Cloning a WordPress site—creating an exact duplicate of your existing site—is one of the most useful skills for WordPress users. Whether you’re testing new features, creating a staging environment, or setting up multiple similar sites, knowing how to clone efficiently can save you hours of work. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to clone a WordPress site using Migratico Lite, covering everything from basic cloning to advanced scenarios.
Why Clone a WordPress Site?
Before diving into the “how,” let’s explore the “why.” Here are common scenarios where cloning saves the day:
1. Creating a Staging Environment
The Problem: You want to test a major plugin update, but you’re afraid it might break your live site.
The Solution: Clone your live site to a staging subdomain (staging.yoursite.com), test the update there, and only apply it to the live site once you’re confident it works.
Real example: A WooCommerce store owner wanted to update their payment gateway plugin. They cloned the site, tested the update on staging, discovered it broke the checkout process, and avoided losing thousands in sales.
2. Development and Testing
The Problem: You’re redesigning your site or adding custom functionality, but you need a safe environment to work in.
The Solution: Clone your site to a development environment where you can break things without consequences.
Real example: A web developer cloned a client’s site to test a custom theme. During development, they accidentally broke the database structure. No problem—the live site was untouched, and they simply re-cloned to start fresh.
3. Creating Multiple Similar Sites
The Problem: You’re launching a network of similar sites (e.g., local business directories for different cities) and don’t want to set up each one from scratch.
The Solution: Set up one perfect site, then clone it multiple times and customize each clone.
Real example: A digital agency created a template site for restaurants with all the necessary plugins, theme settings, and pages. They cloned it 50 times for different restaurant clients, saving 40+ hours of setup time per site.
4. Client Presentations
The Problem: You want to show a client proposed changes without affecting their live site.
The Solution: Clone the site, make the changes on the clone, and present it to the client. If they approve, apply the changes to the live site.
5. Backup Before Major Changes
The Problem: You’re about to make significant changes and want a quick way to roll back if something goes wrong.
The Solution: Clone the site before making changes. If something breaks, you have a perfect copy to restore from.
The Migratico Lite Cloning Process
Cloning with Migratico Lite is a straightforward three-step process:
1. Export – Create a complete package of your source site
2. Deploy – Upload the package to the destination
3. Install – Run the installation wizard to set up the clone
Let’s walk through each step in detail.
Step 1: Export Your Source Site
1.1 Install Migratico Lite on Source Site
If you haven’t already:
1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for “Migratico Lite”
3. Install and activate
1.2 Create Export Package
1. Navigate to Migratico Lite > Create Package
2. Enter a descriptive name: “clone-for-staging-jan-2025”
3. Set maximum ZIP size:
– Small sites: 500-1000 MB
– Large sites: 300-500 MB
4. Click Start Scan
1.3 Review Scan Results
After scanning completes, you’ll see:
📦 Scan complete!
Files: 23,456
Total Size: 2.1 GB
Database: 89 MB
1.4 Optional: Exclude Unnecessary Directories
For cloning, you might want to exclude:
– Cache directories – Will be regenerated on the clone
– Backup directories – No need to clone old backups
– Log files – Usually not needed on clones
Pro tip: For development clones, exclude `/wp-content/uploads/` if you don’t need media files. This can reduce export size by 50-80%.
1.5 Start Export
Click Start Export and wait for completion. Typical times:
– Small site (< 1 GB): 5-10 minutes
– Medium site (1-5 GB): 15-30 minutes
– Large site (5+ GB): 30-60 minutes
1.6 Download Package Files
Download all files:
– `migratico.php` – Installation wizard
– `database.sql.zip` – Database backup
– `files_001.zip`, `files_002.zip`, etc. – Site files
Important: Download ALL files. Missing even one will cause installation to fail.
Step 2: Deploy to Destination
Now you need to get these files to where you want to create the clone.
Option A: Cloning to a Subdomain (Staging)
Setup:
1. Create a subdomain in your hosting control panel (e.g., staging.yoursite.com)
2. Point it to a new directory (e.g., /public_html/staging/)
Upload:
1. Use FTP/SFTP to connect to your server
2. Navigate to the staging directory
3. Upload all Migratico files
Pro tip: Use FileZilla or Cyberduck for reliable uploads of large files.
