How to Clone a WordPress Website on Hostinger in 2026

Cloning a WordPress website means creating a separate copy of an existing website, including its files, database, themes, plugins, and content. You might want to do this when launching another website, creating a copy for a client, moving a design to a new domain, or using an existing website as a starting point for a new project.

If your website is hosted on Hostinger, you can use its built-in Copy Website feature to duplicate a WordPress installation to another domain or subdomain within the same hosting plan. You can also use a plugin or manually copy your website files and database.

1. What Is WordPress Website Cloning?

WordPress website cloning is the process of duplicating an existing WordPress website so that another copy can run independently at a different location.

A complete WordPress website contains more than the pages visitors see. It also includes the files and database that power the website.

For example, imagine that your original website is hosted at example.com. You want to create another copy at newexample.com. After cloning, both websites can be managed separately, and changes made to one do not automatically update the other.

2. Why Clone a WordPress Website?

There are several reasons to create a copy of a WordPress website. The right method depends on what you want to do with the duplicate.

Create another website using an existing design

If you already have a WordPress website with a design and structure you like, cloning it can provide a starting point for another project. You can then replace the content, images, branding, and settings.

Duplicate a website for a client

Web developers and agencies can use an existing website as a template when creating similar websites for different clients. Each copy can be customized for its own domain and requirements.

Move a website to another domain

If you want to use the same website on a different domain while keeping the original website available, cloning can create a separate copy at the new address.

Create a reusable website template

You can create a basic WordPress website with your preferred theme, plugins, and page structure, then duplicate it whenever you start a similar project.

Prepare a separate testing environment

A copy of your website can also be useful for testing, but if your main goal is to experiment and later publish changes back to the original website, Hostinger's dedicated staging feature is usually more appropriate.

3. WordPress Cloning vs Staging vs Migration

Cloning, staging, and migration are related processes, but they are not interchangeable. Choosing the correct option helps you avoid unnecessary work and accidental data loss.

4. Requirements Before Cloning a WordPress Website on Hostinger

Before using Hostinger's built-in Copy Website feature, make sure your hosting account and destination website meet the requirements.

Which Hostinger plan supports Copy Website?

Hostinger's current documentation lists the Copy Website feature for Premium web hosting and higher. The source and destination websites must be within the same hosting plan for this built-in workflow.

This requirement is different from the built-in WordPress staging feature, which is available on eligible Business hosting plans and higher.

5. How to Clone a WordPress Website Using Hostinger Copy Website

Hostinger's Copy Website feature is the simplest method when you want to duplicate a WordPress website to another domain or subdomain on the same hosting plan.

Step 1: Log in to Hostinger hPanel

Visit the Hostinger website and log in to your account.

After logging in, open the Websites section. You will see the websites associated with your hosting account.

Step 2: Open the original WordPress website

Find the WordPress website you want to duplicate. Hover over the website and select Manage site to open its dashboard.

Make sure you select the correct source website, especially if you manage multiple WordPress installations.

Step 3: Open Copy Website

In the left-hand sidebar, locate the WordPress section. Select:

WordPress → Copy Website

The Copy Website interface will open. Hostinger automatically identifies the current website as the source website in the Copy from field.

Step 4: Select the destination domain

Open the destination dropdown and select the domain or subdomain where you want to create the duplicate.

For example:

The destination must already be added to the same hosting plan and should be the root domain or a subdomain, not a specific folder inside another website.

Step 5: Start copying the website

After selecting the destination domain, click Start copying.

If the destination contains existing website data, Hostinger displays a warning explaining that the current destination content will be overwritten.

If you have already backed up the destination and are ready to replace it, confirm the warning and select the option to start copying anyway.

Step 6: Wait for the cloning process

Hostinger will copy the source website's files and database to the destination. It also updates internal links and database references so the duplicate works with its new domain.

The process can take up to approximately 15 minutes, depending on website size and complexity. You can reload the Copy Website page to check the status.

Step 7: Open the cloned website

Once the copy is complete, visit the destination domain in your browser.

You should see the duplicated WordPress website. You can now access its WordPress Admin dashboard and manage the new installation independently.

6. How to Check Your Cloned WordPress Website

After cloning, do not assume that the website is ready simply because the homepage opens. Check the important parts of the duplicate before using it for a new project or sharing it with visitors.

