How to move from Wix to WordPress – a step-by-step guide

At some point, a significant proportion of Wix users arrive at the same realisation.

The site is live. It works. But something is pulling them towards WordPress’s better SEO control, display ad monetisation, lower long-term costs, or simply the sense that Wix’s limitations are becoming constraints rather than conveniences.

If that’s where you are, this guide is for you.

Moving from Wix to WordPress is not a simple drag-and-drop migration. Wix’s limited export functionality, one of the platform’s most significant limitations, means there’s no clean “export everything and import it somewhere else” button. But it is entirely achievable, and thousands of site owners make this move successfully every year.

This guide on how to move from Wix to WordPress walks through the entire process: what you can and can’t bring with you, how to set up WordPress properly before you migrate, how to move your content, and how to protect your SEO through the transition.

Before you start, understanding what you’re moving

The first thing to understand about moving from Wix to WordPress is that you’re not technically migrating your site. You’re rebuilding it on a new platform, with your existing content recreated rather than transferred automatically.

This sounds more daunting than it is in practice. Here’s what can come across and what can’t.

What you can bring from Wix

Blog posts – Wix allows you to export your blog posts as an RSS feed, which can be imported into WordPress. This is the most useful export function Wix offers, and it works reasonably well for text-based content.

Images – you can download your images from Wix’s media manager. They’ll need to be re-uploaded to WordPress’s media library.

Page content – your written content can be copied and pasted into WordPress pages. Time-consuming for larger sites, but straightforward.

Your domain name – you can transfer your domain from Wix to a registrar or point it at your new WordPress hosting. This is essential for maintaining your existing traffic and SEO.

Your SEO equity: with proper redirect setup, your existing Google rankings can be preserved during the migration. This is one of the most important parts of the process and is covered in detail below.

What you can’t automatically bring from Wix

Your design – Wix’s visual design doesn’t transfer. Your WordPress site will look different, built on a WordPress theme rather than your Wix design. This is actually an opportunity — WordPress themes like Kadence and Astra are excellent, and you’ll likely end up with something better.

Your forms – contact forms, booking forms, and any other interactive elements need to be rebuilt in WordPress using plugins like WPForms.

Your ecommerce data – if you have a Wix shop, product listings, customer data, and order history don’t transfer automatically. Products need to be re-entered in WooCommerce.

Your Wix apps – any third-party apps you were using on Wix don’t transfer. WordPress equivalents will need to be found and configured.

Step 1 – Set up your WordPress hosting

Before you touch your Wix site, get your WordPress hosting sorted. You’ll build your new WordPress site on the hosting account and only switch your domain across once everything is ready, meaning your Wix site stays live throughout the process.

Choosing your host:

For most people moving from Wix to WordPress, SiteGround is the strongest recommendation. It combines good performance, excellent support, daily backups, and a staging environment, all of which are valuable when you’re migrating a site. The one-click WordPress installation makes setup fast.

If budget is the primary consideration, Bluehost or Hostinger is a credible alternative. Both install WordPress in one click and handle the basics well.

Read our SiteGround review →
Read our Bluehost review →
Read our Hostinger review →

Not sure which host is right for your situation? Our quiz factors in your site type, budget, and goals.

Setting up hosting:

Sign up for your chosen hosting plan. During signup, either register a new domain (different from your Wix domain, you’ll connect the real domain later) or note that you’ll add your domain after setup.

Install WordPress through your hosting dashboard’s one-click installer. Set your admin username and password, and note the WordPress admin URL.

Log in to your new WordPress dashboard. You now have a blank WordPress installation to build on.

Step 2 – Set up WordPress before migrating content

Resist the temptation to start copying content across immediately. Spend time setting up WordPress properly first, the right theme, the right plugins, and the right configuration. Getting this right before adding content is significantly easier than retrofitting it afterwards.

Install and configure your theme

Choose a theme that suits your site’s purpose and aesthetic. For most sites migrating from Wix, these are the strongest starting points:

Kadence (free) – fast, flexible, block-editor native. Excellent for content sites, blogs, and general business sites.