Option B: Cloning to a Different Domain
Setup:
1. Register the new domain or use an existing one
2. Set up hosting for the new domain
3. Create a new database in cPanel/Plesk
Upload:
1. Connect via FTP/SFTP to the new domain’s root directory
2. Upload all Migratico files
Option C: Cloning to Local Development
Setup:
1. Install Local by Flywheel, XAMPP, or MAMP
2. Create a new local site
3. Note the local site’s directory
Upload:
1. Copy all Migratico files to the local site’s directory
2. No FTP needed—just drag and drop
Option D: Cloning to a Different Server
Setup:
1. Set up hosting on the new server
2. Create a new database
3. Note the database credentials
Upload:
1. Connect via FTP/SFTP to the new server
2. Upload all Migratico files to the web root
Step 3: Install the Clone
This is where the magic happens. The installation wizard will set up your clone automatically.
3.1 Open the Installation Wizard
In your browser, navigate to:
– Subdomain: `https://staging.yoursite.com/migratico.php`
– New domain: `https://newdomain.com/migratico.php`
– Local: `http://localhost:8888/migratico.php`
3.2 Step 1 – Environment Check
The wizard automatically checks if the server meets requirements:
✓ PHP Version: 8.0 (Required: 7.4+)
✓ MySQL Version: 8.0 (Required: 5.6+)
✓ ZipArchive: Available
✓ PDO Extension: Available
✓ Disk Space: 10 GB free
✓ Memory Limit: 256 MB
All requirements met! ✓
If anything is marked with ❌, you’ll need to fix it before proceeding.
3.3 Step 2 – Database Settings
Enter your new database credentials:
For Subdomain Clone:
– Usually the same database server as your main site
– Create a new database with a different name
– Example: `username_staging` instead of `username_main`
For New Domain:
– Get credentials from your new hosting provider
– Usually found in cPanel > MySQL Databases
For Local Development:
– Database Host: `localhost`
– Database Name: Usually `local`
– Database User: `root`
– Database Password: `root` (or blank)
Pro tip: The wizard tests the connection before proceeding, so you’ll know immediately if something is wrong.
3.4 Step 3 – Site Settings
Configure your clone:
New Site URL:
– Subdomain: `https://staging.yoursite.com`
– New domain: `https://newdomain.com`
– Local: `http://localhost:8888`
Admin Credentials:
– You can keep the same username/password
– Or create new ones for the clone
– Recommended: Use different credentials for staging
Pro tip: For staging sites, add “-staging” to the admin username so you always know which site you’re on.
3.5 Step 4 – Installation
Click Start Installation and watch the progress:
📦 Extracting files…
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 100%
✓ Extracted 23,456 files
💾 Importing database…
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 100%
✓ Imported 89 tables
🔧 Updating configuration…
✓ Updated wp-config.php
✓ Updated all URLs from yoursite.com to staging.yoursite.com
✓ Updated admin user
✅ Installation complete!
What happens behind the scenes:
1. All ZIP files are extracted
2. Database is imported
3. wp-config.php is updated with new database credentials
4. All URLs are updated throughout the database
5. Admin user is created/updated
6. Serialized data is properly updated
Time: Usually 5-15 minutes depending on site size.
3.6 Clean Up
After installation completes:
1. Click Delete Installation Files button
2. All Migratico files are removed
3. Your clone is ready to use!
Advanced Cloning Scenarios
Scenario 1: Cloning Without Media Files
Why: Your uploads directory is 10 GB but you only need the site structure for development.
How:
1. During export, exclude `/wp-content/uploads/`
2. Clone as normal
3. On the clone, use a plugin like “Enable Media Replace” to add sample images
Result: Export size reduced from 12 GB to 2 GB, much faster cloning.
Scenario 2: Cloning for Multiple Languages
Why: You’re creating language-specific versions of your site.
How:
1. Clone your main site
2. On each clone, install WPML or Polylang
3. Translate content for each language
4. Point different domains to each clone
Result: yoursite.com (English), yoursite.de (German), yoursite.fr (French)
Scenario 3: Cloning for A/B Testing
Why: You want to test a new homepage design against the current one.
