How to Export and Import Your Divi Theme and Child Themes in WordPress: A Complete Guide

Introduction

Have you ever needed to move your beautiful Divi website to a new hosting provider? “In this guide, we’ll show you how to use WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme effectively.”

Moving a WordPress site can be overwhelming, especially when you’ve spent hours customizing your Divi theme. But here’s the good news: The process is simpler than you might think. Whether you’re a beginner or someone with a little WordPress experience, this guide will walk you through every step.

According to recent WordPress statistics, over 43% of all websites on the Internet use WordPress, and Divi is one of the most popular themes with over 900,000 active users. With such widespread usage, it has become essential for website owners and developers to learn proper migration techniques.

The WordPress Importer Export process for Divi themes and child theme configurations is a skill every site owner should master. Whether you’re changing hosting providers, creating a development environment, or simply backing up your hard work, understanding the export and import workflow protects your investment of time and money. Many website owners realize the importance of this knowledge only after experiencing a crisis—a server crash, a hacked site, or an accidental deletion that erases months of design work.
This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic exporting to advanced migration strategies, ensuring you’ll never lose your custom Divi configuration again. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to confidently take your Divi site anywhere, anytime, without losing a single customization.

How to Use WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme

What is Divi theme?

Divi is a premium WordPress theme created by Elegant Themes. It’s more than just a theme – it’s a complete website building framework that comes with a powerful visual editor. Think of it as your website’s foundation and design system all rolled into one.

What is child theme?

A child theme is like a protective layer that sits on top of your parent theme (in this case, Divi). It inherits all the functionality and styling from the original theme but allows you to make customizations without touching the original theme files.

Why does it matter? When Divi releases an update, your customizations in the child theme are preserved. Without a child theme, updating Divi will erase all your custom code. It’s like having a separate notebook for your personal notes instead of writing directly in the textbook. Tools like the Child Theme Configurator plugin make it easy to create, manage, and export child themes without manual coding, ensuring that all your custom functions, styles, and template modifications are safely preserved and can travel with your site wherever you go.

Why use child themes with Divi?

Using child themes with Divi offers several key benefits:

Second, it keeps your workflow organized. All your custom code lives in one place, making it easy to troubleshoot issues or make changes later. Research from WP Engine shows that websites using child themes experience 30% fewer problems after a theme update than websites that make direct modifications to the parent theme.

Third, it makes migration easier. When you’re ready to move your site, you simply export both the parent and child themes, ensuring nothing is left behind. The WordPress importer handles child theme installation effortlessly when you follow the proper procedures.

Preparing Your WordPress Site for Export

First backup your website

Before you do anything else, make a full backup of your website. This is your insurance policy. Even though using WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme is generally safe, having a backup means you can restore everything if something goes wrong.

You can use backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or VaultPress. These tools make copies of your entire site – including your database, themes, plugins, and media files. According to a study by Clutch, 60% of website owners who experience data loss without backup are never able to fully recover their content. Think about backups, such as taking photos of your home before renovating. If something doesn’t work, you can always go back to how things looked before. This step is important before you begin using WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme to transfer your site settings.

Your divine version is in check

Make sure you know which version of Divi you are currently using. You can find this information by going to your WordPress dashboard, then Divi > Theme Options. The version number appears at the bottom of the page.

Why does it matter? When you import your theme to a new site, you’ll want to initially install the same version to ensure compatibility. You can always update after the migration is complete, but starting with matching versions can avoid potential conflicts. Version stability is an important factor when using the WordPress importer tool to transfer your Divi theme.

Listing active plugins

Take a screenshot or write down all the plugins active on your current site. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard. This list becomes your roadmap for setting up your new site.

Some plugins may have their own settings and configurations that need to be exported separately. For example, if you’re using contact form plugins, SEO plugins, or caching plugins, they often have their own export features. Document these carefully as these work alongside your Divi theme export to create a full site backup.

How to export your Divi theme settings

Using the Divi Theme Options Panel

Divi makes it incredibly simple to export your theme settings. Here’s how to use WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme to export your configuration:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard
2. Go to Divi > Theme Options
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page
4. See “Import/Export Settings” section
5. Click the “Export Theme Options” button
6. A file will be downloaded to your computer

This file contains all of your Divi theme settings – everything from your logo and color schemes to your social media links and custom CSS. This is a small JSON file, usually only a few kilobytes, but it contains all your important customizations. This export file is necessary to maintain consistency when you import your Divi theme to a new WordPress installation.