Check the destination domain

Open the new domain and confirm that it loads the copied website. If it does not open, check the domain's DNS configuration and whether it is correctly connected to your Hostinger hosting plan.

Check pages and navigation

Open the homepage, important pages, blog posts, menus, and internal links. Confirm that the website is using the new domain rather than linking visitors back to the original website unintentionally.

Check images and media

Open pages containing images, videos, and downloadable files. Confirm that media loads correctly and that there are no missing image references.

Check WordPress Admin

Visit the new website's WordPress login page and confirm that you can access its dashboard.

The login address normally follows this format:

https://newexample.com/wp-admin

Check plugins and themes

Open Plugins and Appearance in the WordPress dashboard. Check whether the required plugins and theme are active and working properly.

Check forms and external integrations

Test contact forms, email notifications, analytics, payment services, and other integrations. Some services may require you to update domain settings, API credentials, or license information after cloning.

7. How to Clone WordPress Using a Plugin

If the built-in Hostinger Copy Website feature is unavailable or you need another cloning workflow, you can use a WordPress migration or duplication plugin.

Plugins such as Duplicator and All-in-One WP Migration provide ways to package and transfer a WordPress website.

General plugin-based cloning process

8. How to Clone a WordPress Website Manually

Manual cloning is useful when you need more control over the transfer or want to copy a WordPress website without relying on an automated cloning plugin.

This method requires access to Hostinger File Manager, database management tools, and WordPress configuration files. It is more technical than using Copy Website.

Step 1: Create a complete backup

Before changing anything, create a backup of the original website's files and database. Download the backup copies and keep them in a safe location.

A complete WordPress copy requires both parts:

• Website files, including WordPress core, themes, plugins, and uploads.
• The WordPress database, containing posts, pages, settings, users, and other website information.

Step 2: Prepare the destination domain

Add the destination domain or subdomain to your Hostinger hosting plan. Make sure it points to the correct hosting account.

Open File Manager and identify the document root for the new domain. On many primary WordPress installations, this is public_html, but the destination website may use a different directory.

Step 3: Copy the WordPress files

Download the original website files using Hostinger File Manager or an FTP client. Upload the files to the destination website's document root.

Make sure the destination contains the required WordPress folders and files, including:

• wp-admin
• wp-content
• wp-includes
• wp-config.php

Step 4: Create a new database

Open Hostinger's database management section and create a separate database for the cloned website. Create or assign a database user with the required permissions.

Keep the following information available:

• Database name
• Database username
• Database password
• Database host or server address

Step 5: Export and import the database

Open phpMyAdmin for the original WordPress database. Select the database and use the Export option to download an SQL backup.

Next, open phpMyAdmin for the new destination database and import the SQL file.

Make sure you import the backup into the new database rather than the original production database.

Step 6: Update wp-config.php

Open the wp-config.php file in the destination website's root directory. Find the database configuration values and replace them with the new database credentials.

The relevant settings look like this:

define('DB_NAME', 'new_database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'new_database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'new_database_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Use the actual database host supplied by Hostinger. Do not assume that every hosting environment uses the same value.

Step 7: Update the website URL

When a WordPress website moves to a different domain, the old domain may still appear in its database. The site URL and internal references need to be updated so the cloned website works correctly at the destination.

Use a WordPress-aware search-and-replace tool that supports serialized data. Avoid running a basic database text replacement because WordPress stores some values in serialized formats that can break if their stored lengths are not updated correctly.

Advanced users with WP-CLI access can preview a domain replacement using a command like this:

wp search-replace 'https://old-domain.com' 'https://new-domain.com' --skip-columns=guid --dry-run

Replace the example domains with your actual addresses. Review the dry-run output before applying any changes. When you are confident the replacements are correct, run the command again without --dry-run.

Step 8: Test the cloned website

Open the destination domain and check whether the website loads correctly. If you see a database connection error, check the credentials in wp-config.php.

Also review the WordPress dashboard, internal links, images, SSL certificate, and important website features.

9. Common WordPress Cloning Problems on Hostinger

Cloning a WordPress website can sometimes produce errors because of domain settings, database configuration, insufficient resources, or incorrect file transfers.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

Editorial note: Hostinger's dashboard labels, plan eligibility, and website-copying features may change. The built-in Copy Website workflow applies to supported WordPress installations within the same hosting plan. Review the confirmation message and destination details before starting a copy.