How to Move Custom Domain Blogger Blog to WordPress (Updated)

Feeling trapped by Blogger’s limitations? We remember that feeling well and know how frustrating it is when your platform holds back your growth.

The thought of moving your blog to WordPress can be scary. Many bloggers worry about losing all their hard work, from content and subscribers to precious search engine rankings.

But here’s some good news we’ve learned from helping thousands of others make the switch. Moving your custom domain blog from Blogger to WordPress is a straightforward process when you have the right steps.

This guide will walk you through the entire migration, ensuring everything you’ve built moves over safely. Let’s get your blog onto the platform that will help it thrive.

Here are the steps we will cover to help you move your custom domain blog from Blogger to WordPress:

1. Getting Started
2. Change DNS Settings
3. Remove Domain Redirect
4. Install WordPress
5. Export Content From Blogger
6. Import Blogger Blog into WordPress
7. Setup Permalinks
8. Setup Feed Redirects
9. Customizing Your WordPress Site
10. Extending Your WordPress Site
11. Frequently Asked Questions About Moving from Blogger to WordPress
12. Additional Resources for Your New 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 discount + free domain and SSL.

Basically, you can get started for $2.99 / month.

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

To make your custom domain work with your new WordPress host, you need to update its DNS (Domain Name System) settings.

Think of DNS as the internet’s address book. Right now, it’s pointing visitors to Blogger, and we need to change that address to point to your new host. See our guide on domain names and how they work.

The main way to do this is by changing your domain’s nameservers. Your new WordPress hosting company will provide you with at least two nameserver addresses, which look something like this:

NS1.Bluehost.com
NS2.Bluehost.com

We’ll be showing you how to change DNS nameserver settings in GoDaddy and Network Solutions. However, the basic process is the same regardless of which domain registrar you used to purchase your custom domain name.

You can find instructions for other domain registrars in our tutorial on changing domain nameservers.

Changing DNS Settings in GoDaddy

For the sake of this tutorial, we are assuming that you registered your custom domain name with GoDaddy and then pointed it to Blogger.

However, if you registered it with some other provider, then see our article on how to change nameservers pointing to a new host. It covers all popular domain registrars.

First, 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 the 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 pop-up where you need to click on ‘I’ll use my own nameservers’ and then add the nameservers provided by your WordPress hosting provider.

Click on the ‘Save’ button to make your DNS changes go live.

Changing DNS Settings in Network Solutions

Now, if you purchased your custom domain for Blogger from Network Solutions, then this is how you’ll edit your DNS settings and point them to your WordPress host.

First, log in to your Network Solutions account dashboard. Click on ‘Domains’ in the left-hand menu, and then click the ‘Settings’ button next to your domain.

Next, scroll down to the Advanced Tools section and expand it.

Then, click the ‘Manage’ link next to Advanced DNS records.

From here, you need to delete the DNS CNAME records you added to point to Blogger.

After that, you need to delete the A records, which will be pointing to Network Solutions.

Once you have deleted the old DNS settings, you are ready to point the domain to your WordPress hosting provider.

Go back to the Domains page and click on your domain settings. Then, go to Advanced Tools, and click on ‘Manage’ next to Nameservers (DNS).

In the popup that appears, simply add your new host’s nameservers.

After adding your nameserver information, click on the ‘Save’ button to store your changes.

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 page. Under the Publishing section, click on your custom domain.

This will bring up a pop-up showing your custom domain name. Click on the ‘Delete’ button to remove it.

A warning pop-up will appear. To confirm, click the ‘Delete’ button again.

That’s all, your custom domain is now pointing to your new WordPress hosting provider.

Step 4: Install WordPress

If your domain’s DNS has propagated, you can install WordPress on your hosting provider.

If your domain name is registered using a third-party service other than your hosting provider, you’ll need to add hosting.

Here is how you will add your domain name to your hosting account in Bluehost and install WordPress.

First, log in to your Bluehost account manager dashboard and click on the ‘Add Site’ button in the Websites tab.

