Documentation

Quick Start Guide

Last updated October 12, 2021


For more video tutorials on how to use WP Migrate DB Pro, check out our video screencasts that guide you through your first migration.

Introduction

To get started with WP Migrate DB Pro, you first have to decide which operation you want to perform:

  • Export — generates a MySQL dump, a snapshot of your site’s database. This dump can be imported via phpMyAdmin or command line
  • Pull — replaces a local WordPress database with the contents of a remote WordPress database
  • Push — replaces a remote WordPress database with the contents of a local WordPress database
  • Find &Replace — Run a find & replace on the current database
  • Import — Import a SQL file into the current database

Can’t decide between push and pull? Perhaps this diagram will help.

Note: WP Migrate DB Pro does not migrate your WordPress files. To migrate your theme and plugin files, you must have the Theme & Plugin Files addon installed. WordPress media files are also not migrated natively unless you have the Media Files addon installed. Please ensure these files are manually migrated to the destination website as necessary.

WP Migrate DB Pro Version 2.0+

For the 2.0 release, WP Migrate DB Pro received a brand-new user interface. If you’re using a version older than 2.0, please go to those quick start instructions here

Export Quick Start

  1. In the WP Migrate DB user interface, click the Migrate tab or the New Migrations button
  2. Click the Export Database button in the list of migration options
  3. Fill in the empty text fields in the “Custom Find & Replace” section. Please refer to the Custom Find & Replace documentation if you’re unsure of what these values should be
  4. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  5. Click the Export Database button
  6. A MySQL dump file will be generated. A prompt will allow you to save the dump file to your computer
  7. Import the MySQL dump into another database via phpMyAdmin or the command line

Pull Quick Start

  1. Log in to the site that will have its database replaced by a remote database
  2. In the WP Migrate DB user interface, click the Migrate tab, or the New Migrations button
  3. Click the Pull button in the list of migration options
  4. Log in to the remote site and browse to the WP Migrate DB user interface
  5. Click the Settings tab
  6. Ensure the “Pull” toggle under “Permissions” is enabled
  7. Highlight and copy the “Connection Info” into your clipboard, or use the Copy to Clipboard button
  8. Switch back to the site you logged into during step 1
  9. Paste your clipboard into the “Connection” text area in the “Remote Site” panel, you will be connected to the remote site
  10. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  11. Click the Pull button
  12. The remote database will be pulled into your local WordPress installation

Push Quick Start

  1. Log in to the site that will have its database pushed to a remote site
  2. In the WP Migrate DB user interface, click the Migrate tab or the New Migrations button
  3. Click the Push button in the list of migration options
  4. Log in to the remote site
  5. Click the Settings tab
  6. Ensure the “Push” toggle under “Permissions” is enabled
  7. Highlight and copy the “Connection Info” into your clipboard, or use the Copy to Clipboard button
  8. Switch back to the site you logged into during step 1
  9. Paste your clipboard into the “Connection” text area in the “Remote Site” panel, you will be connected to the remote site
  10. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  11. Click the Push button
  12. The local database will be pushed to your remote WordPress installation

Find & Replace Quick Start

  1. In the WP Migrate DB user interface, click the Migrate tab or the New Migrations button
  2. Click the Find & Replace button in the list of migration options
  3. Fill in the empty text fields in the “Find / Replace” section. Please refer to the Find & Replace Fields documentation if you’re unsure of what these values should be
  4. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  5. Click the Find & Replace button

SQL Import Quick Start

  1. In the WP Migrate DB user interface, click the Migrate tab or the New Migrations button
  2. Click the Import Database button in the list of migration options
  3. Select an SQL export file to upload and import
  4. The import will automatically configure the find and replace values. You can edit the replacement values if they are not correct, or disable each value by un-checking the relevant checkbox.
  5. Optionally, you can choose to back up the current database before running the import, by expanding the “Backup the database before running the import” section and choosing from the available options. Your backups can be found (and downloaded) in the Backups tab
  6. If you don’t want to import the ‘active plugins setting’, expand the “Advanced Options” and check the “Do not import the ‘active plugins’ setting” checkbox to preserve the currently active plugins on the site
  7. Click the Import button

WP Migrate DB Pro Version 1.x

Export Quick Start

  1. Select the “Export File” radio button from the list of migration options
  2. Fill in the empty text fields in the “Find / Replace” section. Please refer to the Find / Replace Fields documentation if you’re unsure of what these values should be
  3. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  4. Click the “Export” button
  5. A MySQL dump file will be generated. A prompt will allow you to save the dump file to your computer
  6. Import the MySQL dump into another database via phpMyAdmin or command line

Pull Quick Start

  1. Log into the site that will have it’s database replaced by a remote database
  2. Select the “Pull” radio button from the list of migration options
  3. Log into the remote site
  4. Switch to the Settings tab
  5. Ensure the “Pull” switch under “Permissions” is set to “ON”
  6. Highlight and copy the “Connection Info” into your clipboard
  7. Switch back to the site you logged into during step 1
  8. Paste your clipboard into the textarea below the “Pull” radio button, you will be connected to the remote site
  9. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  10. Click the “Pull” button
  11. The remote database will pulled into your local WordPress installation

Push Quick Start

  1. Log into the site that will have it’s database pushed to a remote site
  2. Select the “Push” radio button from the list of migration options
  3. Log into the remote site
  4. Switch to the Settings tab
  5. Ensure the “Push” switch under “Permissions” is set to “ON”
  6. Highlight and copy the “Connection Info” into your clipboard
  7. Switch back to the site you logged into during step 1
  8. Paste your clipboard into the textarea below the “Push” radio button, you will be connected to the remote site
  9. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  10. Click the “Push” button
  11. The local database will pushed to your remote WordPress installation

Find & Replace Quick Start

  1. Select the “Find & Replace” radio button from the list of migration options
  2. Fill in the empty text fields in the “Find / Replace” section. Please refer to the Find & Replace Fields documentation if you’re unsure of what these values should be
  3. Configure any additional migration options (optional)
  4. Click the “Find & Replace” button

SQL Import Quick Start

  1. Click on the ‘Import’ radio button on the Migrate tab
  2. Select an SQL export file to upload and import
  3. If you would like to run a find and replace on the imported SQL, check the ‘Run a find & replace on the import’ checkbox and fill in the replacement values
  4. Optionally select the ‘Backup the database before running the import’ checkbox to backup the current database before running the import. Your backups can be found (and downloaded) in the “Backups” tab
  5. Check the ‘Do not import the “active plugins” setting’ checkbox to preserve the currently active plugins on the site
  6. Click the ‘Import’ button