Moving a WordPress local site to a live server

Transferring files from a local Xampp or Wamp environment to a live domain.

After developing a WordPress website and setting up your project with data, you need to transfer those files to a live server. 

Using Filezilla, you could upload your entire public folder or you could start with a fresh WordPress installation and upload the theme, plugins, media and database.

Once all the physical files have been uploaded, the following changes need to be made:

1. Export database
2. Change the database connections in wp-config
3. Change the site name and URL of the website 
4. Change the URL of your links and image in your post content
5. Configure your .htaccess file for https
6. Update the permalinks

Change the site name

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'http://localhost.com', 'https://domain.com') WHERE option_name = 'home' OR option_name = 'siteurl';

Path to links and images

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE (post_content, 'http://localhost.com', 'https://domain.com');

WordPress Post Meta and Guid

UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = REPLACE (meta_value, 'http://localhost.com','https://domain.com');

UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = REPLACE (guid, 'http://local.com', 'https://domain.com');

.htaccess file for http to https

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301,NE] 

# BEGIN WordPress
# The directives (lines) between `BEGIN WordPress` and `END WordPress` are
# dynamically generated, and should only be modified via WordPress filters.
# Any changes to the directives between these markers will be overwritten.
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress