Cloning WordPress via Plesk

This guide explains how to clone a WordPress site to a new domain using Plesk’s WordPress Toolkit. In this example, we clone yourdomain.com to clone.yourdomain.com.

💡 Your subdomain (e.g. clone.yourdomain.com) will need a DNS A record pointing to your server before the cloned site will be accessible. If you haven’t set this up yet, see: How to Add a DNS A Record for a Subdomain.

Step 1: Add the Target Domain

Before cloning, the destination domain must exist in Plesk. Go to Websites & Domains and click Add Domain.

Step 2: Choose “Blank Website”

Select Blank website from the options. This creates an empty domain ready to receive the cloned content.

Step 3: Enter the New Domain Name

Under Registered domain name, enter the target domain (e.g. clone.yourdomain.com), then click Add Domain.

Plesk will configure the domain, DNS, hosting, PHP, and mail automatically. You’ll see a confirmation when complete.

Step 4: Open the Clone Dialog

Back on the Websites & Domains page, expand yourdomain.com. Under the WordPress tab, click Clone.

Step 5: Configure the Clone Settings

In the Clone My Website dialog, configure as follows:

1. Select Use existing domain.
2. Choose clone.yourdomain.com from the dropdown.
3. Leave the path field blank to clone to the root directory (not a subdirectory).

Step 6: Start the Clone

Click Start. Plesk will copy the files, database, and update configuration automatically. A progress indicator shows each stage.

Step 7: Clone Complete

Once all three stages show a green tick, you’ll see “My Website” was cloned. The site is now live at clone.yourdomain.com.