Moving a blog from Google Blogger (Blogspot) to self-hosted WordPress is one of those projects that looks simple on paper and gets messy in practice. I have helped with (and personally run) Blogger and WordPress setups for more than a decade. The goal is always the same: keep your content, keep your images, and keep the organic traffic you already earned.
This guide walks through a complete, safe migration. You will see the classic XML import method that many older tutorials still teach, plus a cleaner approach using MigraSync, which handles posts, pages, comments, categories, images, and 301 redirects in one flow. Use whichever path fits your time and technical comfort.
Quick honesty: Blogger gadgets and custom Blogger theme XML do not import into WordPress. WordPress uses its own themes and plugins. Everything else (posts, pages, media, comments, and URL mapping) can move cleanly if you plan the SEO steps.
Should you move from Blogger to WordPress?
Both platforms publish posts and pages, support labels or categories, and can look polished with a good theme. Blogger wins on cost and simplicity. WordPress wins on control: hosting choice, plugin ecosystem, performance tuning, memberships, ecommerce, and long-term ownership of your files and database.
If you are happy on Blogger and do not need advanced features, staying is fine. If you want full control, better customization, and a stack you can grow for years, WordPress is the better long-term home. COMPROMATH has covered starting on Blogger and WordPress hosting for bloggers separately if you are still deciding.
Two ways to migrate (pick one)
Option A: MigraSync (recommended for most blogs)
MigraSync connects your Google account and imports Blogger posts, pages, comments (including nested replies), categories, and images into your WordPress Media Library. After import, its SEO 301 Redirect Manager maps old Blogger URLs to your new WordPress permalinks so rankings and backlinks keep working.
I built MigraSync after years of watching the classic Blogger Importer leave blogs with external image URLs, incomplete media, and redirect chores that people forget until Search Console starts showing 404s. If you want the migration done carefully without stitching five plugins together, start here: migrasync.com.
Option B: Classic XML export + Blogger Importer
This is the free, manual route. You export an XML file from Blogger, import it with the WordPress.org Blogger Importer, then fix images, featured images, and redirects yourself. It still works for small blogs. It gets painful when your export is over 20MB, your media stays on Blogger’s CDN, or you have hundreds of posts to mop up.
The rest of this article covers shared prep steps first, then both paths, then the go-live and SEO checklist that applies either way.
1. Back up Blogger posts, images, and videos
Do this before you touch DNS or make the Blogger blog private. A local backup is your safety net, even if you later migrate with a plugin.
- Open Blogger → Settings
- Click Back up content to download posts and pages as an XML file
- Download Videos from your blog if you hosted video in Blogger
- Download Media from your blog for images
2. Back up your Blogger theme (optional but smart)
You cannot drop a Blogger theme XML into WordPress. Theme systems are completely different. Still, keep a theme backup if you want a designer to recreate layout, colors, or typography later.
- Go to Blogger → Theme
- Open the menu (arrow) and choose Backup
Most people pick a fresh WordPress theme instead of cloning the old design. Keep colors and navigation familiar so returning readers do not feel lost. If you need a custom rebuild, contact COMPROMATH.
3. Save gadget and widget code by hand
Analytics snippets, ad units, and custom HTML gadgets do not migrate. Copy anything important into a plain text file. After WordPress is live, recreate them under Appearance → Widgets or your theme’s equivalent (block widgets / Custom HTML).
4. Choose WordPress hosting
You need reliable hosting with easy WordPress install, SSL, and ideally staging. Budget hosts vary a lot in speed and support. Read COMPROMATH’s guide to WordPress hosting for bloggers before you buy, then finish this migration article so you know what features you actually need (staging and backups matter more than fancy marketing pages).
Compare WordPress blog hosting
5. Build WordPress on staging first
Never point your live domain at a half-finished migration. Install WordPress on a staging URL, import content there, fix permalinks and redirects, then switch DNS when the site looks right.
Many cPanel hosts use Softaculous. Look for the staging option after WordPress is installed. Some hosts require a real domain first. Others, like DreamHost, let you start on a free subdomain (for example yoursite.dreamhosters.com) which is useful while you prepare.
6. Install WordPress and pick a theme
On staging, install WordPress, then install your theme:
- Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New
- Upload a premium zip or install a free theme from wordpress.org
- Activate it and set your logo, menus, and homepage basics later
A solid free theme is fine to start. Premium themes can save time on layout and performance if you want a more polished result. Browse carefully on ThemeForest and avoid bloated multipurpose packs you will never use.
7. Set permalinks before you import
Go to Settings → Permalinks and choose a clean structure (Post name is the usual choice). Set this before importing so new posts get the URLs you want. Redirects will map old Blogger addresses onto these permalinks.
Path A: Migrate with MigraSync
This is the path I recommend if your blog has meaningful traffic or a large archive.
- On your staging WordPress site, install and activate MigraSync per the product setup guide.
- Connect your Google account that owns the Blogger blog.
- Run the Blogger to WordPress migration. MigraSync imports posts, pages, comments, categories, and pulls images into your Media Library.
- Let the SEO 301 Redirect Manager map Blogger URLs to your WordPress permalinks when the migration finishes.
- Spot-check several posts: content, images, comments, categories, and a few old Blogger URLs (they should 301 to the new post).
