Next steps for duplicating website?

  • Resolved meisha

    (@meisha)


    2 years, 3 months ago

    Hi! I would like to duplicate a website for the purpose of using it as as a template for a new, completely different website. Most of the use cases describe how to duplicate if you plan to delete the original, so I want to be sure I do this correctly for my particular use case. So far, I have installed a generic install of WordPress on the new domain in order to get access to the Dashboard. Now, when I duplicate the old website, should I choose to only copy the site files and NOT the database? Or will Duplicator automatically change all the references in the database when it imports the database from the backup of the original site? I have very limited experience with this, and I’m hoping someone can explain it to me step by step. I’m more of a front-end graphic designer, and anything to do with the databases is confusing to me, so if anyone can please help me understand this process in detail, I would be very grateful. Thank you so much, in advance!

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

  • Hey @meisha,

    Duplicator does not support the merging of data files or databases. It simply moves the entire site. There are 3 different ways to perform this process and all those instructions can be found at this link:
    https://snapcreek.com/duplicator/docs/quick-start#install_site

    Hope this helps~

    Thread Starter meisha

    (@meisha)

    Thank you, Cory, that’s very helpful, even just to know Duplicator isn’t the tool I need. It seems there must be a tool that does this easily since I can’t imagine that web designers don’t use existing sites as templates all the time. But maybe they don’t. I’ll look at the information you sent and see what I can figure out from there. I appreciate your help! ??

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by meisha.

    If you are looking for a merge/sync tool this one might help out…
    https://deliciousbrains.com/wp-migrate-db-pro/

    Thread Starter meisha

    (@meisha)

    Thank you, Cory, I’ll look! Is “merge” or “sync” what it’s called when you duplicate a site to a new domain with the intention of ending up with two different sites (as opposed to making a duplicate with the intention of deleting the original)?

    When we move a site from location-a to location-b we refer to that as “migration/duplication”, the site will be the same site, but it will be updated to better run at its new location (server/file paths, server configurations such as web server, database server, etc.).

    The term “merge” I tend to think of in terms of source control systems shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merge_(version_control)

    Hope that helps~

    Thread Starter meisha

    (@meisha)

    I asked my hosting provider, Siteground, for help, and I found out their Migration tool copies the site to the new domain and updates the database references all at once. And it was only two quick steps to do it. So all’s resolved! ?? I read that Migrate meant move, rather than copy. Oh well, now I know for next time at least! Thanks for all your help, Cory!

    Duplicator also does the same process, except that it supports any host.

    Hope that helps~

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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