How to Import Demo Data In WordPress

Sometimes, you don’t want to build a website from scratch. Or you’ve seen a theme that fits with your vision for how your website should look. Several sites provide free and paid themes, like Envato and Themeforest. After buying and/or downloading your desired theme, it is easy to install and import demo data in WordPress.

When buying a theme, check that it includes documentation, licenses, and a demo. These will make it easy to import the whole site. Any theme you buy or download will contain all the plugins needed for the theme to function properly.

After buying the theme:

• You’ll receive a download link for all the files and documentation needed to install and customize the theme. Included is a link to the theme documentation. This documentation will provide step-by-step guidance on editing themes.

• Install and activate the All-in-one Migration plugin. As discussed in another post, I think this is the best plugin to install themes with ease. This plugin can also help you back up your current theme or website if you want to try a different theme.

• It’s time to install the demo. In the files you downloaded, there should be a .zip file. That contains the theme we’ll be importing. You don’t have to extract the .zip file so leave it as it is. You can either leave this window open so you can just drag and drop the file into the importer, or copy the file path to use later.

• After activating the All-in-one Migration plugin, check the options panel for the plugin name, and hover your mouse on it to reveal more options. Click on Import.

• Now select the source you’re importing the site. You can upload from a vast list of accepted locations. Click on “File” from the options. Choosing “File” means you’re uploading a file from your PC. If you have a site in your dropbox or Google Drive, you can select that.

• A new File Explorer window will pop up. Open the file location of the .zip file and select it. You can also drag and drop the theme file onto the space provided for a quicker upload.

• A dialogue box will appear, warning you about the new theme overwriting the entire website. This will wipe out everything including previous databases, media, previous themes, and plugins. Your blog posts are however safe. Click on Proceed to begin the import process.

• The bigger the import demo size, the longer you will need to wait for the import to complete. Do not close the window (i.e. your browser) while the website is being imported. This will cause the import to fail.

• Once it’s done, your website is ready. You can choose to view the website now or do that later. The only thing left to do is update your permalinks. Hover on Settings and click on Permalinks. You don’t need to change the structure, click on Save to update it.

At this point, you have imported your website. Go ahead and customize and personalize it for your business or personal use. You can also use this procedure to install a backup of your website.