Migrating from Wix to self-hosted WordPress is absolutely doable — but Wix doesn't export your site in a format WordPress can import directly. You need to export content in pieces, install WordPress on your server, and rebuild the site structure. This tutorial walks you through every step.
The full process has five stages: prepare your hosting, export content from Wix, install and configure WordPress, import the content, and protect your SEO with redirects. Here's how each one works.
Why Leave Wix Behind?
Wix is a closed platform: you can't switch providers without losing your site, prices increase every year, and you have limited control over code and structure. With self-hosted WordPress:
- You own your site and all your data outright.
- You can switch hosting providers without losing anything.
- You have full access to PHP code, the database, and every file.
- The variety of themes and plugins is incomparably greater.
- Long-term cost is usually lower, especially for sites with more than a few pages.
The migration takes a few hours of work, but it's a one-time effort.
Step 1: Set Up Hosting and Point Your Domain
Before touching Wix, get your new environment ready:
- Choose a shared hosting plan with WordPress support (cPanel + PHP 8.1 or higher + MySQL/MariaDB). A basic plan is sufficient for most small and medium sites.
- Install WordPress on your domain using cPanel's application installer (Softaculous). The process takes under 5 minutes.
- Point your domain to the new hosting when you're ready to make the switch — you can keep Wix live until the very last moment by only changing nameservers at the end.
If your domain is registered through Wix, transfer it to an independent registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.) before you start — that gives you full control over nameservers.
Step 2: Export Your Content from Wix
Wix allows you to export blog content in RSS format and some other sections in limited ways. Here's what you can and can't export:
| Content Type | Exportable from Wix? | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Blog posts | Yes | RSS feed (yourdomain.com/blog/feed.xml) |
| Static pages | Partially | Copy and paste text manually |
| Images | Yes (one by one) | Download from the Wix editor |
| Products (eCommerce) | Yes (CSV) | Wix dashboard → Store → Export products |
| Design / Theme | No | Choose an equivalent theme in WordPress |
For the blog: go to https://yourdomain.com/blog/feed.xml and save the XML file. You'll use it in the next step.
Step 3: Import Content into WordPress
With WordPress already installed on your hosting, the blog import process goes like this:
- In the WordPress dashboard, go to Tools → Import.
- Find the RSS option and install the importer if it isn't already available.
- Upload the
feed.xmlfile you downloaded from Wix. - WordPress will import post titles, content, and dates.
Images inside posts may still be linked to Wix's servers. Use the Auto Upload Images plugin to have WordPress download them automatically and store them on your own server.
Static Pages and Other Content
For pages (Home, About, Services, Contact, etc.), the cleanest approach is to create them manually in WordPress. If you use a page builder like Elementor or the block editor (Gutenberg), you can reproduce each page's layout without much extra effort. Copy the text from Wix and reformat it in WordPress.
Step 4: Choose a Theme and Configure the Site
WordPress doesn't import your Wix design, so you'll need to choose a new theme. Browse the official WordPress.org theme directory for something that matches your site's style, or invest in a premium theme if budget allows.
Once the theme is installed:
- Set up your navigation menu (Appearance → Menus).
- Customize colors, fonts, and the logo from the Customizer.
- Install essential plugins: SEO (Yoast or RankMath), caching (LiteSpeed Cache or W3 Total Cache), security (Wordfence), and contact forms (Contact Form 7 or WPForms).
Step 5: Protect Your SEO with 301 Redirects
This is the step most people skip — and it can cause a significant drop in Google rankings. Wix and WordPress URLs rarely match, so you need to redirect old URLs to the new ones.
Wix uses URLs like /blog/post/post-title. WordPress defaults to /?p=123, but you can configure the permalink structure under Settings → Permalinks to use /blog/post-title/ instead, making it easier to match the old URLs.
To set up redirects:
- Install the Redirection plugin in WordPress.
- Add a 301 redirect for each old Wix URL pointing to its WordPress equivalent.
- After making the DNS switch, verify with a tool like httpstatus.io that redirects return a 301 status code.
Also update your sitemap in Google Search Console to point to the new WordPress sitemap (/sitemap.xml).
If you'd rather have experts handle the migration without risking your rankings, the team at elenlace.com offers WordPress migration services with a built-in SEO audit.
Key Takeaways
- Wix has no direct export to WordPress — content migrates in pieces (RSS for the blog, CSV for products, manual for pages).
- Install WordPress on your new hosting first; switch DNS only when everything is ready.
- Images must be downloaded from Wix and uploaded to WordPress; the Auto Upload Images plugin automates this.
- Set up 301 redirects from every old Wix URL to its WordPress equivalent to protect your SEO.
- Update Google Search Console with the new sitemap after the DNS switch.
- With self-hosted WordPress you get full ownership: code access, your own database, freedom to change providers, and lower long-term costs.
For more platform comparisons and hosting guides, check out our web hosting comparisons section.
FAQ
Can I keep the same domain when migrating from Wix to WordPress?
Yes. If your domain is registered with Wix, transfer it to an independent registrar and then update the nameservers to point to your new hosting. The domain stays the same — only where the site is hosted changes.
How long does the full migration take?
For a small site (fewer than 20 pages and up to 50 posts), the complete process takes between 3 and 6 hours. For larger sites or those with an online store, it can take a full day or more.
Will I lose Google rankings when migrating from Wix to WordPress?
If you set up 301 redirects correctly and the new site keeps the same content, the SEO impact is minimal and temporary. Without redirects, you can lose rankings because Google will treat the old URLs as deleted pages.
Do I need to know how to code to migrate from Wix to WordPress?
No. With an installer like Softaculous, a visual theme, and the Redirection plugin, you can complete the migration without writing a single line of code. For advanced customizations, technical knowledge or hiring a developer becomes useful.
Prefer it done for you? El Enlace handles hosting and professional web development.
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