{"id":7663,"date":"2025-10-12T15:42:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T19:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/?p=7663"},"modified":"2025-10-15T08:02:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:02:30","slug":"wordpress-theme-migration-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Creating Your Test Site"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7698 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Part-2.jpg\" alt=\"WordPress Theme Migration with Local \u2013 Creating Your Test Site (Part 2) graphic with Local by WP Engine logo\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Part-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Part-2-500x263.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Part-2-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Part-2-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Thinking about changing your WordPress theme but worried about breaking your site? WordPress theme migration doesn\u2019t have to be stressful or risky. In this part of the series, Karmi and ChatGPT team up again to show how to create a <em>test site<\/em> \u2014 a private copy of your real website that runs safely on your computer or on a separate test computer. Using <a href=\"https:\/\/localwp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local by Flywheel<\/a>, you can try new themes, layouts, and settings without touching your live site or risking your content.<\/p>\n<p>Once everything works smoothly on your test site, you\u2019ll feel ready to take that next step toward your theme migration. Together, we\u2019ll walk through creating the site, importing your existing posts and pages, and setting up <a href=\"https:\/\/generatepress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GeneratePress<\/a> \u2014 the same free theme now running on my <a href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/\">live site<\/a>.<!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Before_You_Begin_Safe_Preparation\" >Before You Begin: Safe Preparation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Creating_Your_Local_Test_Site_for_WordPress_Theme_Migration\" >Creating Your Local Test Site for WordPress Theme Migration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Exporting_Your_Live_Content\" >Exporting Your Live Content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Opening_Your_Test_Site_in_Local\" >Opening Your Test Site in Local<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Importing_Your_Content\" >Importing Your Content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/#Whats_Next\" >What\u2019s Next<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h4 data-start=\"332\" data-end=\"373\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Before_You_Begin_Safe_Preparation\"><\/span><strong>Before You Begin: Safe Preparation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"375\" data-end=\"769\"><strong data-start=\"375\" data-end=\"420\">Creating a System Restore Point (Windows)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"375\" data-end=\"769\">Windows doesn\u2019t always create restore points automatically before you install new software or hardware. It can, but only if System Protection is turned on for your drive \u2014 and many users don\u2019t realize when it\u2019s off. Even when it\u2019s enabled, restore points are usually made only during major updates, not for everyday apps like Local by Flywheel.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"771\" data-end=\"974\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s smart to manually create a restore point before installing or running Local (or any new program). It only takes a minute and lets you roll your computer back if something acts up later.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"976\" data-end=\"1060\">If you\u2019re on a Mac or another system, just use your normal restore or backup tool.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1062\" data-end=\"1487\"><strong data-start=\"1062\" data-end=\"1096\">Backing Up Your WordPress Site<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1062\" data-end=\"1487\">While you\u2019re in a safety mindset, it\u2019s also wise to back up your live blog before copying or exporting content. Some hosts, like WordPress.com\u2019s paid plans, back up automatically. Others \u2014 especially self-hosted WordPress sites \u2014 may only let you back up manually or on a schedule. Check your host\u2019s settings, and make sure you have at least one fresh site backup before moving content.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1820\"><strong data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1517\">Backing Up Your Computer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1820\">If you prefer extra peace of mind, you can also create a full system image using Windows\u2019 <em data-start=\"1610\" data-end=\"1642\">Backup and Restore (Windows 7)<\/em> tool before starting your WordPress theme migration. This ensures that your files and settings can be fully restored if something ever goes wrong on your test or local system.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1822\" data-end=\"1991\">Once both your computer and your blog are safely backed up, you\u2019re ready to create your test site in Local and continue your WordPress theme migration with confidence.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Creating_Your_Local_Test_Site_for_WordPress_Theme_Migration\"><\/span><strong>Creating Your Local Test Site for WordPress Theme Migration<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Creating your test site is where the hands-on part begins. You\u2019ll open <a href=\"https:\/\/localwp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local by Flywheel<\/a> and build a full copy of your existing WordPress setup. It\u2019s quick, visual, and far less technical than it sounds.<\/p>\n<p>For this guide, I\u2019m working alongside ChatGPT \u2014 part of an ongoing experiment in practical AI collaboration (<a href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/13\/ai-collaboration\/\">AI Collaboration<\/a>). Together, we\u2019re taking on what can look like a daunting task for many beginners, proving that even a novice and an AI can handle a full WordPress theme migration and turn the experience into a usable step-by-step guide for others.<\/p>\n<p>With your computer prepped and ready, open <strong>Local<\/strong> and click the green <strong>+<\/strong> button to create a new site.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7673\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7673\" style=\"width: 735px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7673\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-Local-app-showing-green-button-to-add-a-new-site.