2 posts tagged with "Tutorial"

WordPress powers 43% of the web. But it also brings:

• Monthly hosting costs
• Security updates
• Plugin bloat
• Slow page loads
• Database maintenance

Pycora Pro converts your WordPress site to static HTML — no database, no PHP, no monthly fees.

Here's how.

Why Migrate​

Step 1 — Export WordPress Content​

Option A: WordPress Export Tool​

1. Log in to WordPress admin
2. Go to Tools → Export
3. Select All content
4. Click Download Export File

You'll get an .xml file.

Option B: WP-CLI​

wp export --dir=./export

Step 2 — Convert to Markdown​

Use the wordpress-export-to-markdown tool:

npx wordpress-export-to-markdown

Follow the prompts. You'll get Markdown files in output/.

Step 3 — Organize Content​

Move posts to Pycora's content structure:

mkdir -p content/posts
mv output/posts/*.md content/posts/

Each file should look like:

---
title: "My WordPress Post"
date: 2024-01-20
tags: [wordpress, migration]
---

# My WordPress Post

Content here...

Step 4 — Convert Images​

Download WordPress images:

# From your WordPress uploads folder
wget -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=3 -R index.html https://yoursite.com/wp-content/uploads/

Move to Pycora:

mv uploads/* static/img/

Update image paths in Markdown:

![Old](https://yoursite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.jpg)
→
![Old](/img/2024/01/image.jpg)

Step 5 — Rebuild Permalinks​

WordPress URLs are usually:

/blog/2024/01/20/my-post/

Pycora Pro URLs are:

/posts/my-post/

To keep old URLs working, add redirects in static/_redirects:

/blog/*    /posts/:splat    301

Step 6 — Choose a Theme​

Pycora Pro ships with a bento design system. Pick a layout:

• Blog — for content sites
• Portfolio — for creative work
• Company profile — for businesses

Edit content/index.md and _data/site.yaml to match your brand.

Step 7 — Test Everything​

python ssg.py
python dev.py

Check:

• All posts render
• Images load
• Links work
• Tags are correct
• Feeds are generated

Step 8 — Deploy​

Push to GitHub, then connect to Cloudflare Pages:

git add .
git commit -m "migrated from WordPress"
git push

See our Cloudflare Pages guide for details.

Step 9 — Set Up Redirects​

To keep SEO, redirect old WordPress URLs to new Pycora URLs:

static/_redirects:

/wp-content/uploads/*    /img/:splat    301
/category/*              /tags/:splat   301
/feed/                   /feed.xml       301

Step 10 — Submit New Sitemap​

1. Generate sitemap.xml automatically
2. Submit to Google Search Console
3. Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools

What About WordPress Features?​

Cost Savings​

Pycora Pro saves you $295+ in the first year, $440+ every year after.

Get Pycora Pro​

Ready to ditch WordPress? Get Pycora Pro on Gumroad.

Next Steps​

• Introduction — what is Pycora Pro
• Deployment — deploy anywhere
• Content Creation — edit via CMS

Pycora Pro outputs pure static HTML. That means you can host it for free on Cloudflare Pages — unlimited bandwidth, automatic HTTPS, and continuous deployment from GitHub.

Here's the full walkthrough.

Prerequisites​

• Pycora Pro installed locally
• A GitHub account
• A Cloudflare account (free)

Step 1 — Push to GitHub​

If your project isn't on GitHub yet:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "initial commit"
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/pycora-site.git
git push -u origin main

Step 2 — Test the Build Locally​

Before deploying, make sure the build works:

python ssg.py

You should see:

Ready in 0.87s - 41 files - MEDUSA v2.4.6

The output/ folder now contains your static site.

Step 3 — Connect to Cloudflare Pages​

1. Go to pages.cloudflare.com
2. Click Create a project
3. Click Connect to Git
4. Authorize Cloudflare to access your GitHub account
5. Select your repository

Step 4 — Configure Build Settings​

Important: Cloudflare needs Python 3.8+ in the build environment. Cloudflare Pages has Python pre-installed.

Environment Variables (Optional)​

If your ssg.py needs any environment variables:

Step 5 — Deploy​

Click Save and Deploy.

Cloudflare will:

1. Clone your repository
2. Install Python dependencies
3. Run python ssg.py
4. Upload output/ to their CDN
5. Give you a URL like https://pycora-site.pages.dev

First deploy takes 1–2 minutes. Subsequent deploys are faster.

Step 6 — Add a Custom Domain​

1. Go to your project → Custom domains
2. Click Set up a custom domain
3. Enter your domain (e.g. pycora.axcora.com)
4. Follow the DNS instructions

If your domain is already on Cloudflare, DNS is configured automatically.

Step 7 — Automatic HTTPS​

Cloudflare provisions an SSL certificate automatically. No configuration needed.

Your site is now available at https://yourdomain.com with:

• ✅ Automatic HTTPS
• ✅ HTTP/3 support
• ✅ Global CDN
• ✅ Unlimited bandwidth
• ✅ DDoS protection

Continuous Deployment​

Every push to main triggers a new deploy:

git add .
git commit -m "update homepage"
git push

Cloudflare rebuilds and deploys automatically. You get a preview URL for every commit.

Troubleshooting​

Build fails with "python: not found"​

Add a .python-version file to your repo:

3.11

Or set PYTHON_VERSION in environment variables.

Build succeeds but pages are blank​

Check that content/index.md exists and has valid frontmatter. Run python ssg.py locally and check for errors.

404 on subpages​

Cloudflare Pages handles trailing slashes automatically. If you have issues, add a _redirects file:

/*    /index.html   200

Alternative Providers​

Cost Comparison​

Pycora Pro pays for itself in under 6 months.

Get Pycora Pro​

Ready to deploy? Get Pycora Pro on Gumroad — one payment, own forever.

Next Steps​

• Configuration
• Content Creation
• Customization