Migration
Wix to WordPress: plan the import, rebuild, and domain switch
Move supported Wix content, rebuild the features that do not transfer, and preserve media, email, and important URLs.
Moving from Wix to WordPress is a content and functionality rebuild, not a normal server-to-server copy. You can bring over supported content and keep your domain, but the Wix template and platform features do not become a WordPress theme and plugins automatically.
Start by choosing the destination: WordPress.com’s hosted service or WordPress with another host. The import options differ. A tutorial showing a Wix importer inside WordPress.com does not establish that the same tool exists in every self-hosted WordPress dashboard.
Know what can move
Wix’s export explanation says a Wix site depends on Wix infrastructure and cannot simply be hosted elsewhere as a complete functioning Wix site. The content and the system that renders it are separate concerns.
WordPress.com’s Wix importer attempts to bring over supported pages, images, menus, and the site title. Its documentation explicitly says the exact Wix design is not recreated. It also describes the RSS alternative for the 20 most recent blog posts, so do not assume a larger archive is included.
| Item | Migration decision |
|---|---|
| Public pages and posts | Import where supported; reconcile counts and rebuild missing content |
| Layout, fonts, and navigation | Recreate using a WordPress theme and editor |
| Bookings, store, or member areas | Select replacement workflows and plan their data separately |
| Images and downloads | Ensure destination-owned copies exist and links resolve |
| Domain and email | Choose a DNS cutover that preserves the services you keep |
Inventory before importing
Make a list of live URLs, page titles, important search landing pages, forms, downloads, and business integrations. Include hidden but still-used pages, such as a campaign landing page linked from an old email. Record which pages to preserve, improve, combine, or retire.
For a large blog, compare the intended post count with the actual import result. Check dates, authors, images, links, and formatting across old and recent posts. An import finishing without an error does not establish that it found every item.
For self-hosted WordPress, ask the migration provider which tool and content types they support. A manual rebuild can be reasonable for a ten-page brochure site. A store with orders, customer accounts, and subscriptions needs a more specific migration plan than copying visible text.
Build on a separate destination first
Choose a theme based on the editing and layout needs of the new site. Rebuild one representative page before importing or recreating the entire site. This exposes differences in image proportions, spacing, reusable sections, and mobile behavior while the cost of changing direction is still low.
Keep the staging site out of public search and prevent accidental customer notifications or live charges from copied integrations. Record those temporary protections so they can be reviewed during launch; forgetting a search-blocking setting can make a successful visual migration invisible to search engines.
Preserve URLs where practical
Compare old and new paths before connecting the domain. Keep an established URL when the content’s purpose has not changed. Where it must change, map it to the closest relevant replacement and configure the supported permanent redirect at the destination.
Do not send every old address to the home page. A visitor following a specific service or article link should reach the corresponding content. Our website migration SEO guide explains the checks for redirects, canonicals, sitemaps, and search visibility.
Move the website traffic, then verify the business
You can connect a domain without transferring its registration. If the domain is registered through Wix, review its nameserver and pointing limitations before choosing a destination. Preserve email records and the mailbox subscription.
- Check the home page and representative pages on mobile and desktop.
- Submit every important form and confirm the right person receives it.
- Verify bookings, purchases, login, and downloads where applicable.
- Open old URLs and verify their intended destinations.
- Confirm media is served from a location that will remain available after Wix cancellation.
- Check analytics and search settings, then retain a recoverable copy and cutover notes.
Cancel the Wix website subscription only after those checks and any required historical data export. Domain registration, email, and other subscriptions may still be needed. Handle each product according to the final arrangement instead of closing the entire account as a last migration step.