Astra (free) – lightweight, highly customisable, good WooCommerce integration. Strong for e-commerce.

GeneratePress (free) – minimal and fast. Good for performance-focused content sites.

Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New, search for your chosen theme, install and activate it.

Run through the theme’s setup wizard to configure basic settings – colour scheme, typography, header and footer layout.

Install essential plugins

Install the plugins you’ll need before adding any content. The core set for a migrating site:

Rank Math – SEO. Run the setup wizard and connect to Google Search Console.

UpdraftPlus – backups. Configure automatic backups to Google Drive before you start adding content.

WPForms Lite – contact forms. You’ll rebuild your Wix contact form here.

Redirection – for managing 301 redirects after migration. Essential for SEO protection.

Wordfence – security. Check your host’s compatibility before installing.

Read our full guide: Best WordPress plugins for beginners →

Configure essential settings

Permalinks: Go to Settings → Permalinks and select Post name. Do this before adding any content; changing the permalink structure after content is added breaks URLs.

Reading settings: Go to Settings → Reading and confirm your homepage display settings a static page or your latest posts, depending on your site type.

Discussion settings: Go to Settings → Discussion and configure comment moderation settings appropriate for your site.

Step 3 – Export your Wix blog content

If your Wix site has a blog, this is the most straightforward content to bring across.

Export your Wix RSS feed

Every Wix blog has an RSS feed available at:

yourdomain.com/blog-feed.xml

or sometimes:

yourdomain.wixsite.com/yoursite/blog-feed.xml

Visit this URL in your browser. You should see an XML feed of your blog posts. Save this page – right-click and Save As, or copy the URL.

Import the RSS feed to WordPress

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Tools → Import.

If you don’t see an RSS importer, click Install Now under RSS in the importer list. After installation, click Run Importer.

Upload your saved RSS file or enter the RSS feed URL. WordPress will import your blog posts – titles, content, and publication dates.

What imports well: Post titles, text content, publication dates, categories.

What doesn’t import well: Images within posts (they may link to Wix’s servers rather than importing to your WordPress media library, you’ll need to update these), formatting (may need tidying in the WordPress editor), featured images (need to be set manually).

After import, go through each imported post and:

• Check the formatting looks correct
• Re-upload and reattach any images that reference Wix URLs
• Set a featured image
• Add your focus keyword and set the Rank Math SEO fields

A note on post volume

For a site with 10–20 blog posts, manually checking and tidying each imported post is manageable. For a site with 100+ posts, this becomes a significant project. Prioritise your highest-traffic posts and most important content first you can work through the rest systematically.

Step 4 – Recreate your pages

Your Wix pages homepage, about, services, contact, and any others need to be recreated in WordPress.

There’s no automatic way to do this. The process is:

1. Open your Wix page in one browser tab
2. Open the WordPress page editor in another tab
3. Create a new WordPress page with the same title
4. Recreate the page content using WordPress’s block editor

Practical tips:

Start with your most important pages – homepage and about page first, then the pages that appear in your navigation.

Don’t try to replicate your Wix design exactly. Your WordPress theme will look different from your Wix design. That’s fine work with your WordPress theme’s strengths rather than trying to recreate Wix’s layout in WordPress. The goal is the same content and purpose, not pixel-perfect replication.

Use WordPress blocks effectively. The Gutenberg block editor has blocks for the most common page elements: columns, image galleries, buttons, testimonials, and more. Kadence Blocks (free plugin) adds additional block types if you need them.

Copy text, not formatting. When copying text from Wix, paste it as plain text (Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows, Cmd+Shift+V on Mac) to avoid carrying over Wix’s formatting, which can conflict with your WordPress theme’s styling.

Step 5 – Download and re-upload your images

Wix’s media manager contains all the images you’ve uploaded to your site. You need to download these before you lose access to them after migration.

Downloading from Wix:

Go to your Wix dashboard → Media Manager. Select all images (you can filter by type: photos, videos, documents). Download them in batches.

For images embedded in your blog posts and pages, you can also right-click individual images and save them.

