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WordPress Migration Checklist Generator

Build a step-by-step checklist to transfer files, databases, and update links securely.

checklist.md

What is the WordPress Migration Checklist Generator?

Migrating a WordPress site involves moving databases, copying files, updating DNS records, and safely rewriting URLs to prevent broken links and mixed-content warnings.

This tool generates a customized checklist and the exact WP-CLI search-and-replace commands you need to run to safely migrate a site between development, staging, and production environments without corrupting serialized arrays.

How to Use this Generator

  1. Identify source database and server configuration attributes.
  2. Verify folder structure compatibility on the target server.
  3. Copy database backup and wp-content folder contents.
  4. Deploy and execute safe search-replace parameters via terminal.
  5. Verify routing, SSL handshake, and absolute link layouts.

High-Value Use Cases

  • Planning a migration between local dev and live staging environments.
  • Documenting standard server migration procedures for operations teams.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Do not run url search-replace on GUID columns unless you intend to break RSS feeds.
  • Do not use standard SQL queries to replace URLs, as this breaks PHP serialized data arrays.

Validation Checklist

  • Run curl checks to confirm DNS resolves to the target server IP.
  • Verify that media uploads and REST API endpoints respond correctly on the new domain.

Professional Implementation Notes

Verify the code parameters align with your target system before deploying the configurations in a production environment.

Review before copying

  • Retain root backups of your web content and SQL dumps.
  • Verify file permissions are 755 for directories and 644 for files.

Compatibility checks

  • Make sure PHP and database engine versions are compatible.
  • Ensure the target server supports required PHP extensions like ext-mbstring or ext-imagick.

Handoff notes

  • Verify permalink rules (.htaccess / Nginx server blocks).
  • Update any hardcoded paths in caching plugins or mu-plugins.

Maintained and Reviewed

This page is maintained by the Fasih Ud Din. The guidance is written for developers who need to understand and verify generated output before using it on a real WordPress project.

To report an outdated assumption or unsafe edge case, use the Contact page and include the page URL, target environment, and expected behavior.

WordPress Migration Checklist Generator FAQs

What is the most critical step in migration?

The database search and replace. You must replace the old domain with the new domain in the database safely to ensure media links and internal links work.

Can I use phpMyAdmin for search and replace?

No, using basic SQL queries in phpMyAdmin breaks PHP serialized data arrays commonly used by themes and plugins. Always use WP-CLI or a dedicated migration tool.

Do I need to migrate the .htaccess file?

Yes, if you have custom redirects or caching rules. Otherwise, simply re-saving your Permalinks in the WP Admin will generate a fresh standard .htaccess file.

What if the site throws a 500 error after migration?

Check the server error log, ensure the wp-config.php database credentials are correct, and verify that your PHP version matches the source environment.