Clone a WordPress website with Softaculous

In this article, we explain how you can clone a WordPress website with Softaculous. By cloning, we mean duplicating/copying a website to another location; this can be, for example, in a folder or on another (sub)domain. This can be useful if, for example, you have created a new website under a subdomain and you now want to place it on the main domain.

Note: Ensure you have enough web space available in your package before you start the process below. For example, do you currently have a package with 5 GB of web space and your website is 3 GB? Then the cloning process will get stuck because you need at least 6 GB of web space. In this case, consider upgrading your package.

Cloning the website

  1. Log in to your DirectAdmin environment. (See also: mijn.host/kb/webhosting/hoe-log-ik-in-op-directadmin)
  2. In the DirectAdmin menu, go to Softaculous Apps Installer > WordPress.
  3. You will now enter Softaculous on the page with all the current WordPress installations in your hosting package. Scroll down until you see the table with domains.
  4. For the installation you want to clone, click the 3rd button (Clone) under the Options column. It looks like 2 blue pieces of paper stacked on top of each other.
  5. You will now land on the cloning page, here you can configure all desired settings such as the location where the clone should be placed and the name of the database.
    By default, the folder (Directory) is set to "wp". If you want the site in a different folder, enter a different name.
    If you only want to place the site on a new domain or subdomain, select the (sub)domain from the dropdown menu above "Choose Domain" and then leave the "In Directory" field completely empty (this is where "wp" is by default). See the screenshot below for reference.
  6. Once everything is filled in as desired, scroll down and click the blue "Clone Installation" button. In most cases, the process will take a few minutes, but this depends on the size of the website you are cloning.

Is cloning still not successful?

If the process fails for whatever reason and you cannot figure it out, please feel free to contact our support experts and they will be happy to help you further.

Still have questions? Get in touch.