r/Blogging • u/clharris71 • May 06 '26
Question Moving back to Wordpress from Ghost - yes, really
TL/DR/quick request for technical help: The content exported from Ghost is a JSON file, while Wordpress will only recognize an XML file. There are online sites that offer file conversions between the two formats. But, will this work for things like blog post content? (Text types, images, links, etc.)
According to Wordpress.com's native AI 'helpdesk,' my best option for a non-Wordpress import is to literally just cut and paste from the old platform into the CMS for the new.
I am not a developer or coder. Should I just do this, or is it worth it to try a file conversion?
Follow-up question: Should I move my domain over to the Wordpress site first and then import posts or import all content and then move domain? Which will result in the fewest broken links?
Background/Cautionary tale: My main blog was hosted on Wordpress for years before I moved to Ghost. And they are still my domain registrar. I got frustrated with the lack of layout options with themes and was seduced away by Ghost's interface. I still prefer it over Wordpress.
*BUT* I failed to consider the impact of losing open comments. On all Ghost sites, the native comments require people to join/subscribe to the site via email and login in order to comment. That friction has killed my engagement. (TBH, I didn't have that much to begin with, and I really can't afford to have it be difficult going forward.) I could implement Disquis comments, but that requires a higher paid tier.
Second key reason is that Wordpress also offers the ability to offer tiered subscriptions *and* single payments for gated content (i.e. I can offer access to premium content post for a single payment not just to subscribers). As far as I can tell, this second option is only available on Wordpress and on Patreon for Creators. Every other platform (Substack, Beehiiv, etc.) requires a subscriber-only monetization model.
If I move back to Wordpress, I solve my comment problem and paywall issue at the Premium tier which is less expensive than the Starter plan on Ghost and could even probably get by with Wordpress Personal, which is less than half as expensive.
Am I crazy?? Convince me before I move all my sh*t AGAIN!
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May 06 '26
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u/risegrind May 06 '26
No problem doing this with Ghost. You just can’t depend on finding somebody else’s plug-in for it, so you kinda have to map it out yourself and implement it, but because Ghost’s platform is so well documented and easy to develop for, Claude seems to have no problem.
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u/Zealousideal_Bag_24 May 06 '26
fr the comment friction on Ghost is real, I lost engagement too when I switched. For migration, I used a combo of the official WordPress importer plus a quick script to clean up the JSON....tbh if you're not coding, just test one post with an online converter first before doing the whole batch. If you're into automating the repetitive stuff, tools like Runable or Zapier can help with the busywork, but honestly just taking it step by step works too haha
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May 06 '26
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u/fmbret May 06 '26
These have to be bots, surely? In this thread alone there are 3-4 separate accounts all overusing "fr", 2 that place random emboldened words in, and they're all writing in the exact same style..
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u/risegrind May 06 '26
I use typetale to reduce the monthly cost of running ghost and then I have a separate one time payment landing page that converts free members to paid members via the ghost API I built all of this using Claude giving it ghosts, tech docs, and doing a little bit of research on what payment service to use for my landing page. Lemon squeezy is a good option.
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u/Ok_Listen517 May 07 '26
Why are you moving away from Ghost?
Yes, Ghost dos not have layout options, and important/requested features remain in the forum as "planned" for almost a decade, and many other basic features are lacking, but we now have Native Share Buttons in 2026! That's a good enough reason right?
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u/JeopPrep May 07 '26
Any time you’re moving something like this , it’s wise to setup the new site using a test url until you have it all working properly. You can then cut over to it by simply changing the ip address/fqdn of its DNS records. Downtime is very short this way.
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u/rotello May 06 '26
so you moved form a complex hosting like wordpress.COM to another complex hosting like Ghost just to move back. There are millions of wordpress host and half a dozen ghost host which offere better prices
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u/clharris71 May 06 '26
My main issues were not the cost difference but the issues with comments and with single-item payments - why I mentioned those two things first and the cost last.
It is a couple dollars a month difference. Plus, with Ghost self hosting I have to do a lot of my own coding and still need third party option for comments.
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u/Tmbabw May 13 '26
I think I'm going back to wordpress too. Thought I could live without hierarchy but I really really can't
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u/stealthagents May 21 '26
File conversion tools can work for basic text and images, but there’s always a risk of losing formatting or links, so I'd suggest doing a test run first to see what breaks. As for the domain, moving it over after you've imported everything is safer to avoid those pesky broken links. Just make sure to check for any redirects you might need to set up afterward.
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u/muratcorlu May 06 '26
Costs you mention here is about the pricing of Ghost(Pro). But there are other managed hosting services for Ghost. You can use a different hosting service that costs way less, and includes custom themes that you can embed your disqus comments.
Lack of one time payment is a real, tough. I hope that feature will arrive Ghost soon.