Moving from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress: A General Guide

Website builders are convenient to start with, but many owners eventually want more control: different hosting, more flexible plugins, better ecommerce options or simply lower long-term costs. WordPress is a common destination. Moving from Wix, Squarespace or a similar builder is a rebuild-and-redirect project more than a copy-and-paste one. This guide explains the process in general terms. Check each platform's current export options, as they change.

What can move and what cannot

Builders store your design in their own system, so you cannot usually move the design itself. Content is more portable, depending on the platform.

• Text and images: usually can be moved, either by export tools or by copying. Download your images from the media library or save them from the site.
• Blog posts: some builders offer an export file that WordPress can import. Squarespace, for instance, has historically offered an export that works with WordPress's importer, while Wix has offered fewer options for exporting an entire site. Check the current features of your platform.
• Products and orders: shop data often has its own export, usually as a CSV file, which WooCommerce can import with some mapping.
• Design and layout: will be rebuilt with a WordPress theme or builder.
• Forms, bookings and apps: need replacement plugins or services.

Before you begin: plan the move

1. Inventory your site. List every page, blog post, product, form and integration. A crawler or your sitemap can help.
2. Record your URLs. Export the list of current page addresses. You will need it for redirects.
3. Note what ranks. Check Search Console for the pages that bring traffic and enquiries, and give them extra care.
4. Decide what to keep. A move is a chance to remove outdated pages and merge thin ones.
5. Check domain control. Make sure you can manage your domain's DNS settings. If the domain was registered through the builder, you may need to transfer it or change nameservers.

Build the WordPress site first

Do not touch your live site yet. Set up WordPress on hosting under a temporary address or a staging subdomain, protected from search engines. Choose a theme that fits your design needs, install a small set of plugins and create the page structure. Import or paste content, upload media and add alt text. Rebuild forms and test that emails arrive.

Plan for features your builder gave you automatically, such as backups, security, SSL and caching. In WordPress, you configure these yourself or get them from your host. Our WordPress hosting includes free SSL and Plesk, which covers part of that list.

URLs, redirects and SEO

Search engines and visitors know your old addresses. Where possible, keep the same URL structure in WordPress, using permalink settings and matching page slugs. Builders often use patterns that are hard to match exactly, for example a blog path or product path. For every old URL that changes, set up a 301 redirect to the new equivalent. A redirect plugin or server rules can handle this. Test a sample of old URLs after launch, and watch Search Console for errors.

Handle SEO details

• Copy title tags and meta descriptions for important pages.
• Keep heading structure and internal links.
• Install an SEO plugin, create an XML sitemap and submit it to Search Console.
• Make sure the site is not set to discourage search engines when you go live.
• Do not expect immediate identical rankings; fluctuations are normal after a move.

Switching over, and common surprises

1. Freeze content changes on the old site.
2. Do a final content sync, for example any new posts or orders.
3. Lower the DNS TTL beforehand if you can, so changes spread quickly.
4. Point the domain to the new hosting, either by changing nameservers or A records, depending on your setup. Our knowledgebase explains the difference.
5. Install the SSL certificate and confirm the whole site loads over HTTPS.
6. Test pages, forms, checkout and redirects from different devices.
7. Keep the old builder account active for a while as a fallback, then cancel it when you are sure everything works.

Common surprises

• Email: if your email ran through the builder's domain or a bundled service, plan where mailboxes will live before changing DNS records.
• Different features: things you took for granted, such as built-in analytics, may need separate tools.
• Responsibility: with WordPress you maintain updates and security, so set up a routine.
• Learning curve: budget time for learning, or ask for help.

Budget your time and costs

A builder subscription bundles hosting, design tools and support into one bill. With WordPress these become separate decisions: hosting, a theme, maybe a few premium plugins and some time for maintenance. Many owners find the overall cost comparable or lower, and the flexibility greater, but it depends on your choices. Write the list of what you currently get, and make sure each item has a replacement before you cancel.

Help with the move

If you are moving between WordPress hosts, our team handles it for free through the WordPress migration service. If you are leaving a builder, you can get a hosting plan in place within minutes of payment, build on it and ask support for advice via the contact page.