Export+Import Blog content

My doubt is: do I need to have on WP2 the blog page setup BEFORE to perform the import??

No.

If you want to import just the CONTENT (ie no WordPress settings or theme and plugin data) then use WordPress’ TOOLS => EXPORT/IMPORT feature. WordPress will create the content (pages, posts, navigation, etc) during the import process. But you’ll have to configure your new theme and install and configure any plugins you need, as these are not included in the native export/import feature.

If you want to migrate the entire site, complete with themes and plugins and their configuration so you’ll end up with a full replica of your site at the new location, then use a WordPress backup/migration plugin. I’ve had a very good experience with WPVivid, but there are a ton of these plugins out there: https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/migration/

In all cases, all you need at the (new) destination site is a freshly-installed WordPress site (plus the plugin you’re going to use to restore the backup if you decide to use a plugin).

Good luck!

Sorry, I’ve been away from Al Gore’s Information Superhighway 😀

I’ve read somewhere than when Exporting via the Export tool within WP, it doesn’t include “Featured images”, which are exactly how images are added to posts in the old blog.

I didn’t know this, as I’d never used the feature before. I often dump stuff manually, and occasionally use a migration plugin, even if I’m moving just the site’s database.

I’ve checked and confirmed the lack of featured images with the native EXPORT/IMPORT feature. But I couldn’t find any solution to fix this after the fact.

So, unfortunately, you may have to delete these imported posts and do the export/import again… with the help of a plugin that fixes the problem.

I tested the following plugin… and it successfully added the featured image to WordPress’ native EXPORT/IMPORT tool:

Export media with selected content: https://wordpress.org/plugins/export-media-with-selected-content/

2-despite being shown as Published when I click on “View” I get an error
message “NOT FOUND, ERROR 404“

Kindly flush your permalinks: go to SETTINGS => PERMALINKS and just hit SAVE CHANGES (no need to change anything).

If that doesn’t work, please provide the URL of one of these imported posts, so I can take a look to see what I might find under the hood.

3-I can’t add a Blog item to the menu bar in the Appearance>Menu section, as the posts all appear listed singularly

I’m not entirely sure what you mean here.

Your screenshot shows the POSTS section, so you’ll only see individual posts 😀

Do you want to have a “Blog” link on your menu that, when clicked, will list all your blog posts?

If so, then the steps to follow are:

1) First, create this “Blog” PAGE. Note that this has to be a PAGE, not a POST. This should be just a blank page: don’t bother adding anything to it other than the title, as WordPress will ignore the content.

2) Go to APPEARANCE => MENUS, from the “PAGES” section (not the POSTS section) add the “Blog” page you created earlier to your menu.

3) Finally, go to SETTINGS => READING, and under “Your homepage displays” and “Posts Page”, select the “Blog” page you created earlier.

Standing by for feedback!