Overview
You can easily transfer any WordPress site to DreamPress that was created using the DreamHost WordPress installer.
Should you upgrade or import your site?
If you want to test your site before upgrading it to DreamPress, you can first create a temporary dream.press domain and import your DreamHost WordPress install into it. View the following articles for details:
- Importing an existing WordPress Install into DreamPress
- Creating a DreamPress temporary domain
- Changing the name of a DreamPress domain
If you do not need to test your site first, proceed to the following instructions to upgrade it directly to DreamPress.
What happens to my current hosting plan when upgrading?
If your WordPress site is on a Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plan, upgrading to DreamPress only adds a new DreamPress plan. It does not remove your old hosting plan, which means you'll still be paying for the old plan as well as the new DreamPress plan.
If you have only one website, you can close your existing hosting plan since you will only be using the DreamPress plan going forward.
If you have multiple websites on the old hosting plan, you must keep it active.
Purchasing a DreamPress plan creates a new hosting plan that's billed separately from any other hosting plan you may have. Any previous balance on another hosting plan does not transfer to the new DreamPress plan.
Upgrading to DreamPress
If your current site is in a subdirectory such as example.com/blog, the site moves into the primary directory when upgraded to DreamPress. For example:
- example.com/blog
becomes - example.com
Also, any files currently in your primary directory will be deleted. Make sure to backup any necessary files before upgrading.
- Navigate to the Hosted Domains page and click the Upgrade to DreamPress link to the right of your domain.
- The main DreamPress page appears:
- Click the Get Started button.
- The 'Add a DreamPress' page opens where you can choose which domain to use:
- Click the Domains on Account toggle link, and then select a DreamHost-hosted domain from the drop-down list (shown as "WordPress" next to a domain).
If you need to create a temporary domain, use a dream.press domain. View the following article for details:
- When finished selecting a WordPress domain, scroll to the Term section:
- Select either 'Annually' or 'Monthly' payment plan.
- Scroll to the Plan section, which shows you the various DreamPress features and pricing plans (DreamPress, Plus, and Pro). If you select Plus, you are also prompted to select a 'Disk Size' (either 60 GB or 80 GB):
- Select a plan type.
- Your selections are summarized within the 'Your Purchase' box on the right:
- When finished, click the Add New DreamPress button.
After you add DreamPress, a success message displays on your dashboard page confirming that DreamPress is added to your domain.
What if I don't have a DreamHost WordPress install?
If you're not using a DreamHost WordPress install, and wish to upgrade to DreamPress, you can contact support who will help you convert your existing WordPress site to a DreamHost WordPress install.
