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Clone a site

Copy an existing WordPress site you control into a fresh SandyWP sandbox, using the SandyWP Cloner plugin — no manual export/import, no zip wrangling.

Before you start

  • You need a SandyWP account and admin access to the WordPress site you want to clone.
  • Open Clone in the top nav of your dashboard to find the plugin download and watch imports land.

Step 1 — Install the Cloner plugin

On the Clone page, click Download plugin to get the SandyWP Cloner .zip. On the WordPress site you want to clone, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the zip, install, and activate it.

Step 2 — Create an API token

In SandyWP, click your profile in the top-right, open Account → API keys, generate a personal token, and copy it. (More detail in API keys.)

Step 3 — Start the clone

On the source site, open Tools → SandyWP Cloner, paste your API token, and click Clone this site to SandyWP. The plugin packages the site and uploads it to your account.

Step 4 — Watch it land

The new import appears on the Clone page (and in the plugin). It moves through these statuses:

StatusMeaning
Waiting for uploadThe import was created; the plugin is about to send the archive.
UploadingThe archive is transferring to SandyWP.
UploadedThe archive arrived and is queued to restore.
RestoringSandyWP is building a sandbox from your site.
ReadyThe clone is a live sandbox — click Open site.
FailedSomething went wrong; a reason is shown on the row.

After the clone

A cloned site is a normal sandbox — it shows up in My sites with the same lifespan, tools, and limits as any other. Open it from the import row, or from your dashboard. Deleting an import row only cleans up the import history; the sandbox itself is independent and stays in My sites.

Notes & limits

  • Cloned archives can be up to 8 GB.
  • You can cancel an import while it's still uploading or restoring.
  • The clone counts toward your active sandbox and storage limits.

Next steps