How to copy the whole post and contents of your “live online” wordpress blog to your local server of your computer.
If you are curious and want to apply something new to your online website in your wordpress blog which is installed locally in your PC, you can of course copy your online blog.
In the tutorial i am using bigdump, because i am sure your online site has big size of database.
You need to have these two stuff done before we begin.
1. Save .sql file in your desktop, if you haven’t, follow this video tutorial, how to back up your database and save the .sql file to desktop.
2. Install wordpress locally, in windows or mac.
3. Close all browsers which are connected with your “real live” online blog, to avoid dropping database mistake. So we will be only concentrated on local server.
Let’s start!
1. Download bigdump. And save it to your desktop. Extract this bigdump.zip file, and you will have bigdump.php file.
2. Create a new folder in your desktop, name it “bigdump”.
3. Drag then drop bigdump.php and .sql file into “bigdump” folder.
4. Inside this bigdump folder, open bigdump.php with text editor (I use notepad++) and find line 39, fill the database name, username, and password. If you don’t know these three, open up wp-config.php of your installed wordpress local blog (line 19).
If your localhost is different, then change the line 38 too. But it is mostly left by default which is “localhost”.
Next still in bigdump.php, find line 66, and type in “utf8” next to $db_connection_charset. (see image for the final result).
Click “Save”.
5. Edit the sql file (your database backup) with notepad++. Find your live blog’s URL and replace it with localhost URL.
Example: find, http://www.yourdomain.com
replace it with http://localhost/wordpresslocal
All without “slash”.
Click “Replace All”.
6. Next step is move “bigdump” folder to the folder where you installed wordpress locally (same root as wp-config.php).
7. Drop the database that you use to install wordpress by opening phpMyAdmin page. It can be found in wampserver icon in the right bottom of your screen, and click once, you should see phpmyAdmin option, select it to open in your browser.
To drop, be sure you are in the right database, and click “select all” and in pull down menu, “with selected” select “drop”. Hit “Yes”.
8. Open your web browser, type in: http://localhost/wordpressfolderwhereitisinstalled/bigdump/bigdump.php
Replace wordpressfolderwhereitisinstalled with the folder name, in this case, wordpresslocal.
You should see your sql file, and click “start import”.
Wait until the “Congratulations” message appears, it depends on your sql file size.
9. Refresh your local wordpress blog page. It usually displays installation page. Time to check your database table prefix, and double check your wp-config.php line 62. Edit this line to the new table prefix. Save wp-comfig.php.
10. Refresh your local blog, and it usually displays white screen. This is because your online blog’s theme you don’t have it in your computer.
11. Next step login to your admin page, note your username and password have to be the same as in live online blog.
12. Once you are in Admin page, go to Appearance/themes, and choose your theme. If you want to have different theme, simply move the folder of your theme in wp-content/themes inside the “www” folder where you installed wordpress locally.
13. Refresh your local blog, and it should have same content as your live blog.
Goodluck!
Video Tutorial:
This is brilliant! I’m sharing it every where! It can be scary making a change on the live blog and by having a copy of it, I can see it exactly as it will look on my live site and it’s okay to make big mistakes on my computer version. It’s awful to have our blog site down because we made a mistake (fatal error) and that’s what makes this BRILLIANT! Thank you!!!
@Aileen, Hey there 🙂
I am glad you made it! Good luck with the new coming theme.
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
: )
What I am looking to do is similar. I am looking to have a static page as well as the blog appear on the main page of my wordpress site. Right now going to the settings section will only allow me to do one or the other. any feedback would be appreciated. Is there a special PHP INCLUDE tag I should be using for both to appear?
Hello Roch,
I don’t really get what you meant..
If you mean you want to have static page and blog page on your navigations, this post may help, also depending on your theme files:
https://www.wpvidz.com/wordpress-change-home-page/
Kimi.
Hi Kimi,
You can delete the above post, I’m not sure how, but I’ve gotten past it. However, I’m now struggling with my dump size. My file is 37 mb and it says I can dump up to 32 mb.
It says “alternatively you can upload your dump files of any size via FTP.” and then has a link to Dump file: (choose file). I’ve chosen the file and clicked “Upload” but cannot determine what to do next. (Nothing appears to happen)
When I try starting my local installation of wordpress, it acts as if I’m reinstalling wordpress and gives me the “famous five minute WordPress installation process”.
It doesn’t appear that it’s uploading my existing backed-up (from the internet) database. Any thoughts? Thanks again in advance and love your videos!
Hi Michael,
I have deleted the previous post as you wanted 🙂
No, I haven’t encountered such problems, but then I am using Windows. I used to have a mac as well, but I sold it a few months ago LOL, so I have no idea how to fix it using Mac.
Though I hope you are able to sort it by now.
Thanks.
very usefull information on your site.. you must register your blog now so that you can get more trafic… do you have any face book account so that we can discuss computer related things on facebook platform
if you change the theme of your site.. then your information will be easy to find and read
thanks
very good
i love youir article
thank you very much
thankx very help to me this article of copy live wordpress blog
prisha