How to Move a Live WordPress Site to Localhost or Server
Many people, in fact beginners, several times ask me this question that how to move a live WordPress site to a local host or server to test new themes and plugins. It’s extremely essential to test your new themes or plugins before making them live for your audience. It’s truly helpful if you have a copy of your WordPress site on your local server, since it permits you to test all of your newly developed things along with your database. Today, we’ll see how to move or copy your live WordPress site to a local host or server.
(Testing changes locally prevents downtime, broken layouts, and plugin conflicts on your live site.)
Important Note
Note: I would like to update you that it’s extremely important to take a backup of your website before moving or replicating your live site to an alternate host. You can utilize plugins or can likewise take a manual backup of your site.
(Example: Popular backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and All-in-One WP Migration.)
How to Move a WordPress Site Using Plugin
There are numerous plugins available with the assistance of which you can back up or make a copy of your WordPress site, yet we generally suggest Duplicator Plugin. This plugin is truly helpful to do these sorts of assignments, and today we’ll see how this plugin works.
(Duplicator is preferred because it creates both files and database packaging into a single portable installer.)
Case Study 1: Agency Developer (India)
A freelance developer in Jaipur needed to redesign a client’s website. Instead of testing live, he cloned the site with Duplicator and tested the redesign locally.
He found 4 plugin conflicts
Fixed layout issues
Added 2 custom features Result: Client approved changes without live site going down.
First, you need to install and activate Duplicator Plugin on your WordPress site. This plugin will help you to create a copy of your site, and you can use that copy to move your site to another host, or you can also use it as a backup of your live WordPress site.
(It supports multisite, subdomains, and large sites with premium version.)
After installation and activation, it’ll show you a screen like below. To create a new package, you need to click on “create new package” like in the image below.
After clicking on create package, it’ll start creating a new package. It will take several minutes to complete because it depends on your database. After finished, you’ll see a new package on your screen, like in the image below. It’ll show you two files, one is installer and another one is zip file.
Download both files because you need both files to run your local site.
(Tip: Store these files safely; they contain your entire site backup.)
Time to Shift Your WordPress Site on Your Local Host or Server
To shift your site to local server, your local server needs a database. You can create a database using PhpMyAdmin. After your database has been created, now the time is to shift your site. Copy and paste your installer file to any folder in your local server’s web directory and run installation using the following URL.
After opening the above URL, Duplicator Plugin will show you the screen like below.
(Example: If your folder name is “wordpress-test”, URL will become: http://localhost/wordpress-test/install.php)
Fill the required information. Host name would be “localhost” and then fill user information with password. You can also use “root” as your username if you haven’t created any database user and after all of the above steps you need to enter your database name you just created. After filling all the information the setup will start extracting your WordPress files and after extracting it’ll import them into local database. After the entire process, it’ll redirect you to the following page.
Case Study 2: Small Business Owner (Delhi)
A business owner managing their own site wanted to test a new booking plugin.
They moved their live site to localhost via Duplicator and tested it safely.
Plugin worked, but slowed down speed
They disabled it and tried an alternative Result: Live site never faced performance issues.
Now you need to provide two URLs, your live site’s URL and your local host’s URL. It will enable Duplicator Plugin to update URLs in your local database and that’s it. Your live site has been copied to your local server.
(This step replaces old URLs to avoid “mixed content” or redirect loops locally.)
Real-World Use Cases
1. Web Agency Testing New Themes
A Mumbai-based agency cloned 12 client sites to local servers before upgrading to a new theme.
Avoided crashes
Fixed compatibility issues
Reduced downtime
2. WordPress Trainer Teaching Students
A trainer in Bangalore created local copies for students to practice.
No hosting costs
Safe sandbox
Faster learning
3. E-commerce Store Testing Checkout
A WooCommerce store migrated locally to test new payment gateways.
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