How:
1. Clone your site to a subdomain
2. Implement the new design on the clone
3. Use a tool like Google Optimize to split traffic 50/50
4. After testing, apply the winning design to the main site
Scenario 4: Cloning for Client Handoff
Why: You built a site on your server and need to move it to the client’s hosting.
How:
1. Export from your development server
2. Get database credentials from client’s hosting
3. Install on client’s server
4. Update DNS to point to new server
Result: Seamless handoff with zero downtime.
Scenario 5: Cloning for Multisite Network
Why: You’re creating a WordPress multisite network with similar subsites.
How:
1. Create and perfect one subsite
2. Clone it multiple times
3. Customize each clone
4. Import into multisite network
Note: This requires additional steps beyond Migratico Lite’s scope, but the cloning part is handled perfectly.
Common Cloning Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Mistake 1: Forgetting to Update URLs
What happens: Clone loads but all links point to the original site.
How Migratico Lite prevents this: The installation wizard automatically updates ALL URLs in the database, including serialized data.
Mistake 2: Using the Same Database
What happens: Clone overwrites the original site’s database.
How to avoid: Always create a NEW database for clones. Never use the same database as the source site.
Mistake 3: Not Updating wp-config.php
What happens: Clone tries to connect to the original database.
How Migratico Lite prevents this: The wizard automatically updates wp-config.php with new database credentials.
Mistake 4: Leaving Staging Site Indexed
What happens: Google indexes your staging site, creating duplicate content issues.
How to avoid:
1. In WordPress admin, go to Settings > Reading
2. Check “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”
3. Add to robots.txt: `User-agent: Disallow: /`
Mistake 5: Not Securing Staging Sites
What happens: Anyone can access your staging site and see unreleased features.
How to avoid:
1. Use .htaccess password protection
2. Or use a plugin like “Password Protected”
3. Or use your host’s IP restriction features
Cloning Best Practices
1. Use Clear Naming Conventions
Good names:
– `staging.yoursite.com` – For testing
– `dev.yoursite.com` – For development
– `client-preview.yoursite.com` – For client review
Bad names:
– `test.yoursite.com` – Too vague
– `new.yoursite.com` – Doesn’t indicate purpose
– `yoursite2.com` – Confusing
2. Keep Clones Updated
If you’re maintaining a long-term staging site:
– Re-clone from production monthly
– Or sync changes regularly
– Don’t let staging drift too far from production
3. Document Your Clones
Keep a simple spreadsheet:
– Clone URL
– Purpose
– Created date
– Database name
– Admin credentials
– Last updated
4. Clean Up Old Clones
Unused clones waste:
– Disk space
– Database resources
– Your time (confusion)
Delete clones you no longer need.
5. Test Before Cloning
Before cloning:
– Make sure the source site works perfectly
– Fix any errors or warnings
– Update all plugins and themes
– Clear all caches
A perfect source = a perfect clone.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue 1: “Database Connection Failed”
Cause: Incorrect database credentials.
Solution:
1. Double-check database name, user, password
2. Verify the database exists
3. Ensure the user has all privileges
4. Try connecting with phpMyAdmin to test credentials
Issue 2: “Not Enough Disk Space”
Cause: Destination server doesn’t have enough free space.
Solution:
1. Check available space in cPanel
2. Delete unnecessary files
3. Or upgrade hosting plan
Issue 3: “Some Files Failed to Extract”
Cause: File permissions or corrupted ZIP.
Solution:
1. Check directory permissions (should be 755)
2. Re-download ZIP files
3. Verify ZIP files aren’t corrupted
Issue 4: “URLs Not Updated”
Cause: This shouldn’t happen with Migratico Lite, but if it does:
Solution:
1. Use Better Search Replace plugin
2. Search for old URL
3. Replace with new URL
4. Run on all tables
The Bottom Line
Cloning a WordPress site with Migratico Lite is:
– Fast: Most clones complete in 15-30 minutes
– Safe: Original site is never touched
– Complete: Database + all files
– Automatic: URLs and configuration updated automatically
Whether you’re creating a staging environment, developing new features, or setting up multiple similar sites, Migratico Lite makes cloning effortless.
Ready to clone your WordPress site? Download Migratico Lite and create your first clone in the next 20 minutes.