Exporting Divi Customizer Settings

The WordPress Customizer is a separate area where you can make additional changes to your Divi theme. The WordPress importer does not automatically include these settings, so you will have to export them separately:

1. Go to Appearance > Customize
2. Look for the gear icon at the bottom of the customizer panel
3. Click on “Export/Import”
4. Click the “Export” button
5. Save the downloaded file

These settings include things like your site’s title, tagline, header and footer configuration, and widget areas. Although there is some overlap with Divi theme options, the Customizer handles various aspects of your site’s appearance that are important to the overall export.

Downloading your customizations

If you’ve added custom CSS, fonts, or other code snippets through the Divi theme options, make sure these are included in your export. The Theme Options export should capture most of this, but it’s smart to keep a separate copy. Open a text editor and copy-paste any custom code you added. Save it to a clearly labeled document on your computer (like “Divi-Custom-CSS-Backup.txt”). This extra step takes just a few minutes but can save you hours of work if something doesn’t transfer correctly during the WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme process.

How to export your Divi child theme

Locating your child theme files

Your child theme lives in a specific folder on your web server. It is located at: wp-content/themes/[your-child-theme-name]

The folder usually contains several files:

• style.css (main stylesheet)
• functions.php (custom PHP functions)
• Any custom template files you create
• Sometimes there is no images or assets folder

To view these files, you will need to access your website’s file system. This brings us to the next step in the export child theme process.

Using FTP or File Manager

There are two main ways to access your website files to export your child theme:

FTP (File Transfer Protocol): This method uses software such as FileZilla, CyberDuck, or WinSCP. You will need your FTP credentials from your hosting provider. Once connected, navigate to wp-content/themes and find your child theme folder.

File Manager: Most hosting providers provide a file manager in their control panel (cPanel, Plesk, or custom dashboard). This is often easier for beginners because you don’t need to install additional software. Simply log into your hosting account, find File Manager and navigate to the same location.

Which method is better? File Manager is faster for one-time tasks, while FTP is better if you work with website files frequently. According to web developer surveys, about 65% of professionals prefer FTP clients for routine work, but 80% of beginners find file managers more accessible when they need to export files.
Creating a zip file of your child theme

Once you’ve found your child theme folder, you’ll need to download it to complete the export process:

If using a file manager:

1. Right-click on your child theme folder
2. Select “Compress” or “Create Archive”
3. choose zip format
4. Download the compressed file to your computer

If using FTP:

1. Right-click on the child theme folder
2. Select “Download”
3. The entire folder will be downloaded to your computer
4. Create a zip file manually using your computer’s compression tools

The zip file is your portable package. This typically ranges from 50KB to several megabytes, depending on how many custom files and images you include. Label it clearly with the date, like “divi-child-theme-2024-12-03.zip.” This packaged file is ready for the WordPress importer when you’re ready to go on your new site.

Exporting Divi Layouts and Templates

Exporting a Personal Layout

Divi stores your custom page layouts in the Divi Library. These are building blocks that you have created and you might want to reuse. Here’s how to export Divi theme layouts individually:

1. Go to Divi > Divi Library in your WordPress dashboard
2. Hover over the layout you want to export
3. Click “Export”
4. A JSON file will be downloaded automatically

Each layout is exported as a separate file. If you have dozens of layouts, this can be difficult. This is where the bulk export feature comes in handy for more comprehensive Divi theme exports.
Using the portability feature

Divi includes a powerful portability tool that lets you export multiple items at once, making the WordPress export process more efficient:

1. Divi > Go to Divi Library
2. Click the “Import and Export” button at the top
3. In the Export section, you will see options to export:
4. all layouts
5. All Theme Builder Templates
6. specific categories
7. Choose what you want to export
8. Click the “Export” button
9. Download a comprehensive JSON file

This method is much more efficient than exporting layouts one by one. According to Elegant Themes data, users who use the portability feature save an average of 45 minutes per site migration compared to manual export.

