Reprint: WordPress's Official Tool to Copy a Site

On November 13, 2026, WordPress.org introduced Reprint, a free, open-source tool that copies an entire WordPress site, files and database included, to another server or to your own computer. It is meant for moving hosts or testing changes on a copy. It is still at an early version.

What we know

What it is: according to the WordPress News announcement by Adam Zieliński, Reprint copies a site's files and database: theme, plugins, uploads and settings, not just posts and pages.
Where to get it: the announcement says it is available as a plugin in the WordPress.org directory, with a command-line client that makes the copy and an experimental, browser-based demo in WordPress Playground that copies a sample site.
How it copies: per the announcement, data is sent in pieces straight to the destination computer or server, with no third-party service and no need for the old host to build an archive of the whole site first. If the connection drops, the copy resumes from the last saved point. Repeat copies only transfer files that changed.
Links: when the copy gets a new address, Reprint updates links that point to the old one, including in settings, blocks, shortcodes, serialized data and custom fields, the announcement says.
Version and requirements: the WordPress.org plugin page shows version 0.11.8, tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, with 20+ active installations. On the source site it requires WordPress 4.7 and PHP 5.6.20 or later. The machine receiving the copy needs command-line PHP 7.4 or later.
What you need: the official guide says the plugin is installed on the source site with an administrator account, and the copy is created on the destination with a terminal program on macOS, Linux or Windows with WSL. SSH access to the source site is not needed, per the plugin page.
Database: the guide offers two options for the copy: SQLite, with no database server, or an empty MySQL database.

What changes and what doesn't

What changes is that WordPress now has a project-backed way to copy a complete site without relying on a commercial plugin or the host's own backup system. In practice, a large copy no longer requires building one huge archive on the source server first, which can be a problem on hosting with time or disk limits, and an interrupted copy does not have to start over.

The rest stays the same. The plugin page is clear that Reprint does not push changes made on the copy back to the original, that refreshing the database replaces data instead of merging it, and that if the source keeps changing during the transfer, the copied files and database are not one frozen snapshot. It is also not a point-and-click tool yet: it runs from the terminal. With a 0.x version and few installs, treat it as something new, not a long-proven method.

Is it for you, and what to check

Use it for what it is built for. It fits two jobs: moving your site to a new host, checking the copy before you switch the domain, and testing a WordPress update, a new plugin or a design change on a copy before touching the live site.
Check the requirements on both ends. On your site you need an administrator account and the ability to install plugins. On the destination, PHP 7.4 or later from the command line. If someone else maintains your site, or your host does, ask whether they can use it or prefer their own method.
Take a backup first. Reprint copies your site, but it does not replace your regular backup. Have a recent one before any host move.
Disconnect anything that sends real things. The plugin page itself warns that plugins on the copy may still be connected to live email or payment services. On a test copy, turn off outgoing email, payment gateways and other external connections before you try anything.
Treat the copy as sensitive data. According to the plugin page, a copy can include private content, personal data, users' password hashes and configuration secrets. Store it securely, and revoke the client's access in the plugin when you no longer need it.
When moving, pause writes at the end. The plugin page recommends pausing changes on the source before the final copy: orders, uploads and any other writes. Run the last copy at a quiet time and switch the domain right after.
Don't leave the copy open to Google. If the copy lives on a server reachable from the internet, password-protect it or block indexing. A second public version of your site competes with the original in search.

Sources

Updates: if Reprint leaves the 0.x series or its requirements change, it will be noted here with a link.