Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download a WordPress Site: A Complete Guide

WordPress is undoubtedly one of the most popular content management systems in the world. Millions of websites are powered by WordPress due to its user-friendly interface, flexibility, and customizable features. If you are planning to download a WordPress site, there are several reasons you may want to do so. Perhaps you want to create a backup of your site, transfer your site to a new host, or simply have a local copy of your site without having to rely on an internet connection. Whatever your reasons are, this guide will take you through the process of downloading a WordPress site step by step.

Step 1: Install a Backup Plugin

The first step in downloading a WordPress site is to install a backup plugin. There are various backup plugins available in the WordPress repository, each with its unique features and functionality. Some of the popular backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and Jetpack. For this guide, we will use UpdraftPlus as it is easy to use, reliable, and free.

To install UpdraftPlus, login to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New, and search for UpdraftPlus. Once you find it, click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin.

Step 2: Create a Backup

After installing the UpdraftPlus plugin, navigate to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups from your WordPress dashboard. Here, you can configure the plugin’s settings according to your preferences. You can choose the backup frequency, the type of files to include in the backup, and where to store the backup files.

Once you have configured the settings, click on the “Backup Now” button to create a backup of your WordPress site. Depending on the size of your site, the backup process may take a few minutes to complete.

Step 3: Download the Backup Files

After the backup process is completed, UpdraftPlus will store the backup files in your chosen location. To download the backup files, navigate to Settings > UpdraftPlus Backups and click on the “Existing Backups” tab. Here, you will see a list of your backup files. Select the backup file you want to download and click on the “Download” button.

UpdraftPlus will download the backup file in a zip format. The size of the file will depend on the size of your WordPress site.

Step 4: Extract the Backup Files

After downloading the backup file, you will need to extract the contents to your local computer. To extract the backup files, use a zip file extractor such as WinRAR or 7Zip. Simply right-click on the downloaded zip file and select “Extract here” or “Extract files”.

Conclusion

Downloading a WordPress site may seem like a daunting task, but with the right backup plugin, it can be a straightforward process. UpdraftPlus offers a simple and reliable solution for creating backups of your WordPress site, which you can then download and store on your local computer. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily download a WordPress site without requiring any technical skills or knowledge.