Website Cloning

Cloning allows you to create an exact duplicate of a live WordPress website on a new destination server and domain. Control Spot handles the packaging of files and database structures, transfers them in parallel, and automatically translates localized serialized configurations to match the target environment.

Cloning operates as a coordinated background workflow between your source and destination servers. The engine executes the following steps automatically:

1. Archive Extraction: Packages the entire source website files and directories (including uploads, themes, and plugins) into a secure TAR archive.
2. Database Export: Dumps your active database tables into a structured SQL script.
3. Parallel Transfer: Initiates a direct server-to-server file and database transfer to bypass local browser upload limits.
4. Target Restoration: Extracts all file hierarchies and imports the database schema onto the destination server.
5. URL & Path Search-and-Replace: Scans the destination database to translate old URLs, absolute file paths, and serialized settings safely.

To clone your environment, complete the following sections in the deployment wizard:

1. Source Website
   • Select an active, connected website from your registered accounts list.
   • The site must be online and running the Control Spot remote connector plugin.
2. Target Domain / URL
   • Provide the new target website address (e.g., https://cloned-site.com).
   • This domain will be used to automatically replace all instances of the original URL during database translation.
3. Target Server Connection
   • Provide FTP or SFTP connection credentials for the target server.
   • Ensure the remote directory exists and contains correct file write permissions.
4. Target Database Credentials
   • Input database host, name, user, and prefix details for the destination environment.
   • Note: Cloning will overwrite existing tables in the target database if they use the same table prefix.

WordPress stores critical settings, widget configs, and builder layouts in serialized arrays. Doing a raw search-and-replace inside database strings will corrupt these arrays, rendering your site layout broken.

1. Setting up an isolated Staging Sandbox
2. Deploying a Fresh WordPress site