What exactly is WordPress cloning and why is it an extremely useful tool to have in your webmaster’s bag? Most people think that this is a shady technique for duplicating sites to garner more link love and rankings, and while that may have been true (and useful!) at one time, this is an entirely different endeavor.
WordPress cloning, as it applies to WordPress security, is the act of making an exact copy of your WordPress install. What’s great is that with the right software, you can do it in just a few clicks. There are a number of reasons why you might want to do this. Here are just a few.
– An emergency copy should the unthinkable happen and your site disappear from your web host’s server. You could be back up in minutes (or whenever the platform is again secure.)
– Having another hard copy of your site in another location should you need it is always a good virtual insurance policy.
– Say you wanted to redesign your site, and you wanted to have the luxury to test and take your time, without having to manage this task while your site is live. Simply clone your site, and make your changes locally, and then upload when you’re ready!
– Should you ever want to migrate your site elsewhere, such as a new web host, you’d be able to pull this off without a hitch, and also without having to disturb your old site until the new one was in place and ready to roll.
So what’s the best way to accomplish WordPress cloning? Out of all the possible choices that are available right now, which one is right for you personally and which path should you choose?
There are numerous ways to pull this off, and many of them involve copying and FTPing files, exporting and re-establishing databases and more. Some of these are very complicated, so it’s important that you go for the right one. If you are not of the technical persuasion, then you might want to look into using a plugin for WordPress backups.
This is my favorite method of WordPress cloning, and can get the job done with a few clicks. Restoring your site is also drop dead easy.
Just make sure you choose a plugin that is up to date with the current version and release of WordPress, and that you can schedule, restore and clone.