Uploading to WordPress:

Go to WordPress → Media → Add New. Upload your images. WordPress will add them to your media library, where you can attach them to pages and posts.

Image organisation:

WordPress doesn’t have folder-based media organisation by default (unlike Wix’s albums). If you have a large number of images, installing the FileBird plugin (free tier available) lets you organise your WordPress media library into folders useful for a site migrating with many images.

Step 6 – Recreate your forms and interactive elements

Any forms on your Wix site, contact forms, enquiry forms, and booking forms need to be rebuilt in WordPress.

Contact forms:

Install WPForms Lite (free) or Contact Form 7 (free). Create a form that matches the fields from your Wix form. Embed it in your WordPress contact page using the form’s shortcode or block.

Test the form after setup, submit a test enquiry, and confirm it arrives at the right email address. Install WP Mail SMTP if test emails aren’t delivering reliably.

Booking systems:

If your Wix site used Wix Bookings, you’ll need a WordPress equivalent. Popular options:

Simply Schedule Appointments – (free tier available), a clean, well-designed booking plugin. Bookly -(free/paid) more comprehensive booking system. Amelia (paid) – professional appointment booking for service businesses.

eCommerce:

If you had a Wix shop, you’ll rebuild it using WooCommerce. Re-enter your products, configure payment gateways, and set up shipping. Customer and order history from Wix doesn’t transfer.

Read our WooCommerce review →

Step 7 – Protecting your SEO through the migration

This is the most technically important part of the migration and the one with the most serious consequences if done wrong.

When you move from Wix to WordPress, your URLs will almost certainly change. A Wix blog post at yourdomain.com/blog/my-post-title may become yourdomain.com/my-post-title on WordPress. If you don’t redirect the old URLs to the new ones, Google sees the old URLs as broken all the ranking equity you’ve built up disappears.

Before migration – audit your Wix URLs

Go through your Wix site and note the URL of every page and blog post. You can find these in Wix’s SEO settings for each page, or just by navigating to each page and copying the URL.

Create a spreadsheet:

• Column A: Old Wix URL (the full path – /blog/my-post-title)
• Column B: New WordPress URL (what the same content will be at – /my-post-title)

After migration – set up 301 redirects

A 301 redirect is an instruction to browsers and search engines that a URL has permanently moved. When someone visits your old Wix URL, they’re automatically sent to the equivalent WordPress URL. Google transfers the ranking equity from the old URL to the new one.

In WordPress, the Redirection plugin (free) handles this cleanly.

Go to Tools → Redirection → Add New.

For each row in your URL spreadsheet, add a redirect:

• Source URL: your old Wix URL path (e.g. /blog/my-post-title)
• Target URL: your new WordPress URL (e.g. /my-post-title)
• Set as 301 (permanent)

Add all your redirects before switching your domain.

Keeping the same URL structure where possible

The simplest SEO protection is keeping the same URL structure where possible. If your Wix posts were at /blog/post-name, set your WordPress permalink structure to use a /blog/ prefix, and the post slug will match. This eliminates the need for individual redirects for each post.

To add a /blog/ prefix to WordPress post URLs: go to Settings → Permalinks and set the custom structure to /blog/%postname%/.

Step 8 – Build your new WordPress site on a temporary URL

You want your Wix site to stay live until your WordPress site is ready. This means building WordPress on a different URL from your main domain.

How to do this:

Most hosts allow you to install WordPress on a temporary domain or subdomain, something like yoursitename.hostingprovider.com or staging.yourdomain.com. Your Wix site continues to operate on your main domain while you build WordPress on the staging URL.

When you’re ready to switch:

1. Your WordPress site is complete and tested
2. All redirects are set up
3. Everything has been checked on the staging URL

Then switch your domain to point at WordPress rather than Wix. We cover this in Step 9.

Alternatively, some people build their WordPress site while still on Wix, using a completely different domain name for the test install. The process is the same build and test on the temporary URL, switch the real domain when ready.

Step 9 – Switch your domain from Wix to WordPress

When your WordPress site is ready, you switch your domain to point at your new host instead of Wix.

