How to Export Content from WordPress

Here's how to export content from WordPress using its built-in Tools → Export screen. You'll download an XML file for a content move, with optional filters for posts or pages. You need access to the source dashboard and somewhere to save the file.

How to export content from WordPress without mistaking it for a site backup

The surprising detail is the format: WordPress eXtended RSS, or WXR, is content data. It isn't a complete working copy of your theme, installed plugins and server setup. If you want to restore the whole site, WordPress's backup handbook describes a separate job involving the database and files.

The official Export screen guide confirms the XML format and filters. My choice for moving an editorial archive is to export All content first, then make smaller filtered files when the destination needs them. Keep the broad export as a reference alongside the selected move.

The WordPress project page gives the product context. More Web Development tools can help when your destination uses a different publishing workflow.

1. Decide which content belongs in the move

Choose between the whole editorial archive and a selected group of posts or pages. An archive containing old drafts and current articles is a different move from copying one author's published work to a new site. Write down the destination's purpose before selecting filters.

For example, a portfolio may need pages and a few case studies, while a new blog may need articles, categories and comments. The export screen provides separate choices; don't assume the word “content” means only public posts.

Keep the source site available while preparing the destination. The export is a download action, so you can make a copy before deciding which old content remains part of the new publication. There's no reason to delete an archive to make the first export smaller.

2. Open Tools, then Export

In the source WordPress dashboard, open Tools → Export. The standard screen lets you choose the scope and then download the result. If you're looking at a plugin's export interface instead, its fields and file format may differ from this guide.

Look for All content, Posts, Pages and Download Export File. Those are the names in the core documentation. My preference is to use the built-in screen for a standard WordPress-to-WordPress content move before adding a specialized exporter.

You don't need to copy article text from the editor one page at a time. The exported file holds structured content, so the destination importer can work with things such as titles and taxonomy as separate pieces of data.

3. Select All content or apply the documented filters

Choose All content for the broadest core export. The documentation lists posts, pages, comments, custom fields, terms, navigation menus and custom posts within that scope.

Choose Posts when the move needs a narrower article group. The screen offers Categories, Authors, Date range and Status. Leaving a filter at its all-content setting avoids accidentally narrowing the file.

For Pages, the official options include author, date range and status. Don't expect the post-category filter to apply to pages in the same way. Pick the content type before deciding which controls are available.

A useful small move might be one author's published posts from a particular period. Give that selection a precise name outside WordPress, such as “published-posts-author-name-2025.” The filename can explain the scope later without opening the XML.

4. Download and label the WXR file

Select Download Export File and save the generated XML file. Keep the .xml extension so the destination can recognize the format. Store a copy outside the browser's temporary download area if this is part of a larger migration.

Label the file with the source site, export date and selection. A broad export and a filtered export can otherwise look almost identical in a folder. A filename that records the scope prevents the wrong file becoming the source for the next step.

You can inspect the XML as text, but don't casually rewrite its tags to fix a formatting problem. The file contains structured relationships as well as article text. Keep the untouched download and work on a separate copy if a documented conversion is needed.

5. Match the file to the destination importer

For another WordPress site, the documented route is Administration → Tools → Import → WordPress. That importer accepts content from the WordPress export format. Follow the destination's prompts for its content and author mapping.

For another platform, look for an explicit WXR or WordPress-import path in its official help. A destination that accepts CSV doesn't automatically accept this XML. Choose the correct conversion or importer before moving a large archive.

After an import, inspect a short article, a long article with images, a page and a post with categories. Each reveals a different kind of mismatch. A successful file upload only tells you the destination received a file; it doesn't establish that every piece renders as intended.

Known problems and practical fixes

The export contains the wrong date range

The core screen's Date range filter belongs to the selected content type. Return to Tools → Export, confirm whether you've chosen posts or pages, then select the intended dates. Keep the incorrect file clearly labeled so it isn't accidentally imported later.

The destination accepts only part of the XML

A WordPress support thread about an XML error describes an import that brings in users while reporting failures for other content. The replies ask which exporter generated the file. That distinction matters: identify core WXR or the specific plugin format before choosing a fix.

Start with a small core export and the destination's documented importer. If the same content fails, record the actual error and the exporter used. An error about parsing a file needs a different response from an error fetching a media attachment.

The new site doesn't look like the old one

Content export doesn't recreate the complete theme and plugin setup. Rebuild the destination presentation separately, or use the full backup/migration route when the goal is another copy of the same working site. Keep a list of custom layouts that depend on the source theme or plugins.

Troubleshooting table

Three variations

For a full editorial archive, choose All content and retain the source file even if you later split the import. That gives you a broad reference for the original content relationships.

For one author's work, choose Posts and the Authors filter. Include the intended status so private drafts don't become part of a public archive accidentally.

For a dated article collection, choose Posts, set Date range and label the result with both endpoints. A selected collection can be easier to inspect at the destination than a whole-site file.

Completion checklist

• The source site and selection are recorded in the filename.
• The downloaded file retains its XML extension.
• The destination documents support for WXR or a confirmed conversion.
• Sample posts and pages display the intended text and organization.
• The original export is kept outside the destination.

FAQ

Does WordPress export include the whole website?

No, core Export produces a WXR XML content file, not a complete working copy of the site's files and database. It includes structured editorial data such as posts and categories. A whole-site restoration needs the separate backup route described in WordPress's administration handbook, including the files used by the site.

Can I export only published posts?

Yes, choose Posts in Tools → Export and set its Status filter to Published. You can also narrow that selection by category, author and date range. Keep the filename explicit about those choices so a later import doesn't mistake the selected archive for all content from the source site.

Can I import WXR into any website builder?

Only if that destination documents a WXR or WordPress import path. The XML format isn't interchangeable with CSV or a set of HTML files. Read the destination's import help before the move, then inspect representative entries there; an accepted file can still need formatting or field mapping work.

Next steps

Compare WordPress and Framer if the next site needs a visual publishing workflow. Framer, Netlify and Vercel represent different destinations; the Development & Technology category includes more tools around that choice.

Sources

WordPress Export and Import screen documentation, administration backup handbook and linked XML support thread. Documentation checked October 9, 2026.