Ever felt limited by Wix and wondered if there’s a more flexible platform for your website? You’re not alone—many website owners outgrow Wix and seek the broader customization options WordPress offers.
Switching platforms can feel overwhelming, but making the move can unlock new possibilities for your site’s design and growth. In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step through transferring your Wix site to WordPress and share practical tips to ensure a smooth transition.
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How to Transfer Your Wix Site to WordPress: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Transferring your website from Wix to WordPress can seem overwhelming at first—but with the right steps and some practical tips, the migration process is manageable even for beginners. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about switching from Wix to WordPress, including preparation steps, tips for a successful transfer, common challenges, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Why Move from Wix to WordPress?
Wix is a popular website builder for newcomers and small businesses. However, as your site grows, you may find yourself craving more customization, flexibility, and control—areas where WordPress truly shines. WordPress powers a significant portion of websites worldwide and is known for its:
- Advanced customization options
- Thousands of themes and plugins
- Better control over SEO and performance
- Cost-effective hosting choices
- A large, supportive community
If you want greater flexibility and long-term scalability, migrating to WordPress is a smart move.
Key Steps to Transfer Your Wix Site to WordPress
Migrating from Wix to WordPress doesn’t have a “one-click” solution. Instead, it’s about carefully moving your content, redesigning your site if needed, and setting up your domain properly. Here’s a step-by-step outline to guide you:
1. Set Up Your WordPress Site
Before moving any content, you need a WordPress environment ready to receive your data.
- Choose a web host: WordPress is self-hosted, so you’ll need to purchase hosting. Popular choices include Bluehost, SiteGround, or Hostinger.
- Register a domain: You can use your existing domain (if purchased through Wix) or register a new one with your chosen host.
- Install WordPress: Most hosts offer a simple “one-click” installer. Follow the prompts to get WordPress up and running.
2. Select a WordPress Theme
Your Wix site’s design may not transfer directly, so pick a WordPress theme that fits your brand.
- Browse the theme directory or consider a premium theme for added features.
- Install and activate your chosen theme.
- Customize the theme to best replicate your previous Wix design or take the opportunity to refresh your website’s look!
3. Export Content from Wix
Unfortunately, Wix does not offer an automated way to export your entire site. However, you can still transfer your content:
Move Blog Posts
- Export blog content: Wix lets you export your blog posts to an XML file.
- Import into WordPress:
- In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Tools” > “Import”.
- Use the WordPress importer to upload the XML file.
- Assign posts to the correct author and review for formatting issues.
Transfer Pages and Media
Pages and media take a bit more effort:
- Copy and paste page content: Manually copy texts, images, and layout from each Wix page into new WordPress pages.
- Download images: Save images from your Wix site and upload them to your WordPress Media Library.
- Recreate galleries or special features: Use WordPress plugins to replicate features such as contact forms, image sliders, or e-commerce elements.
4. Organize Menus and Navigation
Create the same navigation structure you had on Wix:
- Go to “Appearance” > “Menus” in WordPress.
- Add pages, blog categories, and custom links as per your old site’s navigation.
5. Set Up Essential Plugins
WordPress plugins enhance your website’s functionality. Here are some essentials to install:
- SEO Plugins: For optimizing content and structure (e.g., Yoast SEO).
- Contact Forms: To replace any forms you had on Wix (e.g., Contact Form 7 or WPForms).
- Site Security: For keeping your site secure (e.g., Wordfence Security).
- Performance: Caching plugins can improve site speed.
- Backup Plugins: Regular backups ensure you don’t lose your hard work.
6. Set Up Redirects and Connect Your Domain
If you had a custom domain with Wix:
- Point your domain’s DNS to your new WordPress web host.
- Set up 301 redirects from your old Wix URLs to the new WordPress URLs if possible. This preserves SEO and ensures visitors don’t land on broken pages.
- If your old site used a Wix subdomain (e.g., username.wixsite.com/sitename), you won’t be able to set up redirects.
7. Test and Launch
Before making your new site public:
- Click through every page and post, checking for broken links, missing images, and formatting issues.
- Test forms, menus, and special features.
- Preview your site on mobile devices and different browsers.
Once you’re satisfied, officially launch your WordPress site and notify your audience!
Important Tips and Best Practices
- Prioritize content accuracy: When copying text and images, ensure nothing is left behind.
- Create a sitemap: This helps in ensuring every page on your old site has a new home on WordPress.
- Improve SEO during transfer: Tweak your permalinks, add alt tags to images, and set up proper meta titles and descriptions.
- Review your design: If you can’t recreate exactly what you had on Wix, consider this an opportunity to modernize and enhance your design using powerful WordPress themes.
- Backup both sites: Before starting, take backups of your Wix content (screenshots, text, media) and back up your WordPress site regularly.
Benefits of Migrating to WordPress
Switching from Wix to WordPress opens up a world of possibilities:
- Unlimited customization: Create almost any site imaginable with plugins and themes.
- SEO flexibility: Fine-tune your site for search engines using advanced SEO tools.
- E-commerce options: Choose from powerful plugins like WooCommerce to build an online store.
- Scalability: Easily grow and expand your site as your audience grows.
- Ownership: You own your site and content, not just rent it on a platform.
Challenges You Might Encounter
It’s best to be aware of common pain points so you can plan for them:
- Time investment: Manual transfer takes effort, especially with large sites.
- Design discrepancies: Wix and WordPress use different layouts, so expect to spend time adjusting the look.
- Redirect limitations: Full redirects are only possible if you owned a custom domain at Wix.
- Potential downtime: Plan your transfer carefully to minimize downtime.
Cost Considerations
Moving to WordPress can impact your budget:
- Self-hosting costs: Hosting typically costs between $3–$20 per month.
- Domain registration: Around $10–$20 per year unless you already have a domain to transfer.
- Premium themes/plugins: Some features may require a one-time or annual fee.
- Web designer/developer fees: If you hire help, factor in professional costs.
- Time is money: The more content you have, the more time investment is required.
Most users find that WordPress’s ongoing costs offer better value than long-term Wix premium plans, especially as their site grows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What happens to my Wix site after I transfer to WordPress?
Your Wix site remains live unless you manually take it down. Once your WordPress site is ready and your domain is pointed to the new host, visitors will see your new site. You can keep your Wix site as a backup for a short period before canceling your subscription.
Can I automatically transfer all my content from Wix to WordPress?
No, Wix and WordPress use different systems, and there isn’t an official automated tool for transferring everything. Blog posts can be exported, but pages and media typically require manual copying and adjustment.
Will my SEO rankings be affected during the transfer?
A well-planned migration can preserve most of your SEO value. Make sure you set up proper 301 redirects, copy all content and metadata, and submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console. Some temporary ranking fluctuations are normal but recoverable with good practices.
Can I use my Wix domain on WordPress?
Yes, if you own the custom domain. You need to update your domain’s DNS settings to point to your new WordPress host. If your Wix site used a free Wix-branded subdomain, you’ll need to choose and register a new custom domain.
Should I hire a professional for the migration?
It depends on your comfort level and the complexity of your site. Small sites with basic content can be migrated manually with patience. But if you have a larger or more complex site (e.g., online store, custom functionality), hiring a professional may save you time and prevent errors.
Summary
Moving your website from Wix to WordPress puts you in control—offering powerful new options for design, functionality, and growth. While the process isn’t instant, breaking it into clear steps makes migration straightforward. Prepare, move your content, take time to organize, and test thoroughly before going live. Soon, you’ll enjoy a flexible, robust website ready to grow with your ambitions!