If your domain is registered with Wix

You’ll need to either transfer the domain away from Wix to a registrar like Namecheap or update the DNS records in Wix’s domain settings to point at your hosting provider.

Transferring the domain away from Wix:

In Wix, go to Domain → Manage → Transfer Domain. Follow the transfer process. Wix will give you an authorisation code (EPP code) that you’ll use to initiate the transfer at your new registrar. Domain transfers typically take 5–7 days to complete.

Updating DNS records in Wix:

If you don’t want to transfer the domain, you can keep it registered with Wix but update the nameservers or DNS records to point at your hosting provider. In Wix, go to Domain → Manage → Advanced DNS Settings and update the nameservers to your hosting provider’s nameservers.

Read our guide: How to connect a domain to WordPress →

If your domain is registered elsewhere (Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.)

Log in to your domain registrar and update the nameservers to point at your hosting provider. This is covered in detail in our domain connection guide.

After switching

DNS propagation takes 24–48 hours. During this time, some visitors may see the old Wix site, others the new WordPress site. This is normal.

Once propagation is complete, verify that:

• Your domain loads your WordPress site
• HTTPS is active (padlock showing in browser bar)
• Your redirects are working – test a few old Wix URLs and confirm they redirect correctly
• Google Search Console shows your new URLs being crawled

Step 10 – Disconnect from Wix

Once your WordPress site is live and confirmed to be working, cancel your Wix subscription.

Before cancelling:

• Download any remaining files from Wix’s media manager
• Export any data from Wix apps you want to keep
• Screenshot your Wix site structure as a reference
• Note any Wix-specific settings you’ll want to replicate in WordPress

Cancelling Wix:

Go to your Wix account → Billing & Payments → Manage Subscriptions → Cancel. Wix’s cancellation process involves several confirmation steps; follow them through to completion.

Keep a record of the cancellation confirmation. Wix subscriptions don’t automatically cancel when you stop using the site; you need to actively cancel to stop billing.

Managing your SEO after migration

The migration itself is done, but the SEO work continues for several weeks after.

Resubmit your sitemap:

In Google Search Console, go to Sitemaps and submit your WordPress sitemap URL (yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml with Rank Math. This tells Google to recrawl your site with the new URL structure.

Monitor for crawl errors:

Go to Google Search Console → Coverage and watch for any new crawl errors appearing in the days after migration. These are usually old Wix URLs that are returning 404 errors – add redirects for any that are found.

Check your rankings:

Monitor your keyword rankings for the first few weeks after migration. Some fluctuation is normal. Google is reprocessing your site with new URLs. Rankings typically stabilise within 4–8 weeks if your redirects are set up correctly.

Update any backlinks:

If you have external backlinks pointing to your Wix site – from other websites, social media profiles, directory listings, or email signatures update these to your WordPress URLs where possible. The 301 redirects will handle them regardless, but direct links to the correct URL are slightly better than redirected ones.

Set up Google Analytics:

Install Google Analytics on your WordPress site and connect it to your Search Console property. Your historical Wix analytics data doesn’t transfer; you’re starting fresh with WordPress analytics, but having tracking in place from day one is essential.

Common problems and how to fix them

My redirects aren’t working

Check that the Redirection plugin is active and that your redirect URLs match exactly, including any trailing slashes, case sensitivity, and the presence or absence of /blog/ in the path. Test redirects using a redirect checker tool like httpstatus.io.

Images are broken on imported blog posts

After importing your RSS feed, images may still reference Wix’s CDN rather than your WordPress media library. Install the Import External Images plugin it finds externally hosted images in your posts and imports them to your WordPress media library automatically.

My domain is still showing the Wix site

DNS propagation takes up to 48 hours. If it’s been longer than 48 hours, check your nameserver settings at your domain registrar; they should show your hosting provider’s nameservers, not Wix’s.

Google is still indexing my old Wix pages

This is normal for the first few weeks after migration. Google needs time to recrawl your site and discover the redirects. Resubmitting your sitemap in Search Console speeds this up. Old Wix URLs should gradually drop out of the index as Google processes the 301 redirects.