This will launch the Add Site wizard.

First, you need to choose the site type. Make sure ‘Install WordPress’ is selected, and then click ‘Continue’.

After that, the wizard will ask you to enter a site title. You can use the same title as your old Blogger blog.

Don’t worry. You can always change it later if needed.

Click ‘Continue’ to move ahead.

Now, you will be asked to enter your domain name. Enter your custom domain name here.

Click ‘Continue’ to move forward.

The wizard will now install WordPress for you.

Once finished, you will return to the Websites screen in the Bluehost account manager. Your new site will be listed there.

Click on the ‘Edit Site’ button to access the WordPress dashboard.

Bluehost will now ask a few more questions to complete your WordPress setup. You can skip them or follow the on-screen instructions to finish it.

After that, you’ll see your WordPress dashboard.

Note: If you are using a different hosting company, then most of them 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, you first 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 page. In the Manage Blog section, click on the ‘Back up content’ link.

This will bring up a pop-up where you need to click the ‘Download’ button.

It may take a few seconds or a few minutes, depending on the file size. Once you have your data, it is time to import it into your WordPress site.

Step 6: Import Blogger Blog into WordPress

Log in 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 ‘Install Now’ under 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,

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.

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 following code into the Code Preview box:

add_action( 'init', 'wpb_update_slug' );
  
function wpb_update_slug() { 
global $wpdb;
$result = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT post_id, meta_value FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'blogger_permalink' ");
$wpdb->print_error();
foreach ($result as $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";
  
}

After that, don’t forget to toggle the switch to Active.

Once that is done, just press the ‘Save Snippet’ button, and the code will be live on your website.

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:

<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>

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 the best WordPress themes in different categories:

• Best free WordPress blog themes
• Best simple WordPress themes
• Best WordPress themes for writers

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 a 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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving from Blogger to WordPress

We understand you might still have a few questions about making the switch. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we get from users migrating their blogs.

1. Will I lose my SEO rankings when moving from Blogger to WordPress?

You should not lose your SEO rankings as long as you follow the steps outlined in this guide.

The most important steps for preserving your SEO are setting up the correct permalink structure and redirecting your RSS feeds. This makes sure that both users and search engines land on the correct pages on your new site.

2. Is WordPress free after I move from Blogger?

The WordPress software itself is free and open-source. However, to run a self-hosted WordPress site (WordPress.org), you will need to pay for a domain name and web hosting. The hosting plans we recommend offer a free domain name, making the startup costs very low.

3. How long does the migration from Blogger to WordPress take?

The active steps of the migration, like exporting from Blogger and importing into WordPress, can usually be completed in under an hour. The longest part of the process is waiting for the DNS changes to propagate, which can take anywhere from a few hours to 48 hours.

4. Will my comments and images be moved to WordPress?

Yes, when you use the Blogger Importer tool in WordPress, it will import your posts, pages, comments, categories, and tags. The tool also attempts to download the images from your Blogger posts and add them to your new WordPress media library.

5. What should I do with my old Blogger blog after the migration?

You should not delete your old Blogger blog. Once you have confirmed that everything has been moved over successfully, you should set your Blogger blog’s visibility to private. This makes it unavailable to visitors and search engines, but keeps it as a private backup in case you need it.

Additional Resources for Your New WordPress Site

Now that your site is running on WordPress, you can take it to the next level. Here are some essential guides to help you get started on the right foot:

• Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners – Learn how to optimize your new site to rank higher in search engines and get more traffic.
• Proven Tips to Increase Your Blog Traffic – Discover actionable strategies that we use to grow our traffic and audience.
• The Ultimate WordPress Security Guide – Protect your new website from security threats with this comprehensive step-by-step guide.
• Make the Most of WPBeginner’s Free Resources – Find out how to use our tutorials, videos, and guides to become a WordPress pro.

We hope this article helped you move your custom domain blogger blog to WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on the difference between a domain name and web hosting or our expert pick of the best WordPress hosting providers.

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