WordPress Multisite is a powerful feature that allows you to manage multiple WordPress sites from a single installation. However, there are scenarios where migrating back to a single WordPress instance makes more sense, particularly when dealing with custom domains, SSL certificates, or site-specific customizations.

Why Migrate from Multisite?

In my experience, while WordPress Multisite works great for managing multiple related sites, certain challenges can arise:

1. SSL Certificate Management: Configuring SSL for individual subsites can be complex
2. Custom Domain Mapping: Pointing different domains to subsites adds complexity
3. Site-Specific Customizations: Making changes to one site without affecting others requires careful planning
4. Plugin Conflicts: Some plugins don’t play well with multisite environments

The No-Code Migration Solution

The best part? You can accomplish this migration without writing a single line of code or SQL query. WordPress’s built-in export/import functionality handles everything for you.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Access to your WordPress Multisite admin panel
• A new WordPress installation ready (single site)
• The same theme installed on both instances
• Sufficient disk space for exported data

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 1: Export Your Data

On your WordPress Multisite installation:

1. Navigate to Tools → Export in the admin dashboard
2. Select the content you want to export (usually “All content”)
3. Click Download Export File

This generates an XML file containing all your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags. Think of it as a complete snapshot of your content.

Step 2: Prepare Your New WordPress Site

On your new single WordPress installation:

1. Install the same theme you were using on the multisite
2. If you were using a demo theme, load the exact same demo content
3. This ensures styling and layout remain consistent

Step 3: Clean the Slate

To avoid conflicts and duplicates:

1. Delete all default posts and pages
2. Remove demo headers and footers (if using Tatsu plugin or similar)
3. Clear any demo menus
4. Reset widgets to default

This creates a clean foundation for your imported content.

Step 4: Import Your Content

Now for the main event:

1. Navigate to Tools → Import on your new WordPress site
2. Select WordPress as the import source
3. Upload the XML file you exported earlier
4. Choose which user should own the imported content (or create a new user)
5. Check the box to “Download and import file attachments” (important!)
6. Click Submit

WordPress will now process the XML file and recreate all your content on the new installation.

Step 5: Migrate Media Files

The import process attempts to download media files from your old site, but this doesn’t always work perfectly. For best results:

1. Manually download the wp-content/uploads folder from your multisite
2. Upload it to your new WordPress installation’s wp-content/uploads directory
3. Use a plugin like Regenerate Thumbnails to recreate image sizes

This ensures all your images, PDFs, and other media files are properly available.

Step 6: Post-Migration Checklist

After importing, verify everything:

• ✅ Check that all posts and pages are present
• ✅ Verify images are displaying correctly
• ✅ Review categories and tags
• ✅ Test internal links
• ✅ Recreate menus (these aren’t included in the export)
• ✅ Reconfigure widgets and sidebars
• ✅ Set up permalinks structure
• ✅ Update site URL in Settings → General

Common Issues and Solutions

Missing Images

If images aren’t showing up, they likely failed to download during import. Manually transfer the uploads folder as described in Step 5.

Broken Links

Internal links pointing to the old multisite URLs will need updating. Use a plugin like Better Search Replace to update URLs site-wide.

Missing Menus

WordPress doesn’t export/import menu configurations. You’ll need to recreate your navigation menus manually.

Theme Settings Lost

Custom theme settings and customizer options aren’t included in the export. Take screenshots of your multisite theme settings before migrating to make recreation easier.

Performance Considerations

Single WordPress installations typically perform better than multisite for individual sites because:

• Reduced database complexity
• Simpler caching strategies
• Easier to optimize for specific needs
• More hosting options available

Alternative Approaches

If you have a very large site or complex customizations, consider these alternatives:

1. Duplicator Plugin: Creates a complete package of your site
2. All-in-One WP Migration: Handles large sites better than standard export/import
3. Manual Database Export: For advanced users comfortable with SQL

Conclusion

Migrating from WordPress Multisite to a single installation doesn’t have to be complicated. With WordPress’s built-in tools, you can accomplish this migration without touching any code or database queries.

The key is taking it step by step: export your content, prepare your new site, clean up defaults, import your data, and verify everything works. While you’ll need to manually handle menus and some theme settings, the process is straightforward and can be completed in an afternoon rather than becoming a week-long project.

Have you performed a similar migration? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!