Saving your Divine Library item

Your Divi library can also contain saved rows, sections, and modules – small components you create for reuse. The portability tool exports these with your full layout, but it’s worth verifying:

1. View the “Divi Library” page to see all your saved items
2. Note any special items you made
3. Make sure they are included in your portability export

Think of your Divi library like a personal collection of design elements. Each piece represents the time you’ve invested in creating the perfect look. Exporting everything ensures that you don’t have to recreate these elements when you import the Divi theme to your new WordPress site.
How to import your Divi theme to a new site

Installing WordPress on Your New Site

Before you can import anything, you’ll need a fresh WordPress installation on your new hosting. Most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation through their control panel. This process usually takes only a few minutes and lays the foundation for your WordPress importer work.

Here is the general process:

1. Log in to your new hosting account
2. Find “WordPress Installer” or “Softaculous” in your control panel
3. Select your domain and installation directory (usually root)
4. Set up your administrator username and password
5. Click “Install”

Make sure you are installing a compatible version of WordPress. Divi works with WordPress 5.0 and above, but for security reasons it is always recommended to use the latest version.

Installing Divi Parent Theme

Once WordPress is ready, you’ll need to install the Divi parent theme before importing the child theme files:

1. Log in to your new WordPress dashboard
2. Go to Appearance > Themes
3. Click “Add New”
4. Click “Upload Theme”
5. Upload the Divi zip file (download from your Elegant Themes account if you don’t have it)
6. Click “Install Now”
7. Wait for the installation to complete

Important: If you plan to use a child theme, do not activate the parent theme yet. Activating the parent theme first and then switching to the child theme can sometimes cause settings to reset during the WordPress import process.

Uploading and activating your theme

If you are using only Divi parent theme (no child themes), simply click “Activate” after installation. Your site will now have the basic Divi framework, but none of your custom settings are there yet—those come when you import the Divi theme settings.
If you are using a child theme, pause the activation. We’ll handle this in the next section to ensure a smooth transition.

How to import your Divi child theme

Uploading your child theme zip file

Now it’s time to bring in your customized child theme using the WordPress importer:

1. Appearance > Stay in Themes
2. Click “Add New” again
3. Click “Upload Theme”
4. Select your child theme zip file (which you downloaded earlier during the export process)
5. Click “Install Now”
6. Wait for the upload and installation to complete

When it is complete you will see a success message. The system will confirm that both the parent theme (Divi) and the child theme are now installed, ready for you to import child theme customizations.

Activate child theme

Here is the important step – activating your child theme to complete the WordPress import:

1. After installation, click “Activate”
2. Your site will now use the child theme
3. Go to the main section of your site to see if the basic structure looks correct

At this point, your site has the framework in place, but it won’t look exactly like your old site yet. Colors may be distorted, your logo may be missing, and custom layouts may not be there yet. Don’t worry—this is completely normal. We are building it step by step.

Verification that everything works

Do a quick check to make sure the child theme is working properly after import:
1.  Go to Appearance > Themes and confirm that the child theme is showing as “Active”.

2.  Check that the parent theme (Divi) is listed but not active

3.  Visit some pages on your site to make sure there are no error messages

4.  Check your browser’s developer console (F12) for any JavaScript errors

If everything looks good so far, you’re ready to import your Divi theme settings and content. If you see errors, double-check that both the parent and child themes are installed properly through the WordPress importer.

Importing Divi theme settings

Using the Theme Options Import Feature

Now we will bring back all the customizations you exported earlier using the WordPress importer functionality:

1. Go to Divi > Theme Options
2. Scroll down where you will see “Import/Export Settings”
3. Click “Choose File” in the Import section
4. Select the JSON file exported from your old site
5. Click on “Import Divi Theme Options”

The system will process your file and apply all your settings. This includes your logo, social media icons, custom CSS, color schemes, fonts, and more. This happens almost instantly—usually within a few seconds. This is where your careful Divi theme exporting work pays off.

Importing customizer settings

Next, restore your Customizer configuration via the WordPress import process:

1. Go to Appearance > Customize
2. Click on the gear icon at the bottom
3. Select “Import/Export”
4. Click “Choose File”
5. Upload the customizer export file from your old site
6. Click “Import”
7. Choose whether to import images (recommended: Yes)
8. Click “Publish”

The Customizer import may take a little longer if you’re importing images, especially if you have custom header or background images. Be patient and let the WordPress importer complete the process.
Double-checking your configuration

After importing, visit your Divi Theme Options and Customizer to verify that everything happened correctly:

• Check that your logo looks correct
• Verify that your color scheme matches
• Review your social media links
• Check out the custom CSS in the Additional CSS section
• Test your navigation menu
• Check your footer settings

This verification step is important. According to migration studies, about 15% of theme imports require minor adjustments due to differences in file paths or hosting environments. Catching these issues early can avoid future problems when working with the WordPress importer.

