Split a Multisite network into standalone sites

Turn one WordPress Multisite into separate single-site installs — either by creating one archive per site, or by extracting one site from an existing network backup. Extracting one site is free. One archive per site needs an active Pro license with capability network_split.

What this does

Goal: leave Multisite and run each (or selected) site as its own WordPress install. Multisite Migrate supports two operator journeys: extract is free, split backup needs Pro. Both keep the rule one destination = one run — you restore or install once per target host.

Journey	Starting point	Result
Split backup	Live network (Network Admin)	N full archives (one per selected site)
Extract	Existing network-scope archive	One site demoted to standalone on the destination

Which path should I use?

Prefer split backup when you still have Network Admin on the source and want a clean, per-site archive set before you tear down the network.
Prefer extract when you already have a full-network (or multi-site) backup and do not want to re-run N backups — reuse that archive and pick one source blog per destination.
Blog 1 / main site is supported on both paths. Main-site media often lives under uploads/ (not uploads/sites/1/); extract keeps that tree when you choose blog ID 1.

Requirements

Extract is free in every edition, including the free plugin from WordPress.org. You need a network-scope archive and a single-site destination.
Pro plugin ZIP + active Pro license. Capability network_split must appear after activate/refresh. Older Pro keys may need Settings → General & License → Re-activate / Refresh.
Network Admin on the source for split backup.
Disk — split multiplies usage: roughly sites × archive size × 1.5 locally. The plugin hard-blocks start when free space is too low (cloud-only destinations skip the hard local gate).
Empty-server path — extract via installer also needs Pro installer capability.
Split backup is not in Free or Plus — the split option stays locked until Pro is active. Extract is never locked.

Path A — One archive per site (split backup)

Creates a normal full backup job for each selected site, one after another. Finished archives stay even if a later site fails.

Steps (admin UI)

On the Multisite network, open MM Pro → Backups → Backup now.
Under scope, choose One archive per site (split).
Select the sites to include, or leave “all accessible” selected. Review the disk warning (usage scales with site count).
If you leave more than five sites unchecked while “all” is not intended, confirm with the confirm all checkbox when prompted.
Choose profile / destination (local or cloud on Plus+ destinations) → Start.
Watch the split progress panel. Sites run sequentially (not in parallel).
When complete, download or keep each archive under Backups. Restore each archive once to its own WordPress install (or empty-server installer), same as any other single-site backup.

If a site fails mid-split

Completed archives remain valid — do not delete them.
In the progress panel click Continue with remaining sites (or WP-CLI split-resume --yes).
Only unfinished blogs re-run. Use Cancel only if you want to stop the orchestrator entirely.

Then restore

For each destination install: import/restore that site’s archive, map old → new URL, finish the job. Repeat per host. There is no “install all destinations in one click.”

Path B — Extract one site from a network archive

Use when the archive still contains the whole network (or multiple blogs) and the destination should become a single-site WordPress.

Steps (plugin restore)

On the destination (or after import), open Import & Restore / the restore dialog for a network-scope archive.
Choose topology Extract one site as standalone.
Pick the source site (blog ID) from the archive list.
Map that site’s old URL → new URL only.
Start restore. Tables and uploads for other blogs are skipped; the site is demoted to standalone.
After success, use Next site from this archive (when shown) to continue with another blog on the next destination — or reopen Extract and pick the next blog ID.

Steps (empty-server installer)

Upload the network archive + installer PHP to the empty host (Pro installer flow).
In the migrate/deploy UI choose Extract one site as standalone, select source blog, map URL, run.
Repeat on each empty host for remaining blogs (same archive, different source blog).

After each destination

Log in, check Settings → General URLs.
Re-save permalinks. Spot-check media and menus.
Run a fresh local backup on the new install.
Remove installer PHP from the web root when finished (empty-server path).

Verify leftover URLs, then repair

After extract (or any URL move), scan for leftover old domains before bulk replace:

Open the post-migration verify tools in the UI, or run WP-CLI migration-verify / MCP verify (show report first).
Review hits. Only then confirm search-replace (search-replace --yes or UI confirm).
Never blind auto-fix — confirm is required.

WP-CLI & MCP

Requires Pro CAP_CLI / MCP. Split commands also need CAP_NETWORK_SPLIT. Destructive commands need an explicit confirm flag.

Task	Example
Start split	`wp multisite-migrate split-network --yes`
Status	`wp multisite-migrate split-status`
Resume remaining	`wp multisite-migrate split-resume --yes`
Cancel	`wp multisite-migrate split-cancel --yes`
Extract restore	`wp multisite-migrate restore <id> --migration --topology-import=extract_site_standalone --source-blog-id=N --old-url=… --new-url=… --yes`
Verify / repair	`migration-verify` then `search-replace --yes`

Full recipes: WP-CLI guide. MCP clients use the matching abilities with confirm:true on writes — see Connect AI.

What this is not

Not one click that installs every destination at once.
Not parallel child backups (sites run one after another).
Split backup is not part of Free/Plus (extract is free).
Not a domain-map / sunrise UI — map URLs per destination yourself.
Not blind automatic search-replace after migrate.

Troubleshooting

Split / Extract option missing: Split needs Pro: confirm the Pro ZIP is active and a license refresh grants network_split. Extract is free and only shows for a network-scope archive on a single-site destination.
Start blocked for disk: Free local space or reduce selected sites. Estimate is sites × size × 1.5. Cloud-only destinations may skip the hard local gate.
Child site failed: Use Continue with remaining sites / split-resume. Keep finished archives.
Wrong site’s media after extract: Confirm source blog ID. Blog 1 media is usually under uploads/, not uploads/sites/1/.
Old URLs still in content: Run verify, then confirmed search-replace — see Verify leftover URLs.
Busy / another job running: Only one backup, restore, split, or staging push runs at a time. Wait or cancel the other job.

Network split FAQ

Answers for splitting a Multisite into standalone installs and extracting one site from a network archive.

Is network split included in Free or Plus?

Extract is free in every edition. One archive per site (whole-network split) requires Pro with the network_split capability. Refresh the license if the split option is missing.

Split backup or extract — which should I use?

Use split backup when you still have Network Admin and want fresh per-site archives. Use extract when you already have a network-scope archive and want to pull one blog into a single-site destination without re-backing up.

Can I install every destination in one run?

No. One destination equals one restore or installer run. Repeat per host. After extract, reopen the restore with Extract for the next blog on the next destination; Pro also offers a Next site from this archive button.

What if a child site fails during split?

Finished archives stay. Click Continue with remaining sites in the progress panel, or run split-resume --yes via WP-CLI.

Does extract work for blog ID 1?

Yes. Main-site uploads usually live under uploads/ rather than uploads/sites/1/; extract keeps that tree when you select blog 1.