Cloning your WordPress website is useful when you want to test new themes, plugins, or updates without risking your live site. While plugins can make cloning easier, not everyone wants to rely on them especially if a plugin is the reason for errors or you want full control.

In this article, we’ll show you how to manually clone your WordPress site using only cPanel tools, step by step. No plugins, no third-party services  just what’s already available in your hosting account.

Why You Might Want to Clone Your Site

• To test a new theme before applying it live

• To troubleshoot plugin conflicts in a safe environment

• To develop a new feature without affecting visitors

• To create a staging version for training or experimentation

Step 1: Create a Subdomain (Optional, but Recommended)

Cloning a site into a subdomain like test.yourdomain.com helps you keep things separate.

To create a subdomain in cPanel:

1. Log in to cPanel

2. Go to Domains section
   

3. Click Create A New Domain
   
   

4. Enter your subdomain (e.g., blog.yourdomain.com)

5. Ensure “Share Document Root” is unchecked

6. cPanel will auto-assign a document root like /public_html/blog


This folder is where your cloned site will live.

Step 2: Copy All Website Files to the New Folder

Now you’ll duplicate your WordPress files into the new subdomain or folder.

Steps:

1. In cPanel, open File Manager
   
   

2. Go to /public_html/ (or wherever your current site is located)
   

3. Select all WordPress files and folders

4. Click Copy

5. In the popup, set the destination as /public_html/test/ (or the subdomain folder you created)
   

6. Wait for the copy to finish

Your new folder should now contain a duplicate of your entire WordPress installation.

Step 3: Export Your WordPress Database

You’ll now export the database associated with your current site.

Steps:

1. Go back to cPanel

2. Open phpMyAdmin
   
   

3. Select your live WordPress database (from the left sidebar)
   

4. Click the Export tab on top
   

5. Choose Quick export method and format as SQL
   
   

6. Click Go to download the .sql file

Step 4: Create a New Database for the Clone

You need a new database for the cloned site to function separately.

Steps:

1. In cPanel, go to MySQL® Databases
   
   

2. Create a new database (e.g., test_wpdb)
   

3. Create a new MySQL user
   
   

4. Assign the user to the new database and give All Privileges
   
   

Note down the:

• New database name

• Username

• Password

You’ll need these in the next step.

Step 5: Import the Database into the New One

Now, you’ll populate the new database with the exported .sql file.

Steps:

1. Open phpMyAdmin again

2. Click the new database you created

3. Go to the Import tab

4. Choose the .sql file you exported earlier

5. Click Go

After a few seconds, your new database will contain all the data from your original site.

Step 6: Edit wp-config.php for the Cloned Site

Now, make sure your cloned files use the new database.

Steps:

1. In File Manager, go to your cloned site folder (/public_html/test/)

2. Find the file wp-config.php

3. Right-click > Edit

4. Update the following lines:

5. Save changes

Now your cloned site is connected to its own database.

Step 7: Fix URLs in the Database (Optional but Recommended)

By default, WordPress will still reference the original site URL (e.g., yourdomain.com). You can fix this by updating the URL in the cloned database.

Using phpMyAdmin:

1. Open phpMyAdmin > new database

2. Go to the wp_options table

3. Change the values for:

   • siteurl

   • home

4. Replace with your cloned site’s URL (e.g., https://test.yourdomain.com)

Step 8: Test the Cloned Site

Visit the URL of your cloned site (e.g., https://test.yourdomain.com).

You should see an exact copy of your live site but in a safe testing environment.

Bonus: Secure Your Cloned Site

Since it’s only for testing, you might not want it to be visible publicly.

Use cPanel’s Directory Privacy (password protection):

• Go to File Manager

• Right-click the test folder

• Choose Password Protect

• Set a username and password

Final Thoughts

Cloning your WordPress site manually using cPanel is completely doable even for non-technical users and doesn’t require plugins. With a few careful steps, you can test updates, troubleshoot issues, or redesign without any risk to your main website.