Importing Divi layout and content

Using the Divi Library Import Tool

It’s time to get back all the beautiful layouts you created during your Divi theme export:Divi > Go to Divi Library

Click “Import and Export” at the top

In the Import section, click “Choose File”

Select the portability JSON file you exported

Click on “Import Divi Theme Options”

If you exported layouts individually, you’ll need to import them one by one through the WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme process:

1. Click “Import Layout” on the Divi Library page
2. Upload each JSON file
3. Give each layout a name
4. Save

The bulk import method is very fast. Research shows that it reduces import time by up to 75% when working with more than five layouts.

Importing a Personal Layout

For pages that use specific Divi layouts, you’ll need to apply them after completing your WordPress import:
1.  Edit page in question

2.  Enable Divi Builder if not already enabled

3.  Click “Load from Library.”

4.  Select the appropriate layout

5.  add this to your page

Some users prefer to manually rebuild pages using imported library items. This approach takes more time but gives you the opportunity to refresh the content and make sure everything looks correct after the import Divi theme process.

Testing your imported pages

After importing layouts via the WordPress importer, test your pages thoroughly:

1. Check desktop, tablet and mobile views
2. Test all links and buttons
3. Verified forms are working
4. Check that images load correctly
5. Test any animations or special effects

Page builders may sometimes have issues with responsive design after migration. A study by WP Buffs found that 22% of Divi migrations required at least one responsive adjustment, usually to custom-sized elements or margin settings.

Common Problems with WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme and How to Fix Them

Missing styles or broken layouts

If your pages look broken or disorganized after you import Divi theme files, here are the common culprits:

Problem 1: Child theme stylesheet not loading

• Solution: Check that your child theme’s style.css contains proper header information
• Verify the “Template” line points to the parent theme folder (usually “Divi”)
• This often happens when the export child theme process does not capture all dependencies

Problem 2: Custom CSS not applying

• Solution: Save your Divi theme options and customizer settings again
• Sometimes WordPress needs to regenerate its stylesheet cache after using the WordPress Importer.
  Problem 3: Module styles are missing
• Solution: Go to Divi > Theme Options > Builder > Advanced
• Click on “Static CSS File Generation” and select “Inline.”
• Test if this fixes the problem (you can go back to file-based later)

According to Elegant Themes support data, these three issues account for approximately 60% of post-migration styling issues when using the WordPress import process.

Plugin Compatibility Issues

Sometimes plugins don’t work properly after you import a child theme configuration:

Problem: Plugin conflicts are causing layout issues

• Solution: Disable all plugins except Divi-essential plugins
• Reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit
• Update or replace problematic plugins

Problem: Caching plugin is interfering

• Solution: Clear all caches (browser, plugin, hosting and CDN)
• Temporarily disable caching plugins during testing
• Reconfigure caching settings after WordPress importer finishes migration

A survey of WordPress developers found that plugin conflicts accounted for approximately 30% of migration issues, making it the second most common problem category.

Image and media file problems

Images may not display correctly after you export and import Divi theme content:

Problem: Broken Image Link

• Solution: Use a plugin like “Better Search Change” to update the image URL
• Find your old domain and replace it with the new one
• Be cautious and create a backup before running a search-replace operation
  Problem: Missing Images
• Solution: Verify that images were included in your migration
• Check the wp-content/uploads folder to ensure files transfer
• Re-upload missing images if necessary

Problem: wrong image size

• Solution: Use the “Regenerate Thumbnails” plugin
• This recreates all image sizes for your new installation
• Especially important if your new site uses different image dimensions

Best Practices for Divi Theme Migration

Always test on the staging site first

Never migrate a live site directly. Always use the staging environment first. A staging site is like a practice run – a complete copy of your website where you can test the WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme and all your exported files without affecting your live site.

Most quality hosting providers provide staging environments. Alternatively, you can create a subdomain (like staging.yoursite.com) or use a local development tool like Flywheel or XAMPP.

Testing on staging lets you:

• Identify issues before they impact visitors
• Practice the migration process
• Adjust without pressure
• Make sure everything works properly before going live

According to WP Engine research, websites that use a staging environment experience 85% fewer post-migration issues than websites that move directly to production.

