How to convert WP site into stand-alone html site

  • pegasus1112

    (@pegasus1112)


    12 years ago

    I’m working on a large website that has a multi-level sub-site for an annual conference. I want to create a backup of last year’s sub-site that can be navigated as a stand-alone site if someone wants to see what was done last year. It should have the same visual theme (css/images/layout) but will be independent from any changes to theme or content on the live WP site.

    In past years this was easily done since the whole site was a static html site, not a WP site. It was easily be backed up to a separate directory and navigated as a stand-alone site. Now that the whole site is in WP, I’m finding it very awkward to convert the WP sub-site pages into a standalone html site.

    I tried saving each page as an html page (right-click > Save Page As…). However, despite a lot of fiddling with the code and navigation bar URLs, it still thinks it’s part of the live site. When I test-click on a navigation bar link, it reverts back to the live navigation and website.

    Someone suggested I simply copy and paste each page’s content into Dreamweaver, but the CSS isn’t being copied with it. I suppose I could try to track down all CSS files being used and link to copies of them.

    This is becoming very time consuming (for a relatively minor feature of the whole site). I’m hoping someone here might have a fast and easy solution, or even could confirm if this is the best way to do this. I’ve looked for a plugin that might convert pages into stand-alone html but haven’t found anything.

    The link to the live sub-site is: https://www.rti3.com You can see the current archived sites from past years through links on the About page.

    Many thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • wpismypuppet

    (@wordpressismypuppet)

    Just copy and paste the whole WordPress installation into the appropriate sub-folder. For example… https://www.rti3.com/2011. That URL will run off it’s own WordPress theme and installation, ignoring the one on the root (https://www.rti3.com).

    The only issue is it’ll still use the same database. To fix this issue, you’ll need to make a backup of your wp-config.php file for the root WordPress install. Then, delete it from the server. When you visit https://www.rti3.com you’ll be prompted to recreate this file. Open up the wp-config.php you just backed up and use all the same values… EXCEPT, change:

    Table Prefix: wp_

    from the default ‘wp_’ to something more unique. You could even start using the year, since you’ll be archiving the new site next year. So change it to:

    Table Prefix: 2012

    This way ALL your WordPress installations will use the same database, but different tables. They won’t overwrite one another. Make sense?

    The only thing that stinks about this approach is having multiple copies of WordPress to eat up space… but storage is cheap these days. It’s interesting that you want to archive an entire website this way. Most just archive a page or something.

    samateo

    (@samateo)

    have you looked at WP Static HTML Output plugin

    “This plugin produces a static HTML version of your WordPress install … the plugin will output a ZIP file of your entire site”

    Thread Starter pegasus1112

    (@pegasus1112)

    Thanks very much, wpismypuppet and samateo, for your replies.

    Samateo, I’m going to try that plugin. I didn’t come across it in my searches through the plugins. Thanks!

    Wpismypuppet, it’s not the entire site I want to archive, it’s just a subset within it. That link points to the RTI (conference) home page, which is a page within our larger site, https://www.radonc.utoronto.ca. If I wanted to do the whole site, that might make sense (although a glutton for discspace) but it’s just the pages from the RTI home page on down.

    I’ll let you all know how I make out with that plugin. ??

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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