How to Clone a WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin

We have come across some situations where you need to copy your WordPress database. For example, when you are setting up a staging environment to test new features, or when you are migrating your site to a new host.

You may want to create a backup before making major changes, or you may need to clone your site for development purposes. Whatever the reason, knowing how to copy a WordPress database is a valuable skill for any website owner or developer.

In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of duplicating a WordPress database using phpMyAdmin.

When You Might Need to Duplicate Your WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is a web application that helps website owners manage their databases. It has a user-friendly interface that allows you to perform various database-related tasks without using command line tools.

One of the uses of phpMyAdmin is to copy the WordPress database. It should be noted that for beginners, there are actually some easier ways to clone the WordPress database, such as using Duplicator . If you are more familiar with these methods, you can scroll down to the last section to check them out.

However, there are some situations in which you may wish to use phpMyAdmin:

• If you use a free migration plugin, it may not have features like database selection or advanced export/import options.
• If you encounter plugin conflicts, using phpMyAdmin can bypass any potential errors and ensure a clean database copy.
• For users who are familiar with database management, phpMyAdmin offers greater flexibility. You can perform tasks such as searching or replacing specific data in the database before importing, which may not be easily possible in plugins.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to duplicate a WordPress site’s database using phpMyAdmin. We’ll cover different methods, and you can quickly jump to each one using the links below:

• Method 1: Clone WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin
• Method 2: Export and Import WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin
• Alternative: Duplicate your WordPress database with Duplicator (for beginners)

Method 1: Clone WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin

This method is suitable if you want to manually create backups or set up a staging environment for testing updates and changes.

First, you’ll need to open your WordPress hosting control panel. For this tutorial, we’re using Bluehost . Your control panel may look slightly different than our screenshots, but the steps will be mostly the same.

If you use Bluehost, you can navigate to the ‘Websites’ tab. Then, find your website and click on the ‘Settings’ button.

At this stage, you will find various menus and settings to manage your website and hosting.

Here, find the “Quick Links” section and click on “phpMyAdmin”.

Now you are in your web host’s phpMyAdmin interface. From here, simply click on the “Databases” tab at the top and select your WordPress database from the list of databases.

If you are unsure of your database name, it is the name you entered when you first installed WordPress. You can also find it in your wp-config.php file if you have forgotten.

Next, you will see a list of your WordPress database tables.

From this page, just click on the Actions tab in the top menu.

This is where you will copy the database. Go ahead and scroll down to the section called "Copy the database to".

In the blank field, simply rename the database. Then, make sure the Structure and Data box is checked. This option will copy both the structure and data of the database.

In addition, the option "Create database before copying" should be checked. This will automatically create a new database to store the copied data.

Keep the rest of the settings as they are. Next just click on “Start” at the bottom.

![How to Clone a WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin](http://127.0.0.1:85/uploads/image/202507/ac/f2093cf5cc3cf7c3.jpg "The "Copy Database To" section on phpMyAdmin")

That’s it! Your database has been cloned successfully.

Thereafter, you can navigate to the newly copied database by clicking on the new database name on the left panel.

Method 2: Export and Import WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin

The second method is the best option if your hosting company does not allow users to create databases directly from phpMyAdmin. This may be the case if you are using a shared hosting service that restricts certain permissions for security reasons.

In this case, you may not see the Copy database to section in the Actions tab. To copy the database, you can use the Export method.

Essentially, you will export the database SQL file, set up a new database, and then import that database into the new setup.

The first step is to access phpMyAdmin and select your WordPress database, just like we did in the previous method. Then, in the top menu, click on the Export button.

Here you need to select Custom - show all possible options in the Export method section.

Once you are done, simply scroll to the Output section and select the Save output to file option. This will ensure that your database is exported as a SQL file.

For the rest of the settings, you can leave them as is.

Now you just have to scroll down to the bottom and click Export.

Your browser will now download your WordPress database as a .sql file.

Next, you need to create a new database to import this file into. This database can be located on the new web hosting server where you want to migrate your website .

To do this, you’ll need to open your hosting control panel’s database settings. If you’re using Bluehost, you can simply return to your control panel, find your website, and click the “Settings” button.

Now, switch to the Advanced tab.

Then, find the cPanel option and select “Management”.

In cPanel, simply go to the Databases section.

After that, click on MySQL Databases.

On this page, you need to fill in the new database name. In our example, we _copyused after the original database name to differentiate between the old name and the newly copied one.

After that, just click on the Create Database button.

Now that we have created a new database, let's assign it to a MySQL user.

Continue scrolling down to the “Add User to Database” section and select a MySQL username from the drop-down menu. Make sure the new database you just created is selected in the “Database” field.

When you are finished, click Add.

You will now be redirected to the Manage User Permissions page.

If you want full control over the database, just check the All Permissions option.

![How to Clone a WordPress Database Using phpMyAdmin](http://127.0.0.1:85/uploads/image/202507/ac/bf016795b1a0b708.png "Check the "All Privileges" option when adding a new MySQL user on cPanel")

Then, go all the way to the bottom of the page and click “Make Changes.”

Your newly created database is now ready.

Let's go ahead and open phpMyAdmin again and select the database you just created in cPanel.

After entering the database, you will see that the database is empty and there is no table like the following:

To proceed, simply go to the “Import” tab from the top menu.

Here, click on the “Choose File” button to select the .sql file you downloaded earlier.

Once you’re done, scroll down to the bottom and click the “Import” button.

phpMyAdmin will now upload the file from your computer and import it into your database.

That’s it! You have successfully imported your duplicate database.

Alternative: Duplicate your WordPress database with Duplicator (for beginners)

As mentioned earlier, this phpMyAdmin method is just one way to copy a WordPress database.

But it is undeniable that this method is not friendly to beginners. If you prefer to use a plugin, then you can use Duplicator . This plugin allows you to create custom backup packages for your WordPress database.

Additionally, there is a one-click button to instantly restore your WordPress site’s files.

Optimize your WordPress experience with these guidelines

Want more tips for improving your WordPress management? Check out these articles:

• How to Optimize Your WordPress Database Size in 10 Minutes or Less
• How to Delete Custom Field Values ​​from WordPress Database
• How to Fix WordPress Database Errors
• How to Use WordPress Advanced Database Cleanup Plugin – Tutorial

We hope this article helped you learn how to duplicate a WordPress database using phpMyAdmin.

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