How to Migrate a WordPress Site to XAMPP

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Migrating a WordPress site to a local server environment like XAMPP can be a great way to test changes, try new plugins, or create a backup of your site. XAMPP is a popular software package that provides a complete environment for running WordPress locally, including Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl. This guide will walk you through each step of the migration process in a clear and simple way.

Step 1: Setting up XAMPP

Before migrating your WordPress site, you need to install XAMPP on your local computer. You can download XAMPP from the official XAMPP website. Choose the version according to your operating system, be it Windows, macOS or Linux.

After downloading, follow the installation instructions. Once installed, launch the XAMPP control panel. Start the Apache and MySQL services by clicking the 'Start' button next to each. If they start without any errors, your XAMPP environment is ready.

Step 2: Exporting your WordPress site

To migrate your WordPress site, you first need to export both the files and the database. Let’s start by dealing with the files.

If you have access to the server where your WordPress site is hosted, use an FTP client like FileZilla to download the WordPress files. Connect to your server using your FTP credentials and navigate to the directory containing your WordPress installation. This directory usually contains files like wp-config.php and directories like wp-content. Download all these files to your local computer.

Next, export your WordPress database. Access your site's host where the database is managed, often via phpMyAdmin. Once inside phpMyAdmin, select your WordPress database from the list on the left. Then, click the 'Export' tab. Choose the 'Quick' export method and the 'SQL' format, then click 'Go'. Save the exported database file to your computer.

Step 3: Import WordPress database to XAMPP

Now that you have exported your WordPress site's database, you need to import it into a local MySQL database in XAMPP.

Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin. This will open phpMyAdmin in your local XAMPP environment. Click 'Databases' at the top, and you will see a prompt to create a database. Enter a name for your local WordPress database (for example, wordpress_local) and click 'Create'.

Once your database is created, click 'Import' at the top. This will allow you to import the database file you exported earlier. Click 'Choose File', select your SQL file, and click 'Go'. phpMyAdmin will import your WordPress database into the new local database.

Step 4: Configuring WordPress files for local use

Once your database is ready, it’s time to prepare the WordPress files for local use.

Copy the WordPress files you downloaded from your online server to the XAMPP htdocs directory, which is typically located where you installed XAMPP (for example, C:\xampp\htdocs on Windows). Create a new folder inside htdocs and give it a name, such as my_website.

Next, find wp-config.php file in your copied files. Open it in a text editor and find the following lines:

<?php define('DB_NAME', 'database_name_here'); define('DB_USER', 'username_here'); define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here'); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); ?>

Change these to match your local database settings:

<?php define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress_local'); define('DB_USER', 'root'); define('DB_PASSWORD', ''); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); ?>

The MySQL username is usually 'root' and the password for the local environment is usually blank, unless you set it during XAMPP installation.

Step 5: Adjusting the site URL and permalinks

After configuring your WordPress files, adjust the URL of your site within the database. This step ensures that your site points to your local environment rather than the live server.

In phpMyAdmin, go to your local WordPress database and find a table called wp_options. This is usually one of the first tables shown. Click on it and look for options called siteurl and home. Instead of your live website URL, they should point to your local URL, e.g., http://localhost/my_website. To update these, click 'Edit' next to each entry, change the 'option_value' field to the local URL, and save your changes.

Additionally, permalinks may need to be reset to function properly. Log in to your local WordPress dashboard by visiting http://localhost/my_website/wp-login.php with your usual WordPress credentials. Go to Settings → Permalinks, and simply save the existing settings. This action refreshes your permalinks structure.

Step 6: Test your local WordPress site

You have successfully migrated your site's files and database. Now, it's time to test. Open your browser and visit http://localhost/my_website. If you get to your WordPress site, then you have correctly migrated your WordPress site to XAMPP.

Be sure to thoroughly test your site's functionalities, make sure all links work, pages load correctly, and all media is present. Sometimes, you may need to reconfigure some plugins or themes due to differences in server environments.

Step 7: Dealing with common migration issues

There are a few common issues you may encounter during migration. If you see database connection errors, double-check your wp-config.php settings for any typos and make sure your local MySQL service is running.

If pages return 404 errors, re-save your permalinks as described in step 5. For issues with media not displaying, verify that your paths are updated correctly.

Final thoughts

Migrating a WordPress site to XAMPP may seem scary at first, but by following the steps above, it becomes easier. This process allows you to create a secure environment for development, testing, or even keeping a backup of your site.

Using XAMPP as your local server for WordPress is a powerful way to manage your website offline. Once you are comfortable with migrating, you will find that it opens up many more possibilities for customizing and developing your WordPress site than you can do on a live server. Always remember to backup your site before any migration to ensure you don't lose any important data.

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