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"745\" height=\"644\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-Local-app-showing-green-button-to-add-a-new-site.jpg 745w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-Local-app-showing-green-button-to-add-a-new-site-500x432.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7673\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Local app showing green \u201c+\u201d button to add a new site<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When prompted, choose <strong>Create a new site<\/strong> and give it a simple name such as <em>Theme Test 1.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7675\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7675\" style=\"width: 916px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7675\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-Create-New-Site-screen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"926\" height=\"642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-Create-New-Site-screen.jpg 926w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-Create-New-Site-screen-500x347.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2-Create-New-Site-screen-768x532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7675\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Create New Site screen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7676\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7676\" style=\"width: 920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7676\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-Entering-the-name-Theme-Test-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"930\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-Entering-the-name-Theme-Test-1.jpg 930w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-Entering-the-name-Theme-Test-1-500x309.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3-Entering-the-name-Theme-Test-1-768x475.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7676\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entering the name \u201cTheme Test 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Next, you\u2019ll choose your environment. Local will show two options, <strong>Preferred<\/strong> and <strong>Custom.<\/strong> Go with <strong>Preferred<\/strong> \u2014 it\u2019s ready to use, fast to set up, and perfect for theme testing. (Custom is mainly for developers who need to match a specific PHP or MySQL version.)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7678\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7678\" style=\"width: 924px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7678\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4-Environment-choice-window.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"934\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4-Environment-choice-window.jpg 934w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4-Environment-choice-window-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4-Environment-choice-window-768x470.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Environment choice window<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll then set your WordPress login details. Use something easy to remember, since this site is only for testing. A typical setup might be:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Username: admin<\/li>\n<li>Password: test123<\/li>\n<li>Email: your own email address<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7679\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7679\" style=\"width: 926px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7679\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5-WordPress-setup-credentials-screen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"936\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5-WordPress-setup-credentials-screen.jpg 936w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5-WordPress-setup-credentials-screen-500x306.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5-WordPress-setup-credentials-screen-768x469.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7679\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WordPress setup credentials screen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Click <strong>Add Site,<\/strong> and Local will create a fresh WordPress installation on your computer or test computer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7681\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7681\" style=\"width: 965px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7681\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6-Progress-screen-showing-site-being-created.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"975\" height=\"562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6-Progress-screen-showing-site-being-created.jpg 975w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6-Progress-screen-showing-site-being-created-500x288.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6-Progress-screen-showing-site-being-created-768x443.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Progress screen showing site being created<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7682\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7682\" style=\"width: 990px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7682\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7-Site-ready-screen-confirming-success.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7-Site-ready-screen-confirming-success.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7-Site-ready-screen-confirming-success-500x325.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7-Site-ready-screen-confirming-success-768x499.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Site ready screen confirming success<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once Local reports your site is ready, you now have a safe, local environment \u2014 a complete WordPress installation running privately on your system, ready to import your real content in the next step of your WordPress theme migration.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exporting_Your_Live_Content\"><\/span><strong>Exporting Your Live Content<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>With your Local test site ready, it\u2019s time to bring in your real posts, pages, and media. This is a simple export from your live WordPress site \u2014 no changes, no risk. You\u2019re just making a copy to use during your WordPress theme migration.