How to Move Custom Domain Blogger Blog to WordPress (Updated)
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Do you want to move your custom domain Blogger blog to WordPress? Blogger is a free blogging platform that has been around for a very long time.
Usually, a free blog on Blogger has blogspot.com as its website address. For example, myblog.blogspot.com.
In our main Blogger to WordPress migration tutorial, one of our readers asked us for step-by-step instructions on moving a custom domain blogger website to WordPress.
That’s because Blogger also allows users to connect custom domain names to their blogs, such as myblog.com.
If you have a custom domain Blogger blog and you want to move it to WordPress, then this tutorial is for you.
In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to move a custom domain blog from Blogger to WordPress easily.
Note: If you are looking to move a Blogger subdomain blog to WordPress, then see our guide on how to switch from Blogger to WordPress.
Here are the steps we will cover to help you move your custom domain blog from Blogger to WordPress:
- Getting Started
- Change DNS Settings
- Remove Domain Redirect
- Install WordPress
- Export Content From Blogger
- Import Blogger Blog into WordPress
- Setup Permalinks
- Setup Feed Redirects
- Customizing Your WordPress Site
- Extending Your WordPress Site
Step 1: Getting Started
Before we start, it is important to note that this guide is for self-hosted WordPress.org. See our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org sites vs. WordPress.com blogs.
To get started, you will need a WordPress hosting provider to set up your self-hosted WordPress website.
We recommend Bluehost because they are an officially recommended WordPress hosting company, and they are giving WPBeginner users an exclusive 60% discount + free domain and SSL.
Basically, you can get started for $2.75 / month.
→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←
If you want a Bluehost alternative, then take a look at SiteGround. They also have a special offer for WPBeginner users.
Step 2: Change DNS Settings
Blogger allows you to use any domain name registered by a 3rd party. U.S.-based users can also use a domain registered with Google Domains.
When you first set up the domain pointing to your Blogger blog, you were asked to add CNAME and A records to your domain’s DNS settings.
These domain name records help browsers decide where to direct users when they enter your domain name. See our guide on domain names and how they work).
You will need to delete those old records and add your new WordPress host’s DNS settings.
You can get DNS settings required by your WordPress hosting company from their documentation or support websites. A typical DNS nameserver looks something like this:
NS1.Bluehost.com
NS2.Bluehost.com
In this guide, we will show you how to update DNS settings in Godaddy. However, the basic settings are the same across all popular domain registrars.
Changing DNS Settings in GoDaddy
You need to log in to your Godaddy account. From the account dashboard, click on ‘Domains’ under My Account.
This will take you to your domain portfolio page, which shows all domains you have registered.
Click on the three-dot button next to your Blogger domain name and then select ‘Edit DNS’ from the menu.
This will take you to the DNS records page.
You need to locate the A and CNAME records you added when you pointed the domain to Blogger servers.
Once you have deleted the Blogger-provided DNS records, you can point the domain to your new hosting provider.
Go to the Domains page and click on your domain name to access domain settings.
From here, switch to the ‘DNS’ tab and click on the ‘Nameservers’ section.
Next, click on the ‘Change Nameservers’ button to continue.
This will bring up a popup where you need to click on ‘I’ll use my own nameservers’ and then can add the nameservers provided by your WordPress hosting provider.
Click on the ‘Save’ button to make your DNS changes go live.
Important: DNS changes may take between a few hours to one or even two days to propagate fully. You can access your Blogger blog by logging in to your account during this time.
Step 3: Remove Domain Redirect
Your Blogger blog’s original blogspot.com address redirects users to your custom domain. Since we have changed the domain settings, we need to remove this from Blogger too.
Simply log in to your Blogger account and go to the Settings » Basic page. In the Publishing section, click on the cross icon to cancel the redirect.
Step 4: Install WordPress
If your domain’s DNS has propagated, you can install WordPress on your hosting provider.
If your domain is registered on a third-party service other than your web host, you will need to add the hosting for the domain.
For example, in Bluehost, you will add your domain as an Addon domain through cPanel unless it is the main domain on your account.
After adding the domain to your new host, the next step is to install WordPress. Most hosting companies have simple 1-click WordPress installers that you can use to quickly install WordPress.
If you need more help, then follow the instructions in our complete WordPress installation tutorial.
After the successful installation of WordPress on your custom domain, you will be ready to import content from your Blogger blog.
Step 5: Export Content From Blogger
Before you can import content into WordPress, first you need to export it from your Blogger blog.
Blogger allows you to export content in an XML file.
Simply log in to your Blogger blog and visit the Settings » Other page. In the blog tools, click on the ‘Back up Content’ link.
This will bring up a popup where you need to click on the ‘Save to your computer’ button.
Depending on the file size, it may take a few seconds or a few minutes. Once you have your data, it is time to import it into your WordPress site.
Step 6: Import Blogger Blog into WordPress
Login to your WordPress admin area and visit the Tools » Import page. There you will see a list of importers for different services. You need to click on Blogger to install the Blogger importer.
WordPress will now download and install the Blogger Importer plugin for you.
Once it has finished installing the plugin, you need to click on the ‘Run Importer’ link to continue.
On the Import Blogger screen, WordPress will ask you to upload the XML file.
Simply click on the ‘Choose File’ button and upload the XML file you downloaded earlier. Then, click on the ‘Upload file and import’ button to continue.
WordPress will now import your blog posts from Blogger. Once it is finished, you will be asked to assign an author to the imported posts. You can assign your blogger posts to an existing author or create a new one.
Congratulations! You have successfully imported your Blogger blog into WordPress.
