Title: Site Transition
Last modified: November 5, 2018

---

# Site Transition

 *  [Fred Atkinson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fatkinson/)
 * (@fatkinson)
 * [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/site-transition/)
 * I want to transition a Web site I have to WordPress.
 * What I’d like to do is create a subdomain, develop the site on the subdomain,
   and then move WordPress to the primary domain after the work is done.
 * Example:
 * 1. Site is on: `http://www.fubar.com` (not the real domain name).
 * 2. Create `http://wordpress.fubar.com` and install WordPress on it.
 * 3. Get WordPress to have the look and feel I’d like it to have.
 * 4. Create all of the same content on wordpress.fubar.com that is currently on
   the `www.fubar.com`.
 * Now, I want to delete all of the content on `www.fubar.com` and replace it with
   WordPress.
 * 5. Delete `www.fubar.com` content.
 * 6. Install WordPress on `www.fubar.com`.
 * Since the database was created and configured [once I completed creating the 
   look, feel, and content on wordpress.fubar.com], I want to use it on the primary
   domain and not create a new database all over again.
 * My question is: How doable is this (can I install WordPress again and just use
   the database that was already created?)? If so, there will be little down time
   for my site while I transition it.
 * Or will I do all this work and then have to build a new database and create the
   content all over yet again?
 * If this is not doable, is there another way?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  [JNashHawkins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jnashhawkins/)
 * (@jnashhawkins)
 * [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/site-transition/#post-10847466)
 * Build the new site in a sub-directory… then, when you are ready…
 * [https://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory](https://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory)
 * You’ll use the sub-directory site, all its content and its database as the new
   iteration of your website.
 * Just read over the directions a couple times then carefully follow them as you
   go.
 * Nothing to it!
 *  [HudsonValleyWebDesign](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jaycbrf/)
 * (@jaycbrf)
 * [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/site-transition/#post-10850451)
 * Or develop the site locally on your computer then upload to replace live site.
   Fewer migrations of WordPress.
 *  Moderator [Samuel Wood (Otto)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/otto42/)
 * (@otto42)
 * WordPress.org Admin
 * [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/site-transition/#post-10850562)
 * [https://codex.wordpress.org/Moving_WordPress#Moving_Directories_On_Your_Existing_Server](https://codex.wordpress.org/Moving_WordPress#Moving_Directories_On_Your_Existing_Server)

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Site Transition’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [database](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/database/)
 * [duplicate](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/duplicate/)
 * [move](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/move/)
 * [subdomain](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/subdomain/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 3 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [Samuel Wood (Otto)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/otto42/)
 * Last activity: [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/site-transition/#post-10850562)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics