Scope: Prime Mover Free / Pro version
What is the complete list of files migrated or backed up?
If you choose the complete export mode, which is “Export database, media files, plugins, and themes.”, it will export the following:
- Database of your site. (one SQL file), You can encrypt this database using the PRO version.
- All files in your
wp-content/uploadsdirectory for a single site orwp-content/uploads/sites/[blog_id]in case of a multisite subsite. You can exclude files in the PRO version. You can also encrypt all these media files in the PRO version. - All activated plugins for that site (including network-activated plugins if you are in a multisite) are exported. You can exclude these plugins in the PRO version for both single-site and multisite. You can also encrypt plugin files for security reasons and to avoid code tampering.
- The site’s current activated theme (parent theme or parent theme + child theme if both are used). In the PRO version, you can choose to encrypt both parent and child themes for the best security.
It does not currently include the following:
- WordPress core files. This is not needed since most WordPress installations assume they are using the latest version for security reasons.
- All files outside your WordPress installation. For example, you have a custom directory created outside your WordPress installation that is NOT in the site uploads directory.
wp-config.phpOf the site. This is not needed since it will always use the wp-config.php of the target site..htaccessor any other server configurations (such as in nginx, etc.)—this is also not needed since it will always use the target site server configurations for maximum compatibility.
Does Prime Mover allow for automatic or scheduled backups?
Yes, but you must upgrade to Prime Mover PRO 2.0 or higher. This new feature works on both multisite and single-site WordPress environments. Check out the documentation to learn how it works and how to use it.
Can this migrate or back up the multisite main/primary site?
Since Prime Mover version 1.2.2, it can now support backup and migration on the multisite main site. This is only available with the PRO version.
But take note that the free version allows backup and migration for any number of multisite sub-sites!
Can this be used to migrate an entire multisite network?
No, the Prime Mover plugin can only import one site or subsite at a time. This feature will be added in a future release.
Is there a way to speed up export and import?
Yes, sure, you can enable turbo mode, which works for both export and import. Note that not all hosts can support this, which is why this feature is disabled by default.
What are Prime Mover’s technical requirements?
Please refer to the plugin’s minimum technical requirements.
How do you restore large packages using the Free version?
Please read this tutorial for details.
When migrating a multisite to another multisite, do the source subsite and target subsite blog IDs need to be the same?
Please read this FAQ details.
I cannot activate the license or have errors activating the license.
Please read this tutorial for details.
Prime Mover plugin got deactivated anytime I activate it, is this normal?
Yes, Prime Mover ensures that it can only be activated on sites that meet the minimum requirements. So, it will auto-deactivate if it detects missing requirements. You should be able to determine the missing requirements since it will output an error admin notice. You can fix it (e.g., are there permission issues, etc.) or check with your web host. If there is no administrative error notice, please get in touch with us to check on it.
I want to purchase; how many licenses do I need?
Please read our licensing guide for details.
Does this plugin work in localhost?
Yes, of course. You can migrate or do backups at localhost. And then migrate to a remote server and vice versa.
When downloading my packages, I got a “Secure Connection Failed” error in Firefox.
Try downloading the packages using the Chrome browser. Or, much better, you can download your package via SFTP or use your hosting file manager.
I can’t download the WPRIME package because it hangs or has errors. Is there any other way?
Yes, please look into this guide. You can also download the package via SFTP or a file manager.
Does this plugin work with any hosting companies?
Yes. This plugin also supports both Linux and Windows server environments. If you find a host that does not work with Prime Mover, please send us a bug ticket so we can investigate right away.
How do you cancel ongoing exports and try again?
To correctly cancel an ongoing export and try the export again – please read this detailed tutorial.
Do I need to adjust my PHP upload parameters for large packages?
Updated solution: Please check out this recent tutorial.
This is not required. Prime Mover is designed to cope with limited PHP upload parameters. So, even if your package size is 60 MB and your server’s PHP max upload file size is only 2MB (PHP default, and you are on shared hosting—can not change), Prime Mover will still work.
Prime Mover will automatically slice your package into 2MB upload sessions until it is uploaded completely. It even checks if you have a slower connection and slices it lower, as your connection can only allow so much without sending too much to the server.
I got the runtime error “Main extraction Failed: No error” in Windows / Microsoft IIS. What’s the workaround?
This is caused by a Windows limitation relating to the number of characters in the file path (the path inside the package is included). Please read this guide for the complete workaround and solution.
I want to avail free trial or purchase a license, how many licenses do I need?
First, we thank you for your interest in purchasing a plugin license. It helps the plugin author find a sustainable livelihood!
We always recommend starting with a 10-site license if you are migrating from a WordPress multisite to a single site or vice versa. This is one of the most popular plans.
This is the most flexible license and should work whether you are planning to use the plugin on a single-site or multisite platform.
If you are really sure that you are only dealing with one WordPress single site (no multi sites at all or multiple single sites in different hosts!), then you can start with a single-site license only.
If you are a WordPress site development business, web agency, or pro-site developer/designer who is migrating/developing/deploying a large number of sites, whether multisite or single site, then we recommend an unlimited site license. This way, you are not restricted to the number of sites you can install the license on.
For more details, please read the Prime Mover licensing guide. Click this link if you like to try the 14-day risk-free trial.
Should I adjust my server timeout settings to export or restore large sites?
It is not needed since Prime Mover defaults to a 15-second retry timeout. This means that Prime Mover has 15 seconds to process any task. If a process requires more than 15 seconds, it will exit and make another request that goes for another 15 seconds to continue the processing. This is repeated until the entire process is completed.
15 seconds should be enough to avoid common timeout settings, such as PHP’s default of 30 seconds or 60 seconds (or more, which is implemented by most hosts).
If 15 seconds is still not enough because, for some reason, you still hit the short timeout (e.g., your host has a strict 30-second timeout), you can set it shorter, like 10 seconds. Add this to your wp-config.php:
define('PRIME_MOVER_RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS', 10);
So, any process that is not completed within 10 seconds should exit and retry again. A 10-second retry should now appear before hitting a 30-second timeout.
I got an error saying that wp-config is not writable.
Since Prime Mover version 1.2.7, you can manually add constants to the config file (provided by your host or any other means to add those constants manually) if wp-config.php is not writable by the plugin.
Then, you should be able to re-activate and usually use Prime Mover. Please check this documentation using the plugin on sites restricting wp-config.php writing access.
What is a debug package?
The debug package is a Prime Mover package without media uploads, simplifying migration. It is ideal for developers needing to clone/migrate a site for WordPress debugging.
The debug package is not recommended for migrating complete sites (which means working/stable images, etc.). It does not handle images as it did in stable sites. It is only used for debugging/troubleshooting purposes.
What is the WPRIME file extension / archiving format?
Since version 1.1.5, Prime Mover archives using WPRIME file extension. This derivative of the Linux tarball (.tar) format follows its specifications. It’s customized to fit Prime Mover’s special archiving needs, such as encryption, decryption, file integrity checks, and storing particular metadata used during archiving.
This more robust archiving format performs better than the previous zip archiving format.
Will the free version be able to handle huge sites?
Yes, actually, supposing you have a fairly fast hosting server and ample hosting resources available (CPU, memory, disk space, etc.). Prime Mover should have no issues exporting big sites, even up to several GB, even using the free version.
If you also have a super-fast upload connection speed (e.g., 100 MBPS upload speed—please check with speed test), Prime Mover should have no issues uploading it to your target site. This is recommended up to 3.5 GB only. This is because of browser limitations, as some browsers will have issues uploading very large files.
If you fall into the following scenarios:
- Slow upload connection speed.
- Slow target site hosting server. (e.g., the limited shared host that restricts file size)
- Your package size is beyond 3.5 GB.
The best solution is to manually upload the package and then restore it within the Prime Mover package management page (in WordPress admin).
If the restore fails due to a server limitation and you want to manually migrate files (uploads directory, plugins/ themes), this tutorial could help.
Is there any way to speed up the migration process for default upload restoration?
Updated solution: You can check out this recent tutorial!
If your package is hosted on third-party sites like other websites or in cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., you can use the PRO feature “Remote URL restore.” This will speed up the process since it will fetch the package URL directly from the source and download it directly to your site. No need to download to your Desktop and upload again!
Will the free version restore encrypted packages created by the Pro version?
No, you need the PRO version to restore encrypted packages.
Why I’m only able to restore by uploads or via the backup page
You are using the Free version. In the Pro version, you should be able to restore the package via uploads and remote URLs and restore the package as a backup within your server or from DropBox.
How can I exclude some plugins from being included in the migration package?
The free version does not include a plugin exclusion feature, which is only available in the PRO version. This is the complete documentation of this feature.
How can I exclude some media files from the migration package?
The free version does not include a media files exclusion feature, which is only available in the PRO version. This is the complete documentation of this feature.
I got a runtime restore/import error on Windows: failed to open the stream, and no such file or directory exists.
Your package might contain invalid file names in Windows.
Is my package secure?
The free version saves the package path in your Prime Mover backup directory with randomized file names. The package is also protected with .htaccess in Apache, so there is no direct way for anyone to download it. However, the free version does not have encryption support, so anyone who can access your package can read the database and media files.
In the Pro version, there is optional encryption support to protect your database, media files, plugins, and theme files. Also, in the Pro version, you can move the backup directory outside the web root. This is highly recommended if data security is a concern.
How does this work in multisites?
Prime Mover supports multisite migrations (including FREE versions). This is done only on the network administration pages by super-administrators. The free and pro versions do not support giving this privilege to ordinary subsite administrators.
The migration mode can support (available in both Free and Pro versions):
- Single-site migration to Single-site
- Single-site migration to Multisite sub-site
- Multisite sub-site migrate to another Multisite sub-site (even using different blog IDs)
- Multisite sub-site migrate to Single-site.
Why must a blog ID be provided for a single site to multisite migration?
Prime Mover uses this blog ID to validate the site restoration. Without the blog ID, it is impossible to detect the target subsite in a multisite.
Are there any limitations to using this plugin?
It can be very slow if you are on shared hosting and migrating huge sites. The resources provided by your shared host (CPU, memory, requests, etc.) limit the plugin. Sometimes, these shared hosts are very restrictive in resources, which makes them unable to complete export or import for even any migration plugins. Even WordPress core operations themselves, like installing or updating big plugins from the repository- you will get errors).
Is this PHP 8.3 + compatible?
Yes, PHP 8.3+ is fully supported and highly recommended if your plugins and themes could also support it. But if you have doubts, Prime Mover is fully compatible with PHP 7.4 / 8.0 / 8.1, granting all of your site plugins/themes/custom code could support (strange if it’s not).
Prime Mover could still reliably run PHP 5.6+ (granting you are still using very old/outdated plugins/themes or have an ancient site that still supports it). We added this support so users can still migrate old sites to newer installations. We don’t recommend using PHP 5.6 – PHP 7.3 anymore as it’s outdated, slow, and not suggested by WordPress Core.
While restoring a site it freezes and no longer provide progress, is this normal?
Your internet connection might have been disconnected while you were doing an export or restore. As a result, the JS progress update is cut off (as it communicates from your browser to the server). Please clear your browser and make sure your connection is stable, then try again.
I saw some errors being logged during migration. Do I need to panic?
No. Due to the complex nature of restoration, you might see random errors as the site is not fully migrated yet. This is usually normal if the site does not encounter fatal runtime errors. It is recommended to wait until the migration is completed and check the site’s visual and functionality results. If the site appears broken, it’s time to look into these errors in detail.
I saw some 404 errors after migration. Do I need to worry?
No. You need to refresh the permalink by logging in to your WordPress admin -> Settings -> Permalinks. Simply click save (do not change any settings). This should resolve most 404 issues.
If you are using Litespeed servers with built-in caching + Cloudflare, you will experience incompatibility issues. To fix this, please check this tutorial.
The site got locked in maintenance mode. How to get out of maintenance mode?
In version 1.0.3+, we added a link for administrators to disable maintenance mode. Pasting the link in the browser address bar is no longer necessary. If you happen to be logged out, you should manually delete the option prime_mover_maintenance in the WordPress database options table.
If you are on a multisite, manually delete the .maintenance file like any stalled WordPress updates.
Error: Wrong import site package! Please check that the import package is correct for this site.
This is caused by an incompatible restore package. For example, you can restore a single-site package to a multisite server or vice versa, or you can restore a multisite package intended for another sub-site blog ID.
To fix this issue, make sure that:
- If you want to migrate to a WordPress single-site, create a single-site export and restore that single-site package to any WordPress single-site only. For example, make sure this is checked during export:
Then, restore this package ONLY to the single site.
- If you want to migrate to a WordPress multisite subsite with blog ID (e.g., 7), create a multisite package targeting blog ID 7. Restore that multisite package to only subsite blog ID 7. For example, you need to check export to multisite format and provide seven as the blog ID, e.g.
Then, this package will be restored only to the multisite sub-site with blog ID 7.
It does not matter if you create these packages at single-site or multisite. The only important thing is you make the correct package for your target destination (by providing the correct export type) (single site package for single site destination or multisite package for multisite destination)
Who is Freemius? Can I deactivate or remove Freemius?
We use Freemius as a licensing platform for the plugin pro version. It’s included in the free version, so any user can easily upgrade to the PRO version. You can choose to unsubscribe to any communications by Freemius after you have activated the free version. Just click “Skip” in the opt-in dialog. Freemius will not slow down your site or harvest personal details without your permission. If you have any questions related to Freemius, feel free to shoot a question to freemius.com.
How can I get support?
The free version of Prime Mover has community support in the WordPress.org forum. PRO and Free Trial customers can get faster/dedicated technical support through email. This can be done using the contact form within the plugin admin settings. If you want to send sensitive details to the plugin author only, please do so by using our contact page.
You can also get support directly from your WordPress admin. Simply head to Prime Mover -> Contact Us and send us a message or submit details. Make sure to add all necessary details (link to download package, WordPress logins, etc.) to help us resolve the problem quickly.
What is your support policy?
What is your refund policy?
Please read the refund policy.
Where can I ask Pre-sales Questions?
You can ask questions before you buy. Please click the link to our pre-sales questions page or via our contact page.
Last updated: November 11, 2024