Keep your divine version consistent

Install the same version of Divi on your new site that you installed on your old site, at least initially. This ensures compatibility and prevents unexpected behavior when you import Divi theme settings.
Once you’ve successfully migrated and tested everything, update Divi to the latest version. This two-step approach prevents you from solving migration issues and update issues simultaneously.

According to Elegant Themes support statistics, version mismatch is responsible for approximately 12% of migration issues, especially when using the WordPress import process.

Document your custom code

When you export child theme files, keep a separate document with all your custom code snippets, including:

• custom css
• Custom PHP Functions
• javascript code
• Shortcodes you created
• API key and integration code

Store this document in a secure location – perhaps in a password-protected document or in a private repository on GitHub. This practice saves tremendous time during migration and makes troubleshooting much easier when working with the WordPress importer.

Think of it as creating an instruction manual for your website. Even if you are the only person working on your site now, in the future you will thank the present-day you for this document.

Tools that make migration easier

All-in-One WP Migration Plugin

This popular plugin simplifies the entire WordPress export and import process by bundling everything into one file:

Pros:

• extremely user-friendly
• Handles large sites well (with paid extensions)
• Includes database, themes, plugins and media files
• Handles URL replacement automatically
• Export and import Divi themes and child themes together seamlessly
  

Cons:

• Free version is limited to 512 MB
• Paid unlimited expansion costs around $69
• Sometimes slower than manual methods for very large sites

Many users find this plugin worth the investment. This can reduce migration time by up to 70% compared to manual methods, especially for complex sites where you need to extensively export Divi theme configurations.

Duplicator Plugin

Duplicator is another excellent WordPress importer and migration tool:

Pros:

• Free version handles most sites
• Creates an installer script for easy deployment
• Good for both migration and backup
• Detailed step-by-step wizard
• Works well for exporting child theme files along with everything else

Cons:

• May struggle with very large databases (over 1GB)
• Requires more technical knowledge than all-in-one WP migration
• Sometimes encountering timeout issues on shared hosting

Duplicator is especially good for developers who frequently migrate sites. According to user surveys, it is the preferred tool for about 35% of WordPress professionals working with Divi theme exports.

Manual vs Automated Methods

Manual migration (using the WordPress importer is what we covered in this guide):

• Pros: Free, full control, good learning experience
• Cons: Time consuming, greater margin of error, requires technical knowledge
• Best for: Small to medium sites, learning purposes, budget-conscious users
• Perfect when you need precise control over the export and import of Divi theme components
  Automatic migration (using plugin):
• Pros: Faster, fewer errors, handles complexity automatically
• Cons: Costs money (usually), less control, potential plugin conflicts
• Best for: Large sites, frequent migrations, time-sensitive projects
• Excellent for bulk operations to export child theme and the parent theme together

The best method depends on your situation. For a one-time migration of a simple Divi site, the manual WordPress import method works great. For ongoing work with multiple sites, it’s worth investing in automated tools.

Industry data shows that professional developers spend an average of 2-3 hours per manual migration using automated tools, compared to 30-45 minutes using automated tools – a roughly 60-70% time savings when handling WordPress importer operations.

Conclusion

To complete the WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme process, you’ve learned everything you need to know. By following the steps in this guide, you can successfully transfer your website to a new host, create a backup, or set up a development environment with confidence using the WordPress importer.

Key points to remember: always backup first, export your theme settings and child themes separately, use built-in Divi portability features, and test thoroughly after importing. Take it step by step, and don’t rush the process. Whether you’re learning how to export Divi theme configurations for the first time or you’re an experienced developer, these principles apply universally.

Whether you choose the manual approach or use migration plugins, the principles remain the same. You are essentially packing up your website, moving it to a new location, and unpacking it carefully to make sure nothing breaks. The WordPress importer tools available today make this process more reliable than ever. The skills you learn here will serve you well throughout your WordPress journey. Every website owner eventually needs to migrate or backup their site. You are now ready to handle it like a pro with a complete understanding of WordPress Importer Export for Divi Theme & Child Theme operations.

What will you do with your newly transferred site? Perhaps it’s time for that homepage redesign you’ve been thinking about, or perhaps you’re ready to launch that new business idea. Whatever happens next, you’ve got the technical foundation to get it done with confidence in your ability to manage your Divi theme and implement changes anywhere you need.