How to clone WordPress in cPanel

Cloning your website can be a useful way to create a quick copy of your website, perhaps you want to experiment with a change, or maybe even make a whole new website using your existing one as a template, if so then this is the feature to do that. 

If you're looking to test an update or something then there is another feature to "Stage" a website which then also allows you to autonomously merge the changes you back including database changes back into live. So if you're simply testing an update then staging the site is probably the best option and not this article.

Tip - This can also be really useful if you need to give a plugin or theme developer access to your site but don't want to give them access to your live site. Just clone the site, have them troubleshoot and fix on the clone, and then ask them what they did so you can replicate on your live site without exposing customer data or your other information to a third party.

To clone your installation of WordPress in cPanel you will first need to scroll down to the software section and click "WordPress Manager by Softacluous".



Click the arrow to the far right of the WordPress installation you would like to clone.



Once the WordPress installation has expanded click the "Clone" button at the bottom.



When setting the "In Directory" please remember that the directory is relative to your domain and should not exist, leaving this blank may overwrite your existing WordPress installation so please make sure this field is filled in.



Once you are happy with your installation details and site settings you can click the "Clone Installation" button and your website will be cloned and set up in the specified directory.