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7684\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7684\" style=\"width: 999px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7684\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/8-WordPress-dashboard-showing-Tools-\u2192-Export.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1009\" height=\"717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/8-WordPress-dashboard-showing-Tools-\u2192-Export.jpg 1009w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/8-WordPress-dashboard-showing-Tools-\u2192-Export-500x355.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/8-WordPress-dashboard-showing-Tools-\u2192-Export-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WordPress dashboard showing Tools \u2192 Export<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ol>\n<li>From your live site\u2019s dashboard, go to <strong>Tools \u2192 Export.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>All content,<\/strong> then click <strong>Download Export File.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Save the XML file to your computer \u2014 it\u2019s usually a few MB depending on your site size.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If your browser doesn\u2019t show a confirmation window, check your <strong>Downloads<\/strong> folder to be sure the file saved. This process doesn\u2019t affect your live site; it only creates a portable copy of your content.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"327\" data-end=\"543\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Opening_Your_Test_Site_in_Local\"><\/span><strong data-start=\"327\" data-end=\"362\">Opening Your Test Site in Local<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"327\" data-end=\"543\">In the Local app, click <strong data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"401\">WP Admin<\/strong> next to your new site\u2019s name.<br data-start=\"431\" data-end=\"434\" \/>Your browser will open the WordPress login screen.<br data-start=\"484\" data-end=\"487\" \/>Use the credentials you set earlier (admin \/ test123).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7686\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7686\" style=\"width: 1558px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7686\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login-500x204.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login-1024x417.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login-768x313.jpg 768w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9-Local-WP-Admin-Browser-login-1536x626.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Local &#8211; WP Admin &#8211; Browser login<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importing_Your_Content\"><\/span><strong>Importing Your Content<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re logged in to your Local WordPress dashboard, it\u2019s time to bring in your real posts, pages, and images \u2014 the same content from your live site. This makes your test site a true working copy for your WordPress theme migration.<\/p>\n<p>From your dashboard, go to <strong>Tools \u2192 Import.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7688\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7688\" style=\"width: 1016px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7688\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10-WordPress-dashboard-Tools-\u2192-Import-page.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1026\" height=\"756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10-WordPress-dashboard-Tools-\u2192-Import-page.jpg 1026w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10-WordPress-dashboard-Tools-\u2192-Import-page-500x368.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10-WordPress-dashboard-Tools-\u2192-Import-page-1024x755.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10-WordPress-dashboard-Tools-\u2192-Import-page-768x566.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7688\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WordPress dashboard \u2013 Tools \u2192 Import page<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll see a list of importer tools for different platforms. Scroll down to <strong>WordPress<\/strong> and click <strong>Install Now.<\/strong> This adds the official WordPress Importer plugin, which you\u2019ll use to bring in your content.<\/p>\n<p>After installation, click <strong>Run Importer<\/strong> to open the upload screen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7690\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7690\" style=\"width: 1014px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7690\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11-Import-WordPress-screen-Choose-file-to-upload-300-MB-limit-shown.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11-Import-WordPress-screen-Choose-file-to-upload-300-MB-limit-shown.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11-Import-WordPress-screen-Choose-file-to-upload-300-MB-limit-shown-500x219.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11-Import-WordPress-screen-Choose-file-to-upload-300-MB-limit-shown-768x336.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7690\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Import WordPress screen \u2013 Choose file to upload (300 MB limit shown)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Click <strong>Browse<\/strong> (or <strong>Choose File<\/strong>) and navigate to your <strong>Downloads<\/strong> folder.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7691\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7691\" style=\"width: 477px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7691\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/12-Download-folder-with-file-in-it.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"487\" height=\"283\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Download folder with file in it<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Select the export file you created earlier \u2014 it should end in <code>.xml<\/code>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7693\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7693\" style=\"width: 1023px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7693\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/13-File-selected-ready-for-Upload-and-Import.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1033\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/13-File-selected-ready-for-Upload-and-Import.jpg 1033w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/13-File-selected-ready-for-Upload-and-Import-500x211.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/13-File-selected-ready-for-Upload-and-Import-1024x432.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/13-File-selected-ready-for-Upload-and-Import-768x324.