[![How to Move a GoDaddy Website to WordPress 1](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gemini_Generated_Image_brhvtwbrhvtwbrhv.webp)](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gemini_Generated_Image_brhvtwbrhvtwbrhv-1030x575.webp) # How to Move a GoDaddy Website to WordPress Nov 19, 2024/by [Vadim Pavlovich](https://coma.lv/en/author/djcoma/) [GoDaddy](https://fi.godaddy.com/) provides a website builder that lets users create sites with a simple drag-and-drop method. However, many users quickly realize all the limitations that such website builders impose and want to move their site to a more flexible and powerful platform such as WordPress. In this article we will explain how you can move your site from GoDaddy to WordPress. ## Step Zero: Getting Started The success of your WordPress site depends on the hosting you use. If you already use GoDaddy hosting, you can use it for your site as well. If you want to try another host, we recommend [Bluehost](https://www.bluehost.com/), which is an official WordPress partner and one of the largest hosting companies in the world. ## Step One: Preparing for the Move WordPress has tools for importing content from many services such as Blogger, Tumblr, Livejournal and so on. However, it has no ability to import from website builders. For this reason you will have to back up your site yourself. This can be a bit time-consuming, depending on how much content you have on your site. If you only have a few pages, you can make a backup simply by saving the images and copying the text into text files on your computer. You can also save each page by pressing Ctrl+S on your keyboard. A save window will open in which you need to choose “Web Page, complete” as the format. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/savecompletewebpage.jpg) Repeat this process for all the pages on your site. Make sure you have downloaded all the images and text. To check, turn off the Internet and try to open the files you have just downloaded. Alternatively, you can use HTTrack to copy the site to your computer. Just enter the site address into it and it will make a copy on your computer. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/httrack.jpg) The problem is that the GoDaddy website builder and its templates store their files on various CDN servers. The names and addresses of these servers can vary from site to site. This makes it difficult to download all the image files. However, if most of your site’s content is text and you are ready to sacrifice the pictures, HTTrack is the fastest way to copy your site. Once you disable the website builder, you will not be able to get back to the site. So take your time and make sure you have a backup of all your site data. By now you are probably wondering why there is no easier way. That is because GoDaddy does not want you to leave. ### Backing Up Your Link Structure You will need to redirect people who follow the old links of your site to the new links in WordPress. For this you will need a list of all your website’s addresses. If it is only a few pages, you just need to copy and paste the address of each page on your site into an empty text file. Alternatively, you can use online tools to extract addresses from your site. For example, Klipper, a Google Chrome extension for saving links to a text file. Do not worry if you miss a page. We will also show how to automatically set up 404 error notifications and redirect users in WordPress. ## Step Two: Migrating the Site to GoDaddy Hosting This step is intended only for those who will use GoDaddy hosting for their WordPress site. If you use another host, you can skip this step. If you want to use GoDaddy for your WordPress site, you first need to turn off the website builder service, otherwise you simply will not be able to [install WordPress](https://coma.lv/en/2024/08/29/how-to-install-wordpress-a-complete-wordpress-installation-tutorial/). Just log in to your GoDaddy account and click your username at the top of the panel. You will see a drop-down menu where you can click Manage Website Builder. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/disablewebsitebuilder1.jpg) This will display your account. You need to click the Options button next to your domain name. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/disablewebsistebuilder2.jpg) You will land on the website builder settings page. Under the overview tab you will find a link to cancel your account. Click it to deactivate the website builder on your domain. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/disablewebsistebuilder3.jpg) Now your website builder will be deactivated and you will be able to install WordPress. Full deactivation can take about an hour. ### Adding Hosting to the Domain Now that your domain is free of the GoDaddy website builder, you still need to connect hosting to it. Click the web hosting managed under your account and then click the Manage button. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/managehosting.jpg) This will bring up your hosting’s cPanel. You need to scroll to the domains section and click Addon Domains. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/godaddycpanel.jpg) Now enter the domain name. The subdomain and document root fields will be filled in automatically. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/addingdomain.jpg) You also need to tick the box to create an [FTP](https://coma.lv/en/2024/08/26/what-is-ftp/) account, choosing a username and password for it. Finally, click the button to add the domain. With that you have successfully freed your domain from the website builder and added hosting for your domain. Now you can move on to step four to learn how to install WordPress and continue migrating your site. ## Step Three: Pointing the Domain to Another Host This step is written for those who registered their domain with GoDaddy and want to use it with other hosts such as Bluehost or SiteGround. Log in to your GoDaddy account and click your username in the top panel. A drop-down menu will appear where you can manage your domains. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/managedomains.jpg) Choose your domain from the list, click the Nameservers button at the top and choose nameservers. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/changenameservers.jpg) A window will appear where you need to click custom and then the link to enter custom nameservers. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/customns.jpg) Another window with two fields will appear. You can enter the names of the new servers there. If your host has more than two nameservers, you need to click the Add Nameserver button to add another row. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/addnameservers.jpg) Click the OK button and then the button to save the settings. Note that DNS changes take up to 24 hours. Now that your domain points to the new site, you can move on to the next step. ## Step Four: Installing WordPress Now that your domain points to the new site, you can [install WordPress](https://coma.lv/en/2024/08/29/how-to-install-wordpress-a-complete-wordpress-installation-tutorial/). Regardless of which host you use, the process will be the same. WordPress is known for its five-minute installation. Many companies offer one-click installers for new WordPress sites, letting you create a site in a few clicks. ## Step Five: Importing Content from the Website Builder As we mentioned earlier, you will have to back up your site’s content manually, since it cannot be imported automatically. By default WordPress has two built-in content types, called posts and pages. You need to create new posts or pages on your site and copy the content from your GoDaddy site into them. ## Step Six: Setting Up Redirects If you have a list of links from the old site, you can start setting up redirects. First you need to install and activate the [Simple 301 Redirects](https://emoji.wordpress.org/plugins/simple-301-redirects/) plugin. After activating it, go to the Settings > 301 Redirects page. Enter your old address in the Request field and your new WordPress address in the Destination column. ![WordPress](https://coma.lv/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/simple-301-redirects.jpg) Click the save button to save the redirect, and repeat the process for all the remaining addresses. --- *Our specialization is WordPress website development and maintenance. Contact us for a free consultation — [vadim@coma.lv](mailto:vadim@coma.lv), [+371 29394520](tel:+37129394520)* ---