However, you still need to make sure that you don’t lose any search rankings by redirecting search engines and visitors to the same content on your new WordPress website.
Step 7: Set Up Permalinks
WordPress comes with a feature that allows you to set up SEO-friendly URL structure.
However, since you are importing content from Blogger, you will want your permalink structure to be as close to your Blogger URL structure as possible.
To set permalinks, you need to go to Settings » Permalinks and paste this in the custom structure field:
/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%.html
Once that’s done, your permalink structure will make the WordPress blog post URLs similar to the URLs on your Blogger blog posts.
However, not all your blog post URLs may match the URLs used by Blogger. In that case, you will need to add the following custom code to your website using WPCode:
| 1234567891011121314 | add_action( 'init', 'wpb_update_slug'); functionwpb_update_slug() { global$wpdb;$result= $wpdb->get_results("SELECT post_id, meta_value FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'blogger_permalink' ");$wpdb->print_error();foreach($resultas$row){$slug= explode("/",$row->meta_value);$slug= explode(".",$slug[3]);$wpdb->query("UPDATE $wpdb->posts SET post_name ='$slug[0]' WHERE ID = '$row->post_id' ");}echo"DONE"; } |
Hosted with ❤️ by WPCode
We won’t recommend manually editing your site’s theme files, as the slightest mistake can break your website and prevent you from accessing the WordPress dashboard.
This is why we recommend using the WPCode plugin. It is easy to use and prevents custom code from breaking your site.
Note: There is also a free version of the plugin called WPCode Lite that you can use.
First, install and activate the WPCode plugin on your site. If you need help, then follow our tutorial on how to add a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you can go to Code Snippets » +Add Snippet page and click on ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’.
Next, you need to provide a title for your code snippet. This could be anything that helps you easily identify the custom code.
After that, choose ‘PHP Snippet’ as the ‘Code Type’ option and then paste the code we showed you above into the ‘Code Preview’ box.
When you are done, don’t forget to toggle the switch next to Active and then click the ‘Save Snippet’ button.
Step 8: Set Up Feed Redirects
You have successfully redirected your Blogger blog to WordPress. However, users who have subscribed to your Blogger RSS feed will stop receiving updates.
You need to redirect feed requests to your WordPress feeds. This can be easily achieved by editing the .htaccess file in your WordPress site’s root folder.
If you can’t find your .htaccess file, then see this tutorial.
Start by connecting to your WordPress site using an FTP client. You will need to enable the ‘Show Hidden Files’ option in your FTP client settings. If you are using Filezilla, you will find this option in the Server menu.
Once connected to your website, you will find the .htaccess file in your WordPress site’s root directory.
You need to edit this file and paste the following code before any other code:
| 1234567 | <IfModule mod_rewrite.c> RewriteEngine on RewriteRule atom.xml /feed? [L,R=301] RewriteRule rss.xml /feed? [L,R=301] RewriteRule ^feeds/posts/?.*$ /feed? [L,R=301] RewriteRule ^feeds/comments/?.*$ /comments/feed? [L,R=301]</IfModule> |
Hosted with ❤️ by WPCode
Don’t forget to save your changes and upload the .htaccess file back to the server. Your Blogger feed subscribers will now be redirected to your WordPress site’s feed.
Step 9: Customizing Your WordPress Site
Themes control the appearance of your WordPress site. You can use them to change your website’s colors, layout, navigation menus, and more.
By default, WordPress comes with a very simple theme that doesn’t offer many features.
Luckily, there are thousands of WordPress themes available that you can choose from.
Here are a few of our showcases with our expert pick of best WordPress themes in different categories:
Here are a few tips that you should consider when looking at these themes.
- Simplicity is the best design. Look for a simple theme with flexible features.
- You will not find a theme exactly like what you had on Blogger, but you can look for a theme with similar layout and color choices.
- Make sure that the theme you are choosing looks good on mobile devices.
- Only install a theme from reliable sources like WordPress.org or one of the top WordPress theme shops.
Once you have found a theme, you can install it. See our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme for step-by-step instructions.
Note: You can also use one of these drag and drop WordPress page builders to create custom website designs without writing any code.
Step 10: Extending Your WordPress Site
One of the top reasons for using WordPress is the large number of plugins that you can use. Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. You can use them to add new features and extend WordPress functionality.
As a beginner, you may be wondering how to start using these plugins. Which plugins should you try first?
Don’t worry we got you covered there as well. Check out our expert selection of the essential WordPress plugins you should install first.
You should also know that WordPress is not just limited to blogs. You can use it to create any type of website you can imagine:
- Add an online store to your blog and start selling.
- Build a membership website and start selling subscriptions and premium content.
- Make an online marketplace website and allow others to sell and buy products from your website.
- Add a job board to your existing website and monetize it.
Finally, as a new WordPress user, you may need help now and then. WPBeginner is the largest WordPress resource site for beginners. See how you can make the most out of WPBeginner’s free resources.
We hope this article helped you move your custom domain blogger blog to WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the most useful tools to manage and grow your WordPress blog and our guide on how to learn WordPress for free.
Do you want to move your custom domain Blogger blog to WordPress? Blogger is a free blogging platform that has been around for a very long time. Usually, a free blog on Blogger has blogspot.com as its website address. For example, myblog.blogspot.com. In our main Blogger to WordPress migration tutorial, one of our…
Do you want to move your custom domain Blogger blog to WordPress? Blogger is a free blogging platform that has been around for a very long time. Usually, a free blog on Blogger has blogspot.com as its website address. For example, myblog.blogspot.com. In our main Blogger to WordPress migration tutorial, one of our…