That single flow replaces the fragile combo of “split a giant XML file + outdated importer + image downloader plugin + separate redirection plugin.” Details and plans live on the official site: https://migrasync.com/.
Start a Blogger to WordPress migration with MigraSync
Path B: Classic XML import (manual)
Use this if your export is small and you are comfortable fixing leftovers by hand.
Prepare the XML file
If your Blogger XML is under about 20MB, you can usually import it in one pass. Larger files often fail with the official importer. Split the file into smaller chunks, or paste posts manually if the archive is huge and you do not trust random “XML splitter” tools.
Stick with the official Blogger Importer from WordPress.org. Avoid obscure third-party importers. Security history in the WordPress ecosystem has shown how risky shady theme and plugin vendors can be.
Import posts and pages
- Install and activate Blogger Importer
- Confirm permalinks under Settings → Permalinks
- Upload your XML (or each split file, one at a time)
- Map authors if prompted
Pull images onto your hosting
After a classic import, many images still point at Blogger. That is fragile: if Google changes media URLs or you make the Blogger blog private, posts can break.
For a small site, edit key posts and re-upload images into the Media Library. For a larger archive, plugins such as Auto Upload Images can help by saving remote images when you update posts. Always test on staging first.
Fix featured images
Featured images may be missing or inconsistent after import. Set them manually in the editor sidebar, or use a helper like Auto Featured Image to assign the first image in each post. Review important posts yourself. Automated tools make mistakes.
Add 301 redirects
Blogger and WordPress URL patterns differ. Without redirects, old Google results and backlinks hit 404 pages. With the manual path, install something like the Redirection plugin and map old Blogger URLs to the matching WordPress posts.
If redirects and media ownership are the parts you dread, that is exactly why Path A exists. MigraSync’s redirect manager is built for this cutover.
8. Recreate widgets and site chrome
Paste the gadget code you saved earlier into WordPress widgets or theme settings. Then set:
- Primary navigation
- Logo and site icon (favicon)
- Footer and sidebar content
- Homepage and blog index behavior under Settings → Reading
Click through the site on staging. Fix broken embeds and formatting before you touch DNS.
9. Point your domain from staging to live
When staging looks good, connect the domain you used on Blogger (or a new domain) to your WordPress host.
- At your domain registrar, update nameservers to the values your host provides
- Wait for DNS to propagate (often 1 to 3 hours, sometimes up to 48)
- Promote staging to live using your host’s tools, or update WordPress Address and Site Address under Settings → General if that is how your host documents the cutover
Some hosts include a free domain with certain plans. Others charge a modest yearly fee. Confirm SSL is active on the live domain before you announce the move.
10. Make the old Blogger blog private
Once WordPress is live on your domain and redirects work, retire the public Blogger copy so it does not compete with your new site.
- Blogger → Settings
- Under reader access, set the blog to Private
- Remove the custom domain from Blogger if it is still attached
Keep your local XML and media backups. Do not delete the Blogger account the same day you go live. Give Search Console a week or two to settle.
11. Update internal links and run a final check
Search your posts for leftover staging URLs or old Blogspot links. Update menus and footer links. Test on mobile. Confirm forms, comments, analytics, and ads. Then install a sensible plugin stack (one SEO plugin, one security layer, one cache solution). COMPROMATH’s notes on recommended WordPress plugins are a starting point. Avoid stacking three tools that do the same job.
12. Tell Google: Search Console + sitemap
After the move:
- Confirm property ownership in Google Search Console
- Submit your updated XML sitemap
- Use URL Inspection on the homepage and a few key posts, then request indexing
- Watch Coverage and the Page indexing report for spikes in 404s, then fix any missed redirects
After migration: protect the WordPress site
A migration is not finished when the content appears. You now own a server-side CMS. Schedule offsite backups. MigraSync also offers encrypted WordPress cloud backups (database, media, themes, plugins) with guided restore if something breaks later. That matters as much as the import itself once you are live.
Explore migration and backup options at migrasync.com.
Migration checklist (print this)
- Blogger XML + media downloaded
- Hosting + staging WordPress ready
- Theme installed, permalinks set
- Content imported (MigraSync or XML path)
- Images on your host, not only on Blogger
- 301 redirects covering old Blogger URLs
- Widgets, menus, logo, analytics restored
- Domain live with SSL
- Old Blogger blog set to private
- Search Console sitemap submitted
- Offsite WordPress backups scheduled
Final thoughts
A Blogger to WordPress move is less about clicking Import and more about ownership: your files, your URLs, and your rankings. Take staging seriously. Treat redirects as non-negotiable. Choose the import method that matches your archive size and patience.
If you want the shortest reliable path, use MigraSync for content, media, comments, and SEO redirects, then finish with DNS, a private Blogger blog, and Search Console. If you prefer full manual control on a small blog, the classic XML route still works when you finish the media and redirect cleanup yourself.
Questions about a specific blog size or custom domain setup? Reach out via the COMPROMATH contact page. And once you are on WordPress, keep learning with COMPROMATH’s tutorials and tech guides.
Disclosure: MigraSync is built by the COMPROMATH founder. Recommendations here reflect real migration pain points from years of Blogger and WordPress work, not a one-click sales pitch.
