[New] Introducing Duplicator’s Sleek Redesign: New Look, Same Great Features
We simplified backups and migrations with Duplicator's fresh new look. Dive into our redesigned interface, backup presets, helpful tooltips, and…
[New] Introducing Duplicator’s Sleek Redesign: New Look, Same Great Features
Joella Dunn
Joella Dunn
John Turner
John Turner
Does your WordPress site need a fresh start? Maybe you’ve outgrown your current design and you want a whole new look.
However, the thought of replacing your entire WordPress site can be daunting. Will you lose all your hard work?
We’re about to show you how to replace your WordPress site with a new one, and it’s easier than you might think.
Ready to give your site a fresh coat of digital paint? Let’s dive in and learn how to replace your WordPress site with another one!
Sometimes, a simple update just won’t cut it. There are plenty of reasons you might want to start fresh with a new WordPress site.
Is your site starting to look like it’s stuck in the early 2000s? A complete replacement allows you to overhaul your entire online presence. It’s like moving into a new house — everything’s fresh, modern, and exactly how you want it.
Maybe you’ve outgrown your current theme, or you need features your current setup just can’t handle. Replacing your site gives you the freedom to implement that sleek new theme or add those must-have functionalities without wrestling with compatibility issues.
Running multiple WordPress websites can be a headache. You can replace them with a single site that unifies content from your other sites.
Out with the old, in with the new! It’s about creating a better, more efficient site that serves your current needs.
Now that we’ve covered the “why,” let’s dive into the “how.” We’re going to walk you through the process of replacing your WordPress site. Don’t worry – we’ll break it down into manageable steps.
First things first – we need a safe playground to build our new site. This is where a staging area comes in handy.
A staging area lets you tinker with your new site without affecting your live one. You can edit a copy of your website without worrying about publishing errors to your audience.
If you don’t have one yet, it’s time to create a staging site. You can build one locally with software like LocalWP, XAMPP, MAMP, or WAMP. It can also be set up as a subdomain on your live server.
After you have your staging area set up, you’ll need to migrate a copy of your live site into it. Although this sounds difficult, Duplicator can help!
Duplicator is the best plugin for WordPress migrations (and backups!). It takes care of complicated server configurations, letting you simply drag and drop your website into a new area.
Download and install the Duplicator plugin on your existing website. If you chose Duplicator Pro, activate your license key in the General settings.
Once installed, go to Duplicator Pro » Backups » Add New.
Name the backup and choose the Local storage location.
To create a copy of your entire website, select Full Site in the Backup section. However, you could easily remove certain data if you want to clean up your site during the redesign.
Duplicator will scan your site. If all looks good, click Create Backup.
Once the build is complete, download both the installer.php file and the archive file.
Install Duplicator Pro on the staging site. Upload the backup archive file to the Import Backups page.
Now, Duplicator will walk you through the rest of the installation. You’ll replace the blank WordPress installation with a copy of your site, which you can edit as much as you want.
Now that you’ve got your staging site up and running, it’s time to make it shine.
Go ahead and make all the changes you want — update your theme, test new features, or completely overhaul your content. This is your chance to refresh your design, improve WordPress security, and much more.
Once you’re happy with it, it’s crucial to back up your WordPress site. Why? Because this backup is what we’ll use to replace your old site.
But wait, let’s take a moment to back up your old site too, just in case there’s any data you want to keep or if you need to revert changes. You probably won’t need it, but you’ll be glad it’s there if you do.
To back up your old site, go to your live site’s WordPress dashboard and use Duplicator to create another backup. Name it something like “Old Site Backup” and follow the same process as before.
Feel free to store these files in a secure location, like a cloud storage service.
Now, go back to your staging site (which is your new website). Create a new full-site backup. Once you’re finished, download the backup’s archive file.
Now comes the exciting part – replacing your old site with your new one. This is where all your hard work pays off.
Start by logging into your live site’s WP admin dashboard. Open Duplicator’s Import Backups page and upload your staging site backup. Click Continue.
At this point, I’d recommend setting a disaster recovery point. Pick a recent full-site backup and click the Set button. Duplicator will give you a recovery URL.
Copy this and save it in a safe place. If anything goes wrong, paste this link into a browser window and instantly restore your WordPress site.
At the bottom of the page, launch the installer.
Scroll down and accept the terms and notices. Hit Next.
In the pop-up, confirm the installation.
Once the migration process is complete, your old site will be replaced with your new one. Sign back into your site.
But we’re not done yet!
Time for some crucial post-replacement checks:
Remember, patience is key. Sometimes it takes a little while for DNS settings to propagate fully. If something doesn’t look right immediately, give it a few hours and check again.
And there you have it! You’ve successfully replaced your WordPress site with a new one. Pat yourself on the back – you’ve just performed major website surgery, and your online presence is better for it.
Overwriting a WordPress site means replacing all its content and files with new ones. To do this, use Duplicator to create a backup of your new site, then import that backup into your old site.
Remember, always create a backup of your old site before overwriting, just in case!
Duplicator can help you clone your existing WordPress site. Just create a backup, include all of your website files, and download the backup. Upload this backup wherever you want to keep your site clone (local server, subdomain, etc.).
For detailed steps, read our guide on how to clone a WordPress website.
Yes, you can have two WordPress sites on one account. You can set them up as:
Just check with your WordPress hosting provider about any limitations on your specific plan.
To redo your WordPress site, create a copy of it and import it into a staging site. You can do this with Duplicator Pro. Implement any changes you want on the staging site.
When it’s ready to publish, make your changes live. Using Duplicator, you can move your WordPress site safely without disrupting your live site.
Replacing your WordPress site might seem like a daunting task, but it’s a manageable process that can breathe new life into your online presence.
While you’re here, I think you’ll like these extra WordPress guides:
Ready to give your WordPress site a fresh start? Give Duplicator Pro a try. You can use it to move a WordPress website to and from a staging area, giving you a safe place to experiment!
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