Migrate from Typepad to WordPress on Opalstack

Why Migrate from Typepad to WordPress?

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. When you migrate from Typepad to WordPress you open up a world of possibilities with thousands of themes, plugins, and customization options.

What you’ll gain when you migrate from Typepad to WordPress:

  • Massive ecosystem of themes and plugins
  • SEO-friendly structure out of the box
  • Mobile-responsive admin interface
  • Regular security updates and improvements
  • Vibrant community support
  • Professional design options for every industry

Before You Begin

What you’ll need:

  • An active Opalstack account (sign up here if you don’t have one)
  • Access to your Typepad admin panel
  • About 45 minutes of time

What will be migrated:

  • All blog posts and pages
  • Comments (with some limitations)
  • Categories and tags
  • Media files and attachments
  • Author information

Important note: While WordPress can import most Typepad content some formatting and custom features may need manual adjustment after the migration. This is completely normal when you migrate from Typepad to WordPress and we’ll walk you through handling any issues that arise.

Step 1: Export Your Typepad Content for WordPress Migration

Typepad provides export tools that work well with WordPress’s import system.

Export your content:

  1. Log into your Typepad admin panel
  2. Go to Settings → Import/Export
  3. Click Export Blog
  4. Select “Export for WordPress” or “Export for Movable Type” (both work with WordPress)
  5. Include all content types:
    • Posts and pages
    • Comments and trackbacks
    • Categories and tags
  6. Click Export and download the file

Additional export for media files:

Typepad’s standard export may not include all your images and attachments. For complete media migration:

  1. In Typepad, go to Manage → Files
  2. Use the bulk download option to get all uploaded media
  3. Save this to your computer — you’ll upload these to WordPress separately

Step 2: Install WordPress on Opalstack

Our one-click WordPress installer gets you up and running in minutes.

Installation steps:

  1. Access your Opalstack dashboard
  2. Follow our WordPress installation guide to install WordPress

The installer automatically handles:

  • Latest WordPress download and setup
  • Database creation and configuration
  • Security hardening and proper permissions

Your WordPress site will be ready in 2-3 minutes!

Once your application is installed you can connect it to your domain name by following the sites guide.

Step 3: Import Your Typepad Content

WordPress includes a powerful import system that can handle Typepad exports.

Import process:

  1. Visit your new WordPress admin area (yoursite.com/wp-admin)
  2. Log in with the credentials you created during installation
  3. Navigate to Tools → Import
  4. Look for Movable Type and Typepad in the import options
  5. If not installed, click Install Now to add the importer plugin
  6. Click Run Importer once installed
  7. Upload your Typepad export file from Step 1
  8. Configure import settings:
    • Assign Authors: Map Typepad authors to WordPress users
    • Import Attachments: Check this to download images automatically
    • Import Comments: Recommended to preserve reader engagement
  9. Click Submit to begin the import

Import progress: WordPress will display a progress screen showing:

  • Posts imported
  • Comments processed
  • Media files downloaded
  • Any errors that need attention

Large imports may take several minutes. Don’t close your browser during this process.

Step 4: Import Media Files

If some images didn’t import automatically, you can upload them manually.

Manual media upload:

  1. In WordPress admin, go to Media → Add New
  2. Upload your media files from the Typepad export (from Step 1)
  3. WordPress will automatically organize them by date

Fixing broken image links:

After import, some images may show as broken links. Replace your old Typepad image URLs with your new WordPress media URLs wherever they are broken.

Step 5: Configure WordPress Settings

Now let’s optimize your new WordPress site for the best performance and user experience.

Essential settings:

General Settings:

  1. Settings → General
  2. Confirm site title, tagline, and timezone
  3. Set your preferred date and time formats
  4. Ensure WordPress and site URLs are correct

Permalink Structure:

  1. Settings → Permalinks
  2. Choose a SEO-friendly URL structure
  3. Recommended: “Post name” or “Custom” with /%postname%/
  4. This maintains clean URLs similar to what you had on Typepad

Discussion Settings:

  1. Settings → Discussion
  2. Configure comment policies
  3. Set comment moderation preferences
  4. Enable/disable pingbacks and trackbacks as desired

Reading Settings:

  1. Settings → Reading
  2. Set your homepage display (latest posts or static page)
  3. Configure how many posts to show per page
  4. Set up RSS feed preferences

Step 6: Choose and Customize a Theme

WordPress offers thousands of themes to make your site look exactly how you want.

Finding the right theme:

  1. Appearance → Themes
  2. Click Add New to browse the WordPress.org directory
  3. Filter by features, layout, or subject
  4. Preview themes before activating
  5. Consider these popular options for former Typepad users:
    • Twenty Twenty-Four: Modern, flexible, block-based theme
    • Astra: Lightweight and highly customizable
    • GeneratePress: Fast-loading with lots of options
    • OceanWP: Great for business and portfolio sites

Theme customization:

  1. Appearance → Customize
  2. Adjust colors, fonts, and layout options
  3. Upload your logo and set site icons
  4. Configure menus and widget areas
  5. Preview changes before publishing

Step 7: Essential Plugins for Your Typepad to WordPress Transition

Plugins extend WordPress functionality. Here are some recommendations for users who need to migrate from Typepad to WordPress:

Security:

  • Wordfence Security: Comprehensive security scanning and firewall
  • UpdraftPlus: Automated backups to cloud storage

SEO:

  • Yoast SEO: Complete SEO optimization toolkit
  • RankMath: Alternative SEO plugin with advanced features

Performance:

  • WP Rocket: Caching and performance optimization
  • Smush: Image compression and optimization

Content Management:

  • Classic Editor: If you prefer the traditional WordPress editor
  • Duplicate Post: Easy content duplication for similar posts

To install plugins:

  1. Plugins → Add New
  2. Search for the plugin name
  3. Click Install Now then Activate

Step 8: Post-Migration Cleanup

After your migration is complete, take care of these final details:

Content review:

  • Check a sampling of posts for formatting issues
  • Verify that images are displaying correctly
  • Test internal links between posts and pages
  • Review categories and tags for duplicates or organization

User accounts:

  • Review imported user accounts under Users
  • Update user roles and permissions as needed
  • Reset passwords for all imported users
  • Remove any unused accounts

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Import problems:

  • Timeout errors: Large imports may need to be split into smaller files
  • Memory limits: Contact Opalstack support if you encounter PHP memory limit errors
  • Character encoding: Ensure your export file uses UTF-8 encoding

Missing content:

  • Comments not appearing: Check Settings → Discussion to ensure comments are enabled
  • Images not loading: Verify media files imported correctly under Media → Library
  • Formatting issues: Some Typepad-specific formatting may need manual adjustment

Performance issues:

  • Slow loading: Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket
  • Large images: Use an image optimization plugin like Smush
  • Too many plugins: Deactivate unnecessary plugins

Getting Support

Opalstack Support

Our team can help with:

  • Server-related configuration issues
  • WordPress installation problems
  • Performance optimization
  • Security concerns

What’s Next?

Congratulations on successfully migrating to WordPress! You now have access to the world’s most popular content management system running on reliable Opalstack hosting.

Advanced features to explore:

  • E-commerce: Add WooCommerce to sell products or services
  • Membership sites: Use plugins like MemberPress for premium content
  • Custom post types: Create portfolios, testimonials, or other content types
  • Multi-language support: Use WPML or Polylang for international audiences
  • Email marketing: Integrate with services like Mailchimp or ConvertKit

Welcome to Opalstack!

Your content migration is complete, and you have full control over your site’s future development. Enjoy exploring all that WordPress has to offer on your new Opalstack hosting platform.