How to migrate your blog

I just moved my blog from wordpress.com to wordpress.org and since I’m an expert now, here’s all you need to know. In 12 easy* steps.

*Honestly, I don’t even know if everything is working right so don’t listen to any of this.

Step 1: Google EVERYTHING. Reread everything 20 times and still be confused.

Step 2. Contact your hosting provider. Have them tell you that they can’t do anything because WordPress is a third-party app.

Step 3: Contact all your smart friends. Most of them won’t know what to do either.

Step 4: Sulk.

Step 5: Google the difference between a Site Redirect vs. Domain Mapping. Let the confusion continue.

Step 6: Read How to Migrate your Blog from WordPress.com to a Personal Domain five or six times. Ask a friend to read to it and be happy that neither of you can easily follow along.

Step 7: Change the DNS of your website to WordPress, but only after you give up on finding your original DNS.

Step 8: Pray. A lot.

Step 9: Pay for Domain Mapping on WordPress and hope it works.

Step 10: Cuss as you attempt to change the DNS on your site back to the unknown original DNS. Freak out a little. And then just copy and paste random things.

Step 11: Be amazed as it actually works. Except for not transferring your email subscribers.

Step 12: Waste hours looking at new designs so if anyone happens to visit your site from your old URL, they won’t be disgusted.

And that’s it! Easy peasy, right?