Complete Guide 2026: How to Migrate WordPress with Duplicator Step-by-Step

Why Choose Duplicator to Migrate your WordPress Site?

In the WordPress ecosystem there are dozens of migration plugins, but Duplicator has earned a place of honor on its own merits. Its main competitive advantage is the generosity of its free version. Unlike many other alternatives that hinder you, as the experts at Webempresa point out in their detailed tutorial, Duplicator's free version does not impose critical limitations such as a maximum size for your website. This makes it a viable option for the vast majority of projects.

Other key benefits include:

• Ease of use: Its guided wizard takes you by the hand through the entire process, minimizing the possibility of errors.
• Reliability: With millions of active installations, it is one of the most proven and reliable solutions on the market.
• All in one: Package your files, plugins, themes and database into a single package, drastically simplifying the process.
• No complex technical steps: It avoids the need to perform manual database operations or edit sensitive configuration files, a common problem with other methods.

Common Scenarios for Using Duplicator

The process of migrating WordPress with Duplicator is incredibly versatile. According to the same Webempresa source, The plugin is ideal for two main situations, although the procedure is practically identical in both:

1. Uploading a web site from a local environment to a live server

Many developers and designers prefer to build websites on their own computer using tools like XAMPP, MAMP or Local by Flywheel. Once the site is ready, Duplicator is the perfect tool to «push» it from the local environment to the final hosting server and make it public.

2. Moving a web site between two hosting servers

This is the most frequent use case: you have decided to change hosting provider for performance, price or support reasons. Duplicator allows you to package your website on the old hosting and deploy it seamlessly on the new one, ensuring a smooth transition.

Phase 1: Creation of the Migration Package at the Source Site

The Duplicator method is divided into two clear and consecutive phases. The first is the creation of the package on your current site (the source). This is where it all starts.

Step 1: Install and Activate Duplicator Plugin

Logically, the first step is to have the plugin on your site. As detailed in the SWHosting community guide, The process starts directly in your administration panel.

1. Go to your WordPress administration panel.
2. In the menu on the left, navigate to Plugins → Add new plugin.
3. In the search bar, type «Duplicator».
4. Locate the «Duplicator - WordPress Migration & Backup Plugin» plugin and click «Install Now».
5. Once installed, click on «Activate».

You will see a new item in your menu called «Duplicator». You're ready to go! You can also download it directly from the official WordPress.org repository.

Step 2: Create a New Package

With the plugin active, it is time to create the file containing your entire website.

1. In the WordPress menu, go to Duplicator → Packages.
2. Click on the «Create new» button in the upper right corner.
3. The package creation wizard will open. You can leave the default name or assign a descriptive one (e.g. «migrate-to-new-hosting-date»).
4. Click «Next».

Step 3: System Scan

Duplicator will now scan your site to make sure everything is in order for the migration. It will check your server configuration, file size, database, etc.

• If everything appears green with the label «Good», perfect.
• If you see any warnings (in yellow), read them carefully. These are usually warnings about site size or server configurations that do not usually prevent the package from being created, but it is good to be aware of them.

Once the scan has been reviewed, check the «Yes, continue the compilation process!» box and click the «Compile» button.

Step 4: Download Migration Files

The plugin will start working. Depending on the size of your site, this process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. When it is finished, you will see two download buttons:

• Installer: A file named installer.php. This is the script that will execute the migration on the new server.
• Archive: A single file .zip. This is the heart of migration. As mentioned in the Webempresa analysis, This ZIP archive contains all your WordPress files and a complete copy of the database.

Click on both buttons to download the two files to your computer. Save them in a safe place.

Phase 2: Package Restoration on the Target Server

Congratulations! You've completed the first half. Now it's time to take those two files and bring your site to life in its new home.

Step 1: Prepare the Target Environment

The process varies slightly between hosting providers, but is generally done from cPanel or a similar control panel:

1. Log in to the control panel of your new hosting.
2. Search for an option such as «MySQL Databases» or «Database Wizard».
3. Create a new database. Give it a name (e.g. newabd_wp).
4. Create a new user for the database. Assign a strong password.
5. Add the user to the database and give him or her ALL PRIVILEGES.
6. Write down the database name, user name and password. You'll need them in a moment.

Step 2: Upload Files to the New Server

Now you need to upload the two files you downloaded (installer.php and the file .zip) to the root directory of your new hosting. The most reliable way to do this is via an FTP client.

1. Connect to your new server using an FTP client such as FileZilla.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your website. It is usually called public_html, www o httpdocs.
3. Drag and drop files installer.php and packagename.zip from your computer to this directory.

Step 3: Run Duplicator Installer

This is the moment of truth. Open your web browser and go to the following URL:

https://tudominiodestino.com/installer.php

(Replaces tudominiodestino.com with the domain or temporary URL of your new hosting).

Duplicator's installation wizard will guide you through 4 easy steps:

1. Deployment: The installer will verify that everything is correct. Review the results, accept the terms and conditions, and click «Next».
2. Install Database: This is where you will enter the database data you created and wrote down earlier (Host, Database Name, User, Password). Click on «Test Database» to make sure the connection is correct. If everything is OK, click on «Next».
3. Update Data: The installer will automatically detect the old and new URLs and paths. Check that they are correct. It is usually not necessary to change anything here. Click «Next».
4. Test Site: You're done! The process is finished. Now you can test that your site is working properly.

Step 4: Final Cleaning and Testing

Duplicator will offer you a button to start automatic cleaning. Click on it. This will delete the installation files and clear the cache. Afterwards, perform these checks:

• Try logging into your WordPress dashboard with your usual credentials.
• Browse through the pages and entries of your site to verify that the links work.
• Go to Settings → Permanent Links and click «Save changes» (without modifying anything). This regenerates the file .htaccess and prevents 404 errors.
• If you changed hosting provider, don't forget to update your domain's DNS records to point to the IP of your new server.

Conclusion: Your WordPress Migration, Simplified

As you have seen, migrate WordPress with Duplicator is not rocket science. It's a methodical, guided and, above all, safe process. By following these steps, you've successfully packaged your entire website, moved it to a new location, and deployed it without having to touch a single line of complex code.

The next time you need to change hosting or upload a local project to production, you no longer have an excuse to panic. You have in your hands a powerful tool and a complete guide to make your web migration a resounding success.