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1033px) 100vw, 1033px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7693\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">File selected, ready for Upload and Import<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Click <strong>Upload file and import.<\/strong> When prompted, you\u2019ll see options to assign posts and import attachments. Choose your existing <strong>admin<\/strong> user as the post author.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7694\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7694\" style=\"width: 1021px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7694\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14-Author-assignment-screen-assign-posts-to-existing-user.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1031\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14-Author-assignment-screen-assign-posts-to-existing-user.jpg 1031w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14-Author-assignment-screen-assign-posts-to-existing-user-500x260.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14-Author-assignment-screen-assign-posts-to-existing-user-1024x532.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14-Author-assignment-screen-assign-posts-to-existing-user-768x399.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1031px) 100vw, 1031px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7694\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author assignment screen \u2013 assign posts to existing user<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Check <strong>Download and import file attachments<\/strong> to include images and media from your live site.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7696\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7696\" style=\"width: 1025px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7696\" src=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/15-Author-admin-and-Download-and-import-file-attachments-checked.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1035\" height=\"521\" srcset=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/15-Author-admin-and-Download-and-import-file-attachments-checked.jpg 1035w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/15-Author-admin-and-Download-and-import-file-attachments-checked-500x252.jpg 500w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/15-Author-admin-and-Download-and-import-file-attachments-checked-1024x515.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/15-Author-admin-and-Download-and-import-file-attachments-checked-768x387.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1035px) 100vw, 1035px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7696\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author \u2013 admin and Download and import file attachments checked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Click <strong>Submit,<\/strong> and WordPress will start importing your content. Depending on your site size, this may take a few minutes. When you see the confirmation message, your import is complete \u2014 and your test site now mirrors your live site\u2019s posts, pages, and images.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re ready to move on to styling and testing your new theme.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve now gone beyond just setting up a testing space \u2014 you\u2019ve successfully created a full copy of your site inside Local. Every post, page, and image you brought over gives you a safe place to experiment and learn without risk.<\/p>\n<p>When I first tried this process, I was hesitant to even open Local again after that failed first attempt months ago. It seemed confusing and technical. But with practice, patience, and some AI collaboration, the pieces started to make sense. That\u2019s the same approach I hope you take \u2014 steady, curious, and unafraid to experiment.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_Next\"><\/span><strong>What\u2019s Next<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019ve completed the second big step in WordPress theme migration by creating your test site and moving your real content safely into Local. In <strong>Part 3: WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Styling &amp; Testing Your New Theme,<\/strong> we\u2019ll install the GeneratePress theme, apply a few simple styling tweaks, and preview how your content looks in its new home \u2014 still offline, still safe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links to Other Parts<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Part 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/11\/wordpress-theme-migration-part-1\/\">WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Setup &amp; Testing Environment<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Part 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/13\/wordpress-theme-migration\/\">WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Styling &amp; Testing Your New Theme<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Part 4: <a href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/14\/wordpress-theme-migration-4\/\">WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Going Live with GeneratePress<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking about changing your WordPress theme but worried about breaking your site? WordPress theme migration doesn\u2019t have to be stressful or risky. In this part of the series, Karmi and ChatGPT team up again to show how to create a test site \u2014 a private copy of your real website that runs safely on your &#8230; <a title=\"WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Creating Your Test Site\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/wordpress-theme-migration-2\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about WordPress Theme Migration with Local: Creating Your Test Site\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[254,135,30,99,32,260,261,256,27,62,31,281],"tags":[240,28,64],"class_list":["post-7663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai-chatbots","category-backup-and-restore","category-blogging","category-blogging-tips","category-hostinger","category-rank-math-seo","category-seo","category-technology","category-testing","category-widgets","category-wordpress","category-wordpress-theme-migration","tag-artificial-intelligence-ai","tag-technology","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7663"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7796,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7663\/revisions\/7796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karmismusingstech.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}