upload size limit
A backup you need to restore	Your backup plugin’s restore tool	Restoring replaces content; importing adds to it

How to Import Files in WordPress

Now that you’ve decided to import files into your WordPress site, you might need step-by-step instructions on how to do it. This way, you’ll easily transfer data to your site without any issues. 

Here are the two main methods:

• Method 1: WordPress Import Tool: Built-in option for basic content transfer (posts, pages, or comments) with XML/WXR file support
• Method 2: WordPress Migration Plugin: Advanced option using tools like Duplicator Pro for complete site migrations with drag-and-drop functionality

Method 1: Use the WordPress Import Tool

WordPress has built-in import and export tools that allow you to migrate files between different sites. Usually, people use the importer to move content from other publishing systems like Blogger, Joomla, or Tumblr.

Back up the destination site before you run any import. An import adds content rather than replacing it, so a wrong file, or a second run after one that stalled, leaves you deleting duplicate posts by hand.

Of course, you can also migrate content from another WordPress site. In your dashboard, go to Tools » Import. Find WordPress at the bottom of the list and hit Install Now, then click Run Importer to start uploading an XML or WXR file.

After this, you can map the exported content to an existing user on the site. To make sure attachments are imported, select the Download and import file attachments option.

Although this process doesn’t require any third-party plugins, it has its limitations. The WordPress importer moves posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, and custom fields. It can also pull in attachments, but only the ones referenced in your XML file, and only if you ticked that box — on a large Media Library those downloads often time out partway. What it never brings across is your custom theme, your plugins, or your settings.

Method 2: Use a WordPress Migration Plugin

To import and export WordPress files more easily, we’d recommend using a migration plugin. You’ll have more flexible options when it comes to migrating your site content. 

Step 1: Install Duplicator Pro

Although there are many WordPress migration plugins out there, Duplicator is by far the best.

It has a drag-and-drop interface, which means it’s a great tool for beginners. Plus, Duplicator can regularly back up your website, and on the Pro plan it can turn a copy of your site into a staging site for safe testing.

With Duplicator, you can create site backups that include custom WordPress data. Then, you’ll be able to import these backup files by dragging and dropping them into another WordPress installation. This makes it the best WordPress importer plugin I’ve found.

To get started, choose a subscription for Duplicator Pro. You could use the free version, but then you wouldn’t get to experience the convenience of drag-and-drop imports.

Then, open your WordPress dashboard and install and activate Duplicator.

Before you start using Duplicator, you’ll need to activate your license key. Copy the key that you received with your purchase. In WordPress, find Duplicator Pro » Settings » General.

Paste your license key and activate it. This will unlock a wide range of premium features to help you with site migrations, backups, and cloning! 

Step 2: Create a Custom Backup

Next, you can create a custom file with all of the data you want to transfer to the new location. Don’t worry, Duplicator Pro makes this process easy. 

To get started, build a backup by heading over to Duplicator Pro » Backups » Add New.

Duplicator will automatically generate a name for the backup, but you can add dynamic tags so it’s easier to find. Although the plugin supports many cloud backup storage services, select Local.

Next, expand the Backup section. Using the Custom preset, you can select exactly which parts of your WordPress site you want to transfer.

You’ll be able to include/exclude the database, along with:

• Core WordPress files
• Plugins
• Themes
• Media files
• Other non-WordPress files in the root directory

To avoid importing a large file, you could also choose to only include active plugin and theme files.

Additionally, consider removing the Other option to exclude non-WordPress files and folders. This will exclude any unnecessary data and optimize your backup.

After this, hit Next. Now, Duplicator will scan your website for issues.

Once you review any notices, click on Create Backup. 

Step 3: Download Your Files

Now that you’ve built a custom file, you’ll want to download it. Your new backup will be at the top of the Backups page.

Click on Download » Archive (zip). This will download a ZIP file with your compiled custom WordPress files. Be sure to save this so you can import it into another location.

If you’re using Duplicator Pro, you’ll only have to download the backup’s archive file and drag and drop it into a new WordPress installation.

However, if you don’t have WordPress installed or you’re using Duplicator Lite, be sure to also download the installer. For more information on this process, check out this guide on how to migrate WordPress data for free.

Step 4: Import the Files into WordPress

Rather than manually uploading files in cPanel or a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client, Duplicator allows you to simply drop a backup into the new site.

To start the import process, be sure to install and activate Duplicator Pro on the second installation. 

Then, head over to Duplicator Pro » Import Backups. Here, upload the file archive.

Once it uploads, you’ll see an overview of the backup. Hit Continue.

Before you import the file, consider setting a recovery point. Essentially, this involves using the most recent backup to recover your site if anything goes wrong.

After you configure the recovery point, copy the recovery URL and save it. When you’re ready to continue, click on Launch Installer.

If you decided to exclude your database from your backup, Duplicator will only work as a file extractor. In the migration wizard, you’ll see that it won’t perform any actions on the current site’s database.

At the bottom of the page, accept the terms and notices and hit Next. A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm the install settings.

Now, Duplicator will automatically import all of the files in your backup. You’ll see a success message after this is complete.

To access your updated website, you’ll need to log back into the admin area. 

Upload Size Limits (and What to Do When Your File Is Too Big)

Most failed imports aren’t really failures. The file was simply bigger than your server would accept.

WordPress shows your current ceiling at the bottom of the Media Library upload box, as “Maximum upload file size.”

Shared hosting often sets this at 2MB to 64MB, which a full-site archive will exceed immediately. Three server settings control it: upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, and max_execution_time, which kills long uploads even when the size is allowed.

Ask your host to raise those limits, since many will do it on request. You may also be able to do it yourself in the hosting control panel.

For detailed steps, read our tutorial on how to increase your site’s maximum file upload size.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Alternative: WP All Import and CSV Importer are other import plugins. WP All Import is a popular option that can import XML and CSV files. It’s capable of importing data like posts, pages, taxonomies, custom post types, users, and WooCommerce products. 

Alternatively, WordPress provides a built-in import tool to upload XML files to your site. This can import posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, and custom fields. However, you’ll need a more flexible tool if you want to migrate images and other files. 

Then, log into the new WordPress website via FTP. Drag and drop your downloaded files into the uploads folder. Since your image links will still point to the original site, you’ll also need to update URLs after the migration. 

WordPress.org and WordPress.com have different ways of importing content. If you want to migrate to WordPress.com, go to Tools » Import » WordPress and enter your WordPress.org site address. Then, you can choose to import everything, or just posts, pages, comments, and media files. 

Conclusion

You’ve just successfully imported files in WordPress!

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

• How to Update WordPress (And Stay Ahead of the Curve)
• 17 Best WordPress SEO Plugins to Boost Your Rankings
• 11 WordPress Maintenance Tasks You Won’t Want to Forget
• How to Fix Broken Links After a Website Migration
• How Much Does It Cost to Migrate a WordPress Site?
• How to Move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

Do you want more flexible import options than what’s available in WordPress? Download Duplicator Pro to drag and drop custom file archives into any WordPress site!