My contact form isn’t sending emails

Install WP Mail SMTP and configure it to send through Gmail or another reliable SMTP service. Most WordPress contact form delivery problems stem from server-level email deliverability issues that WP Mail SMTP resolves.

How long does the migration take?

This depends entirely on the size and complexity of your Wix site.

Site type	Estimated time
Simple 5-page site, no blog	3–5 hours
5-page site + 20 blog posts	6–10 hours
5-page site + 50+ blog posts	10–20 hours
Site with ecommerce	Add 3–8 hours for WooCommerce setup

These are working hours, time spent actively doing migration tasks. Over the course of a weekend, most standard site migrations are entirely achievable.

The most time-consuming parts are typically:

• Recreating page designs in the WordPress editor
• Going through each blog post after import to fix images and formatting
• Setting up all the 301 redirects

Budget more time than you think you’ll need. Discovering a problem at 11 pm when you’ve already switched your domain is more stressful than taking an extra day to do it properly.

Is it worth it?

This is the honest question to ask before committing to the migration.

The effort is real. Several hours minimum, potentially a weekend or more for a larger site. The technical steps, domain switching, redirect setup, and plugin configuration require attention and care.

The benefits are also real. Better SEO control and capability. Full compatibility with display ad networks, if you’re building towards Mediavine or Raptive, this migration is essential. Lower long-term costs. Complete ownership of your site and data. The plugin ecosystem. The ability to grow in any direction without hitting platform walls.

For a site you’re serious about growing and monetising, the migration is worth it. The platform you build on now will either support or constrain everything you try to do over the next two or three years.

For a low-stakes hobby site or a simple local business presence where Wix serves you fine, the effort may not be justified. Wix is a good platform for those use cases. There’s no reason to migrate if it’s working for what you need.

If you’re on the fence: Build your new WordPress site in parallel before making the switch. If the WordPress version is clearly better for your goals, switch. If you find WordPress’s setup genuinely too complex or the difference too marginal for your use case, stay on Wix.

Frequently asked questions

How do I move from Wix to WordPress? Set up WordPress hosting, configure your theme and essential plugins before adding content, export your Wix blog via its RSS feed, recreate your pages manually, download and re-upload your images, rebuild any forms, set up 301 redirects from every old Wix URL, build everything on a temporary URL while Wix stays live, then switch your domain once it’s tested. Full detail on each step is above.

Can I move my Wix site to WordPress without losing my Google rankings? Yes, with proper 301 redirect setup, your existing Google rankings can be preserved through the migration. Setting up redirects from every old Wix URL to the equivalent WordPress URL is the most important SEO task in the migration process. Some fluctuation is normal in the weeks after migration; rankings typically stabilise once Google has processed all the redirects.

Do I lose my domain if I leave Wix? No, your domain is yours regardless of which platform your site is on. If your domain is registered with Wix, you can transfer it to another registrar. If it’s registered elsewhere, you simply update the DNS settings to point at your new host.

Can I keep my Wix site live while building a WordPress site? Yes, this is the recommended approach. Build your WordPress site on a temporary URL (a staging environment or a different domain) while your Wix site remains live. Only switch your domain when the WordPress site is complete and tested.

How do I export my Wix blog to WordPress? Wix provides an RSS feed of your blog at yourdomain.com/blog-feed.xml. This feed can be imported into WordPress using the built-in RSS importer (Tools → Import → RSS). Text content imports well; images may need to be updated manually after import.

Will my Wix email addresses still work after migration? If you’re using Wix email (email addresses at your domain through Wix), you’ll need to set up email hosting separately after migration. Wix handles email for domains registered through them. Google Workspace (from ~$6/user/month in the USA or ~£4.60/user/month in the UK) or Zoho Mail (free tier available) are the most common alternatives.

Is it cheaper to run a WordPress site than Wix? For most configurations, yes, particularly long-term. A lean WordPress site on Bluehost or Hostinger costs less annually than a comparable Wix paid plan, and gives you significantly more capability. As your site grows and you add features, the cost comparison depends on which paid plugins you need versus which Wix app subscriptions you’d otherwise pay for.