How to Move From WordPress.com to WordPress.org Using a Self-Hosted Domain

This guide assumes you’ve already set up your domain name and installed WordPress.org. If not, feel free to follow my free guide on setting up WordPress.org, which explains how to secure a free domain name and install WordPress. Need help with installation? I’m happy to handle it for you at no cost; simply submit a blog install request here.

If you’re currently blogging on WordPress.com and want to transition to a self-hosted WordPress.org site, this tutorial will walk you through the process.

WordPress.com has several limitations that may hold you back as a blogger—most notably limited control, security constraints, and the inability to monetize your content. If you’re experiencing these challenges, it’s likely time to switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.

Although you cannot install third-party plugins using a free blog hosted at WordPress.com, there is an export tool included with the platform that allows you to download all of your posts and comments to make it easy to transfer from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.

1. Navigate to “Tools > Export” in your wordpress.com blog, and click on “Export”.

2. Choose the content that you want to export. Most likely, you’ll want to stick with the default option, “All content,” to export all of your posts, pages, comments, navigation menus and other content.

3. Click “Download Export File” to download your content to your computer in the form of a single XML file.

Now you can upload the XML file to your new WordPress.org blog (find detailed instructions on making your new blog here) so that all of your content will immediately appear on your new website.

1. Navigate to “Tools > Import” in your new self-hosted wordpress.org blog, and click the last option “WordPress”.

2. Click “Choose File” and navigate to the XML file that you downloaded in the previous step. Click “Upload file and import,” and wait for WordPress to transfer your content to the new site. The transfer may take a while depending on your Internet connection and the size of the XML file.

3 – Set up a Redirect

Since your visitors won’t know that you have moved to a self-hosted blog, they’ll still be visiting the old one for a time, so you’ll need to have them automatically redirected to the new domain. The easiest way to do this is to use the Site Redirect service from wordpress.com, which costs $13 per year.

1. Open the “Store” menu item in your old wordpress.com administrator dashboard and search for “Site Redirect”.

2. Click “Buy Now,” and click “Buy Now” again to confirm. Enter the address of your self-hosted wordpress.org blog, and click “Redirect to this URL”.

3. Confirm the purchase, and enter your payment details to complete the process.

With the redirect set up, you will be able to manage your site redirects from the “Store > My Domains” menu item in the wordpress.com administrator dashboard. In order for the redirect to work correctly, the permalinks on your new site will have to match those used on your wordpress.com blog. You can change the redirect at any time you want, and for best results, you’ll probably want to use the service for a year or two until your visitors come to memorize your new domain and it takes precedence in the search results.