WordPress Importer Review: How to Move Content Between Sites (2026)

What Is WordPress Importer?

WordPress Importer is the official plugin for importing content from a WordPress XML export file (WXR format) into your site. It transfers posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, tags, navigation menus, and custom post types. With 3+ million active installs, it is built and maintained by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com).

Key Features

• Full content import — Posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, tags, and navigation menus
• Media attachment download — Option to download and import file attachments (images, PDFs) from the source site
• Author mapping — Assign imported content to existing users or create new ones
• Custom post type support — Imports any registered custom post type, not just posts and pages
• WXR format — Uses WordPress eXtended RSS, the standard export format built into WordPress core (Tools → Export)
• Built into WordPress — Available directly from Tools → Import in your dashboard

Free vs Premium

WordPress Importer is 100% free. There is no premium version. It is an official WordPress community plugin maintained by Automattic. The export functionality is built into WordPress core — you do not even need a plugin to export.

How to Use It

1. Export: On your source site, go to Tools → Export. Choose what to export (all content, just posts, just pages, or just media). Click Download Export File. WordPress creates a .xml file.
2. Import: On your destination site, go to Tools → Import. Click "Install Now" under WordPress. Then click "Run Importer."
3. Upload the XML file, map authors, check "Download and import file attachments" if you want media.
4. Done. Your content appears on the new site.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Official WordPress tool — reliable and always compatible
• Dead simple for small sites with basic content
• Free with no strings attached
• Works for cross-platform imports (Blogger, Tumblr, etc. have separate importers)

Cons:

• Times out on large files (>300 MB) — not suitable for big sites
• Media import downloads links, not actual files — if the source site goes down, images break
• No database migration — only content, not settings, plugins, or themes
• No incremental imports — full export/import only
• 3.1/5 rating reflects real frustration with limitations on larger sites

Who Should Use It?

WordPress Importer is ideal for moving content between two WordPress sites when the content is relatively small (under 300 MB). Common use cases: migrating a blog to a new domain, moving posts from a staging site to production, or importing demo content from a theme. For full site migrations (database + files + settings), use All-in-One WP Migration or your host's migration service instead.

Best Alternatives

• All-in-One WP Migration — Full site migration including database, themes, and plugins. Better for complete moves between hosts.
• Duplicator — Creates a complete site package for migration. Handles large sites better.
• WP All Import — Advanced import tool for CSV, XML, and Excel files. Better for importing product catalogs or custom data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does WordPress Importer move my entire site?

No. It only imports content (posts, pages, comments, media). It does not transfer your theme, plugins, settings, users, or database tables. For a full site migration, use All-in-One WP Migration.

Why do my images break after importing?

If you did not check "Download and import file attachments" during import, WordPress only imports the URLs pointing to your old site. When the old site goes offline, those image links break. Always enable attachment downloads.

Can I import content from Blogger or Squarespace?

Not with this plugin directly. WordPress has separate importers for Blogger, Tumblr, and LiveJournal. For Squarespace, you first export to WordPress XML format from Squarespace, then use WordPress Importer.

What happens if the import times out?

Large XML files (>300 MB) often cause timeouts on shared hosting. Split your export into smaller chunks (export posts and pages separately), increase PHP max_execution_time via wp-config.php, or use WP-CLI command wp import which has no timeout.

Is it safe to run the importer on a live site?

Yes. The importer adds content — it does not delete or overwrite existing posts. However, running a backup first is always recommended.

Sources: WordPress.org, Learn WordPress