How To Quickly Duplicate A WordPress Database

There are many situations where you may need to copy your WordPress database. The most common scenario would be to set up a development site in order to test new themes or features. In the past you may have exported a copy and then re-imported that to a new blank database. If you want to copy your database onto the same server, then this is probably the easiest way.

This quick tip is based on a phpMyAdmin operations feature, so it won’t apply to you if your host is using something else for managing databases.

First, select your database in phpMyAdmin. Then click on the “Operations” tab. At the bottom you’ll find “Copy Database to:”. Here you want to enter the name of your new database, make sure to select structure and database and check the appropriate boxes.

After you click “go”, you should see a “Copying Database” message displayed on the screen. If it’s successful, a message will pop up on the screen to let you know that your new database is ready.

Double Check The Database Copy

Double checking the copied database is a crucial step. Please be advised that this does not always work with massively huge databases. It may time out and not copy the entire thing. No matter what the size of your database, you’ll want to verify after copying that the tables are the same and the size matches for both databases. With most small databases, this is the quickest way to make a copy without having to export and import.

Tags:

• backup
• database