How to Clone Website in WordPress – Complete Beginner Friendly Guide
Have you ever wished you could copy your entire WordPress website theme, plugins, settings, design and everything with just a few clicks? The good news is you can and in this guide, I will show you how to clone website in WordPress even if you have zero technical knowledge.
Whether you are rebuilding your website, shifting to a new host or simply creating a backup, cloning a WordPress website is one of the most powerful skills a website owner can learn.
Let’s break it down step by step like a friend showing you how things work.
What Does Cloning a WordPress Website Mean?
In simple words:
Cloning a WordPress site means creating an exact copy of your existing website and moving it to another domain, folder or hosting account.
It’s like taking a screenshot of your entire website but in a fully working version.
You might need to clone a website when:
- You are moving your site to a new hosting provider
- You want to create a test website (staging site)
- You want to duplicate an existing website for a new project
- You want a full backup before making big changes
- You want to create multiple similar affiliate/review sites
Think of cloning as copy & paste but for your entire website.
Why You Should Know How to Clone Website in WordPress
Most beginners think cloning is only for developers. But trust me, it’s one of the easiest and most useful things you can learn.
Some real life examples:
Example 1: Changing Hosting
- Imagine your website is slow because of cheap shared hosting. You buy a better plan from Hostinger or SiteGround.
- Instead of rebuilding the site, you simply clone your website to the new host.
Example 2: Creating a Staging Site
- You want to change your theme or test new plugins.
- A staging website lets you try everything safely without breaking your real website.
Example 3: Making Multiple Niche Websites
- Let’s say your fishing website turns out great.
- Now you want to create a second niche website with the same structure.
- Instead of starting from scratch, you clone it and just change the content.
So yes cloning is a life saver.
Methods to Clone a WordPress Website
There are multiple ways but I will walk you through the easiest, safest and beginner friendly methods.
We will cover:
- Cloning using a plugin (recommended for beginners)
- Cloning manually using cPanel & phpMyAdmin (for advanced users)
- Cloning using hosting tools like Softaculous/Staging (optional method)
Let’s start with the easiest one.
Method 1: How to Clone Website in WordPress Using a Plugin
This is the method 99% of beginners use. Plugins that allow cloning include:
- Duplicator (most popular)
- All in One WP Migration
- UpdraftPlus
- WPvivid Backup Plugin
In this guide, I will use Duplicator, because it’s the simplest and safest.
Step by Step: Cloning Your WordPress Website with Duplicator
Step 1: Install the Duplicator Plugin
Login to your WordPress dashboard
- Go to Plugins then Click Add New
- Search for Duplicator
- Install
- Activate
- Done
Step 2: Create a Website Package (Backup)
This package contains your full website:
- Files
- Database
- Themes
- Plugins
- Settings
Here’s what to do:
- Go to Duplicator then Packages
- Click Create New
- Name your package anything you want
- Click Next
- Let the plugin scan your website
- Click Build
It will take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on your website size.
Step 3: Download the Package Files
Duplicator will give you two files:
- Installer.php
- Archive.zip
- Click Download Both Files.
These two files are everything you need to clone your website anywhere you want.
Step 4: Upload the Files to the New Location
Where do you want to clone your site?
- New domain? (example.com to newsite.com)
- Subdomain? (dev.example.com)
- Subfolder? (example.com/demo)
- New hosting?
Wherever your new site’s folder is, upload both files using:
- File Manager (in cPanel)
- OR FTP (FileZilla)
Upload installer.php and archive.zip to the folder where you want your new site to be installed.
Step 5: Create a New Database
Your clone needs a new database.
- Go to cPanel
- Click on MySQL Databases
- Create a new database
- Create a new user
- Assign the user to the database with ALL privileges
Keep these safe:
- Database Name
- Database Username
- Database Password
- Database Host (usually localhost)
You will need them in the next step.
Step 6: Run the Installer
Open your browser and go to:
- yournewsite.com/installer.php
- This will open Duplicator’s installer.
Follow the steps:
- Click Accept Terms
- Enter your database details
- Test connection
- Click Next
- Install website
- Update URL if needed
- Complete installation
Congratulations! Your website has been cloned.
Step 7: Login to Your New Clone Site
After installation, go to:
- yournewsite.com/wp-admin
- Login using your username and password from your original website.
- You should now see a full, perfect clone of your website.
Method 2: How to Clone Website in WordPress Manually
This method is for people who want more control and don’t want to rely on plugins.
You will:
- Download website files
- Export the database
- Upload files to new hosting
- Create a new database
- Import database
- Edit “wp-config.php”
- Update database URLs
It’s more technical, so I only recommend this if you are comfortable with cPanel.
But yes it works perfectly.
Method 3: Cloning Using Hosting Staging Tools (1-Click Clone)
Some hosting providers offer a built in 1-click clone or staging feature, such as:
- Hostinger
- SiteGround
- Bluehost
- WPX Hosting
- Cloudways
How it works:
- Go to your hosting control panel
- Open WordPress Manager / Staging
- Choose your site
- Click Clone / Create Staging
- Select the new domain or folder
- Done
It literally makes a full clone in seconds.
Tips to Avoid Problems While Cloning a Website
Here are some common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them.
1. Always check your PHP version
- Your new hosting must support the same or newer PHP version.
2. Don’t clone to a folder where a site already exists
- Make sure the folder is empty.
3. Delete old WordPress files before copying new ones
- If you are cloning over an existing WordPress install, remove all old files.
4. Update permalinks after cloning
Go to:
- Settings then Permalinks and Save
- No changes needed just save
5. Fix mixed content errors
If cloning from HTTP to HTTPS or vice versa, use a plugin like:
- Better Search Replace
- Really Simple SSL
Common Uses of Cloning a WordPress Website
1. Creating a staging/testing website
- Useful before updating themes, plugins or making design changes.
2. Moving to a new hosting provider
- Clone your site from old hosting to new hosting in minutes
3. Duplicating a niche website
- Great for affiliate marketers who want multiple similar sites.
4. Creating secure backups
- A clone is the best emergency backup.
5. Client work
- If you create websites for clients, cloning saves hours of work.
My Personal Tip as a WordPress Expert
Whenever I build a new website, I always set up:
- Live website
- Staging website
- This saves me from disasters.
- I test everything on staging first.
- If it works, I will push changes to the live site.
You should do this too, especially if your website is important for your business.
Conclusion
Cloning a WordPress website is not just a technical skill, it’s a time saving superpower. Once you learn how to clone website in WordPress, you can move hosting, create backups, duplicate websites and test new designs without fear of breaking anything.
Whether you use Duplicator, All in One WP Migration, manual cloning or hosting tools, the process becomes easier every time you do it.
And remember:
- A cloned site = safety + flexibility + peace of mind.
If you want me to write another detailed tutorial like this, just tell me.
FAQs: About How to Clone Website in WordPress
Is it safe to clone a WordPress website?
Yes. Cloning is 100% safe when done correctly. Using a plugin like Duplicator or All in One WP Migration ensures your entire site is copied securely.
Can I clone a WordPress website to another domain?
Absolutely! You can clone your site to any domain newsite.com, subdomain.example.com or a folder.
Just follow the steps above on how to clone website in WordPress.
What is the easiest way to clone a WordPress website?
For beginners, the easiest method is using the Duplicator plugin. It creates a single package that you can install anywhere.
Discover more from hostifylab.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
