Move your WordPress.com publication to hosting you control, with the content and editing workflow checked before the switch. Norml prepares the destination, transfers the agreed posts and pages, and reviews the themes, plugins, and subscriptions tied to your current account. The result is a maintained WordPress site with clear ownership of hosting, backups, and updates.
The transfer route depends on your WordPress.com plan and current setup. A content export, a full backup, and a media archive contain different things.
We inspect the available export and map authors, categories, tags, comments, and content into the new installation. The standard XML export points to media rather than containing the media files. We check that agreed images and downloads are copied and still work before retiring the source.
The destination needs the theme, blocks, and plugins that support your pages. We check availability and licensing, then rebuild any unsupported pieces. Representative pages include galleries, embedded media, and reusable patterns so an apparently successful import does not conceal broken layouts.
Newsletter subscribers, followers, paid memberships, and other WordPress.com-connected features need their own handoff decisions. We review the available Jetpack or provider-supported route and preserve consent and access requirements. A transferred article archive alone does not establish that these relationships moved.
We configure the WordPress destination and plan domain, HTTPS, redirects, and email-record continuity. A custom domain and a wordpress.com address have different redirect options. We document the chosen setup and who will maintain the site after launch.
We need authorized WordPress.com access, your hosting destination, domain details, and an inventory of paid features. The content owner should identify drafts, private pages, and anything that should stay unpublished during the move.
Self-hosting needs backups, updates, security controls, and recovery access. We agree the operating responsibilities and check that required themes and plugins can run on the selected host before transferring the full site.
Compare the source plan and available exports with the destination requirements. Record which material belongs in a content import and which settings require separate setup.
Transfer representative content, validate attachment downloads, and review author and taxonomy mappings. Compare the full import against the approved inventory and resolve missing media or broken blocks.
Test editing, forms, links, search, and account features included in scope. Apply the domain and redirect plan, recheck the public site, and hand over hosting and publishing instructions.