> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.hostinger.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.hostinger.com/wordpress/copy-website.md).

# Copy Website

Duplicate an existing WordPress site into a new website slot on your account. Useful for spinning up client projects from a template, building a second brand off a known-good setup, or creating a long-lived archive copy before a major overhaul.

## How it differs from Staging

|             | Copy Website                          | [Staging](/wordpress/staging.md)                |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Result      | A separate, permanent website         | A temporary environment tied to the source site |
| Lives where | A new website in your hosting account | Subdomain attached to the source site           |
| Sync back   | No — it's independent                 | Yes — push to live, pull from live              |
| Use for     | New projects, long-lived copies       | Test changes before pushing                     |

## Copy a site

1. Open the source WordPress site in hPanel.
2. Click **Copy website** in the left menu.
3. Pick the destination:
   * **New website slot** — creates a fresh website in your hosting account (plan limits apply)
   * **Existing website** — overwrites another site you manage
4. Choose the domain or free subdomain for the copy.
5. Confirm.

Hostinger clones files and the database, updates `wp-config.php` to point at the new database, and rewrites URLs in the copied database to match the new domain.

## What's copied

* All files in `public_html` (themes, plugins, uploads, `wp-config.php`)
* The full database (posts, users, options, metadata)
* Active theme and plugin list

## What's not copied

* Domain DNS configuration (the copy gets its own domain)
* SSL certificates (a fresh one is issued for the new domain)
* Email accounts
* Cron jobs (you can recreate these under [Cron Jobs](/websites/cron-jobs.md))
* Server-level redirects defined outside WordPress

## After copying

* Log in to the copied site's `/wp-admin` — user credentials carry over.
* Re-check **General settings** → **Site URL** if you changed the domain.
* Regenerate permalinks (**Settings** → **Permalinks** → **Save**) if links 404.

## Troubleshooting

**URLs in posts still point at the source domain** Run a search-replace via [File Manager](/websites/file-manager.md) or `wp-cli`: `wp search-replace 'old-domain.com' 'new-domain.com'`.

**"Plan limit reached" when creating a new slot** You've hit the max websites on your plan. Delete an unused site, upgrade your plan, or pick **Existing website** as the destination.

***

*Last updated: July 21, 2026*