Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan
Senior Hosting Analyst
10+ years testing web hosting infrastructure. Benchmarks servers across 4 continents.
WordPress Hosting

How to Export/Import WordPress Database 2026

Database moves power migrations, staging clones, and disaster recovery. Doing exports/imports wrong corrupts serialized options. follow this sequence.

How we validated these steps

Before a procedural walkthrough ships, every step runs on at least two brands when the task is host-specific, or twice on the same stack on different days when it is not. Console errors are captured, UI label drift between regions is noted, and copy is revised the moment a vendor moves a button. Screenshots and paths are spot-checked quarterly. Security-sensitive actions (DNS, SSL, billing) trigger recovery-option checks plus links to the host's own documentation for authoritative wording.

  1. 1

    Step 1: Export from source

    phpMyAdmin → select your WP database → Export → Quick → SQL format → Go. Download the .sql file.

  2. 2

    Step 2: Create empty database on destination

    In destination hosting panel create a new MySQL database and user with ALL PRIVILEGES; note name, user, password, host.

  3. 3

    Step 3: Import SQL

    phpMyAdmin on destination → Import → choose file → Go. Increase upload limits in php.ini if the dump is large.

  4. 4

    Step 4: Update wp-config.php

    Point DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_HOST to the new database credentials.

  5. 5

    Step 5: Replace URLs if domain changed

    Use Better Search Replace or WP-CLI search-replace with serialized-safe tools. never blind text edit of the SQL file for domain swaps.

  6. 6

    Step 6: Flush permalinks

    Log in wp-admin → Settings → Permalinks → Save to regenerate rewrite rules.

1
SiteGround Fastest
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  • Staging, backups, and PHP version options on SiteGround match our screenshots.
  • High uptime, steady response times on their Google Cloud setup.
  • Staging and daily backups on every plan.
✕ Cons
  • SiteGround menu labels change. Look for the idea, not one fixed menu path.
  • No free domain included.
Price/mo$3.99
Storage10 GB SSD
Free Domain✕ No
Uptime99.99%
9.8 /10
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2
DreamHost Privacy Pick
Privacy and policy clarity weigh as much as specs on DreamHost: the 97-day guarantee and no-upsell positioning are things we lean on in sales calls.
★★★★½
✓ Pros
  • Staging, backups, and PHP version options on DreamHost match our screenshots.
  • 97-day refund, rare and reassuring after a bad previous host.
  • Light upsell pressure, privacy-focused approach.
✕ Cons
  • DreamHost menu labels change. Look for the idea, not one fixed menu path.
  • No classic phone support on many plans. Chat and callbacks only.
Price/mo$2.59
StorageUnlimited SSD
Free Domain✓ Yes
Uptime100%
9.2 /10
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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use plugins instead?+
Duplicator, All-in-One WP Migration, and host tools automate many steps. still understand the manual path for emergencies.
Huge database timeouts?+
Split imports via CLI mysql client or ask host to raise max_allowed_packet temporarily.