Migrate from WordPress
Moving from WordPress to ClearCMS? This guide walks you through the process step by step. You do not need any technical knowledge -- just access to both your WordPress site and your new ClearCMS account.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- Access to your WordPress admin dashboard -- you will need it to export your content.
- A ClearCMS account -- the free plan works. Sign up at console.clearcms.app if you have not already.
- About 30 to 60 minutes -- the time depends on how much content your site has. A small site takes less time; a large blog with hundreds of posts takes more.
Step 1: Export your WordPress content
First, get a copy of everything from WordPress.
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Go to Tools > Export in the left sidebar.
- Select All content.
- Click Download Export File. WordPress saves an XML file to your computer. Keep this file -- it contains your pages, posts, categories, and tags.
Download your images
WordPress stores uploaded images in a folder called wp-content/uploads. You will need these files to upload into ClearCMS.
- If your hosting provider has a File Manager, open it and download the
wp-content/uploadsfolder as a zip file. - If you use FTP (or your developer does), connect and download the same folder.
If you are not sure how to access your files, ask your hosting provider for help. Most providers (GoDaddy, Bluehost, SiteGround, etc.) have a File Manager built into their control panel.
Step 2: Create your ClearCMS site
- Go to console.clearcms.app and sign in.
- Click New Site.
- Choose a template that matches your old site:
- Business -- for company or organization websites
- Blog -- for sites focused on writing and articles
- Portfolio -- for showcasing creative work
The template gives you a starting structure with pages and sections already in place. You will customize it with your own content in the next steps.
Step 3: Recreate your pages
ClearCMS uses a visual editor with sections instead of the WordPress block editor. Each section is a pre-designed layout for a type of content (hero banners, text blocks, image galleries, feature grids, and more).
For each page on your WordPress site:
- Open your ClearCMS editor and create a new page (or edit an existing template page).
- Add sections that match the content on your WordPress page.
- Copy the text from WordPress and paste it into the matching ClearCMS sections.
- Adjust images, buttons, and links as needed.
Start with your homepage, then move on to other pages. The homepage is usually the most important page, and getting it right first helps you learn how the editor works.
Step 4: Move your blog posts
If your WordPress site has blog posts, ClearCMS can hold those too. The Posts content type is enabled by default on most templates.
For each blog post:
- Go to Posts in the left sidebar.
- Click New Post.
- Paste the title and content from your WordPress post.
- Set the publish date to match the original date (so posts appear in the right order).
- Add the featured image and tags if you had them in WordPress.
Lots of posts?
If you have dozens or hundreds of posts, entering them one at a time is slow. Two faster options:
- Import tool -- use the Import tool to bring content in from a database.
- Assisted migration -- contact support@clearcms.app and the team can help move your posts over.
Step 5: Upload your images
- Click Media in the left sidebar to open the Media Library.
- Click Upload and select the images from the
wp-content/uploadsfolder you downloaded earlier. - Organize images into folders if you want to keep things tidy.
ClearCMS automatically creates optimized versions of every image in multiple sizes. You do not need to resize anything yourself.
You can upload images in bulk. Select multiple files at once and ClearCMS processes them all.
Step 6: Set up your domain
If you want to keep using the same domain name (e.g. yourcompany.com):
- Follow the Custom Domain guide to connect your domain to ClearCMS.
- Update the DNS records at your domain registrar to point to ClearCMS.
- SSL (the padlock icon in browsers) is set up automatically -- no extra steps needed.
Do not update your DNS records until your ClearCMS site is fully set up and tested. Changing DNS too early means visitors will see an unfinished site.
Step 7: Set up redirects
WordPress and ClearCMS use different URL formats. If you do not set up redirects, visitors who saved or bookmarked your old links will see an error page.
Common differences:
| WordPress URL | ClearCMS URL |
|---|---|
/2024/01/my-post/ | /posts/my-post |
/category/news/ | /posts?category=news |
/?p=123 | /posts/my-post |
Set up redirects from your old WordPress URLs to the new ClearCMS URLs so that visitors (and search engines) can still find your content.
Contact support@clearcms.app if you need help setting up bulk redirects for a large site.
What maps where
If you are familiar with WordPress, this table shows where things live in ClearCMS.
| WordPress | ClearCMS |
|---|---|
| Posts | Posts (content type) |
| Pages | Pages |
| Categories / Tags | Categories (on posts) |
| Featured Image | Featured Image |
| Media Library | Media Library |
| Widgets | Sections |
| Plugins | Built-in features or API integrations |
| Theme | Template + Branding |
| Menus | Navigation (Layout Editor) |
| Users | Team members |
Tips for a smooth migration
- Do not try to make an exact copy. ClearCMS works differently from WordPress, and that is a good thing. Take the opportunity to refresh your design using the built-in templates and sections.
- Migrate content first, then style. Get all your text, images, and posts into ClearCMS before spending time on colors, fonts, and layout.
- Test before switching. Use the ClearCMS preview to check every page before you point your domain over. Click through links, check images, and read through posts.
- Keep WordPress running. Do not shut down your WordPress site until your ClearCMS site is fully set up, tested, and your domain has been moved over. This way visitors always see a working site.
- Check your SEO settings. After migration, review the SEO title and description for your most important pages. See the SEO guide for details.
Need help?
- Assisted migration -- available on Team and Enterprise plans. Contact support@clearcms.app and the team will handle the migration for you.
- Community help -- ask questions and share tips with other ClearCMS users in GitHub Discussions.
- In-app help -- click the Help button inside the ClearCMS editor for quick answers.