Move a WordPress site.
Files, database and all.

One plugin on both sites. One address to paste. No FTP, no SQL dump.

Get started · Documentation

What moves · Dashboard or API · FAQ

What is PanelAlpha Migrator?

PanelAlpha Migrator is a WordPress plugin that copies a whole site, its files and its database, from the server it runs on now to another WordPress installation, usually a new site on a PanelAlpha server. You install it on both sites, copy one address from the new site, paste it into the old one, and start. PanelAlpha uses the same plugin to run migrations for you, without a browser.

graph LR;
    S["Source<br>the site you are moving"] -- "files and database, piece by piece" --> D["Destination<br>the new WordPress"];

• No size limits to fight. Files and tables travel in small pieces, each checked on arrival, so a large site does not hit upload or time limits.
• The new address, everywhere. The old address is replaced with the new one in the database while it is sent, including inside saved plugin settings.
• The destination keeps its own setup. Its wp-config.php and .htaccess stay, so it still connects to its own database.
• Pause and pick up again. A migration that stopped continues from where it stopped, not from the start.
• Before the DNS switch. Send to the new server's IP address while the domain still points at the old one.

Three simple steps

Before you start

• Two WordPress sites: the source you are moving, and the destination it moves to. The destination can be a fresh, empty install.
• An administrator login on both, and PHP 7.4 or newer with the cURL extension.
• WordPress must be able to write to wp-content on both sites.

The migration replaces the destination site. Each table the source has is deleted on the destination and recreated from the source, and files with the same path are overwritten. Afterwards you log in to the destination with the source site's usernames and passwords.

Step 1: Install the plugin on both sites

Download panelalpha-migrator.zip from the latest release. In WordPress, open Plugins > Add New Plugin > Upload Plugin, upload the zip, then select Activate under PanelAlpha Migrator. A Migrator item appears in the dashboard menu. Install the plugin

Use the release zip, not the source code. The zip includes the vendor folder. A copy of the repository does not, and without vendor the plugin activates but shows no Migrator menu. To install from the repository anyway, run composer install --no-dev in the plugin folder first.

Step 2: Copy the address from the destination

On the destination, open Migrator, select the download icon (Destination), then Copy. The address appears on its own; use Generate New Token only if you need to invalidate an old one:

https://new-site.example.com?token=<token>

Treat it like a password: anyone who has it can write to the destination.

Step 3: Paste it on the source and start

On the source, open Migrator, keep the upload icon (Source), paste the address and select Start Migration. Keep the tab open until you see:

Migration Completed Successfully! Files Migrated · Tables Migrated · Total Data · Duration

Then open the destination and check it: Check the result.

What moves and what stays

Copied from the source	Kept on the destination
Every table in the source database	wp-config.php, with the destination's database login
Every file in the site folder, with permissions and dates	.htaccess in the site folder, with the destination's server rules
Hidden files, such as .user.ini	The migrator plugin, with its own token and settings
Your uploads, themes and plugins	Tables that exist only on the destination

node_modules, .git and .svn folders are always left out. Leave out more, such as *.log or a cache folder, under Advanced Options. What gets moved

Two ways to run it

Detail	From the dashboard	Over the API
Who starts it	You, on the source's Migrator page	PanelAlpha, a script, or migrate.php
What drives it	The open browser tab	Repeated process-batch calls
Resume	Resume Backup, in the same browser	Call process-batch again with the same ID
Extras	IP address, exclusions, database or files only	The same, plus force, base64 and .htaccess transfer
Guide	Migrate a site	Migrate over the API

FAQ

Will it overwrite what is already on the destination?

Yes. Every table the source has is recreated on the destination, and files with the same path are overwritten. Tables and files that exist only on the destination are left alone. Back up the destination first if it holds anything you want to keep. Migrate a site

Can I migrate before the domain points at the new server?

Yes. Enter the new server's IP address in Destination IP Address (Optional) and paste the address with the final domain. The plugin connects to that IP address and the migrated site gets the final domain. If the new server has no valid HTTPS certificate for the domain yet, tick Do not verify the HTTPS certificate (only with a manual IP) under the IP field. The new domain does not point at the destination yet

My browser closed halfway. Do I start again?

No. Open Migrator on the source in the same browser and select Resume Backup under Interrupted Migration Detected. What was already sent is not sent again. Stop and resume

Which login works on the destination afterwards?

The source site's. The user accounts are part of the database, so they are copied with it. Check the result

What about my redirects in .htaccess?

The dashboard never copies the main .htaccess, so the destination keeps its own. Copy your own lines over by hand, or send the file over the API with transfer-htaccess. Send the .htaccess file

Should I keep the plugin installed afterwards?

No. While it is active, the destination accepts writes from anyone with its address and token. Deactivate and delete it on both sites once you are happy with the result. Deleting it from the dashboard also removes its settings, token and temporary files. Remove the plugin

Documentation

Section	What is in it
Getting started	Install the plugin, run a migration, check the result.
Guides	What is copied and what is left out, how to stop and resume.
API	Run a migration without a browser, and every endpoint.
Contributing	Set up the code, run the tests, send a pull request.

License

PanelAlpha Migrator is licensed under GPL v2 or later. See LICENSE.