How to Convert WordPress to HTML: A Step-by-Step Guide

WordPress is the undisputed king of content management, powering a massive portion of the web with its flexibility and ease of use. But what if you could keep the convenience of WordPress for content creation while serving your visitors a website that’s faster, more secure, and cheaper to host? This isn’t a trick question. By converting your WordPress site to static HTML, you can achieve just that.

This process, often called “headless” or “decoupled” WordPress, transforms your dynamic, database-driven site into a collection of lightweight HTML files. The result is a lightning-fast user experience and a dramatic reduction in security vulnerabilities. This guide will explore exactly why you should consider this change and provide step-by-step instructions on how to convert your WordPress site to HTML using several proven methods.

Why Convert Your WordPress Site to HTML? The Big Three Benefits

Before we get into the “how,” let’s explore the “why.” A static site offers compelling advantages over a traditional dynamic one.

1. Blazing-Fast Speed
A standard WordPress site has to work hard for every page view. It queries the database, processes PHP files, and assembles the page on the fly. A static HTML site has already done all that work. The pages are pre-built and ready to be served instantly. This leads to dramatically lower load times, which keeps visitors happy and improves your search engine rankings.

2. Fortified Security
The dynamic nature of WordPress, with its plugins, themes, and database, creates multiple potential entry points for hackers. By converting your site to static HTML, you eliminate the database and server-side processing from your public-facing site. This removes common attack vectors like SQL injections and PHP vulnerabilities, making your site incredibly difficult to compromise.

3. Reduced Hosting Costs and Server Load
Static HTML files are simple and require very few server resources. You don’t need a powerful server with PHP and MySQL support. You can host your static site on affordable static hosting providers or even use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for pennies on the dollar. This also means your site can handle massive traffic spikes without slowing down or crashing.

Method 1: Using a Static Site Generator Plugin (The Easiest Way)

For most users, the most practical way to convert a WordPress site is by using a dedicated plugin. These tools handle the entire conversion process from within your WordPress dashboard. The most popular and effective plugin for this is Simply Static.

Simply Static is a powerful plugin that generates a complete HTML version of your WordPress site with the click of a button. It intelligently finds all your URLs and converts them, along with your assets (CSS, JavaScript, images), into a self-contained static site.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Simply Static:

1. Install and Activate the Plugin:
2. • From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New.
   • Search for “Simply Static.”
   • Install and activate the plugin. You can start with the free version, but the Pro version offers advanced features like build automation, form support, and direct deployment to services like a CDN.
2. Configure the Settings:
3. • Go to Simply Static > Settings.
   • General Tab: Set your “Destination URL.” If you plan to host the static site on the same domain, you can use a relative URL like / or an absolute URL like https://www.bedpage.com/.
   • Include/Exclude Tab: Here, you can specify any extra URLs that the plugin might miss during its crawl or exclude pages you don’t want in your static version.
   • Deployment Tab (Pro Feature): If you have the pro version, you can configure it to automatically deploy your static files to services like BunnyCDN, Netlify, or an FTP server.
3. Generate Your Static Site:
4. • Navigate to Simply Static > Generate.
   • Click the large blue “Generate Static Files” button.
   • The plugin will now crawl your entire website, page by page, and convert everything to static files. You can watch the progress in the activity log.
   • Once complete, you will see a success message.
4. Download and Deploy:
5. • You will be given a link to download your static files as a ZIP archive.
   • Download the file, unzip it, and upload the contents to your chosen static hosting provider. Your WordPress installation can remain on a private subdomain or a local server for content management.

Method 2: Manual Conversion (For the Tech-Savvy)

If you have a very simple site or enjoy a more hands-on approach, you can convert your site manually. This method is essentially saving each page of your live site one by one.

This is not recommended for larger sites, as it is extremely time-consuming and prone to errors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Manual Conversion:

1. Navigate to a Page: Open a page of your live WordPress site in your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox).
2. Save the Page: Right-click anywhere on the page and select “Save As…” or “Save Page As…”.
3. Choose “Web Page, Complete”: In the save dialog, ensure the format is set to “Web Page, Complete.” This will save the HTML file and a corresponding folder containing all the assets (images, CSS, JS) for that page.
4. Rename the File: Name the file appropriately, such as about.html or contact.html. Your homepage should be named index.html.
5. Repeat for Every Page: Repeat this process for every single page and post on your website.
6. Organize and Upload: Organize all the saved HTML files and asset folders into a clean directory structure and upload it to your web host. You will likely need to fix broken links and asset paths manually.

Method 3: Using a Web Crawler Tool like HTTrack

Another option is to use a website downloader or crawler tool like HTTrack. This free, open-source software crawls a live website and saves a complete offline copy of it to your local disk.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using HTTrack:

1. Download and Install: Download HTTrack from its official website and install it on your computer.
2. Start a New Project: Launch the application and create a new project. Give it a name and choose where you want to save the files.
3. Enter Your Website URL: In the “Action” step, select “Download web site(s).” In the “Web Addresses (URL)” box, enter the full URL of your WordPress website.
4. Set Options (Optional): You can configure advanced options, like setting crawl depth and exclusion rules, but the default settings often work well.
5. Start the Crawl: Begin the download process. HTTrack will mirror your entire site, following links and downloading all assets. This can take some time for larger sites.
6. Review and Upload: Once finished, you will have a complete static copy of your site in the project folder you designated. Review the files for any broken links and then upload them to your hosting provider.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Converting to static isn’t without its challenges. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

• Dynamic Content (Forms, Comments, Search): Static sites can’t process PHP.
• • Solution: For forms, use a third-party service like Tally, Jotform, or a static-friendly plugin like Simply Static which integrates with popular form plugins. For comments, use a JavaScript-based system like Disqus or Commento. For search, use a service like Algolia.
• Broken Links and Asset Paths: The conversion process can sometimes miss files or create incorrect links.
• • Solution: After generating your static site, use a broken link checker tool to crawl it before deploying. Manually fix any issues you find.
• Forgetting to Re-generate: Your static site will not update automatically when you change content in WordPress.
• • Solution: You must re-run the static generator and re-deploy the files every time you publish a new post or edit a page. Pro plugins can automate this with webhooks.

Maintaining Your New Static Website

Your workflow will change after going static. Your WordPress site becomes your private Content Management System (CMS), while the static HTML files are what the public sees.

1. Keep WordPress Secure: Your WordPress installation, whether hosted on a subdomain or a local machine, should still be kept secure. Keep plugins and themes updated.
2. Establish a Publishing Process: Create a clear process for making updates. For example: Write post in WordPress -> Click “Publish” -> Run the static generator -> Deploy the new files.
3. Automate Deployment: Look into automating the deployment step. Services like Netlify or Vercel can pull from a GitHub repository, so you can set up a system where pushing your static files to GitHub automatically updates the live site.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Will I lose my SEO when I convert to HTML?
A: No, in fact, it can improve it. As long as your URL structure remains the same, you will keep all your SEO value. The significant speed improvements of a static site are a major positive ranking factor for Google.

Q: Can I still use my favorite WordPress plugins?
A: Yes and no. You can continue to use any plugins that affect the content creation process within the WordPress dashboard. However, plugins that rely on server-side processing for the front-end (like many e-commerce or membership plugins) will not work on the static version.

Q: Is converting to static HTML right for every website?
A: No. It’s ideal for blogs, portfolios, marketing sites, and brochure-style business sites where content doesn’t change every second. It is not suitable for highly dynamic sites like social networks, forums, or large e-commerce stores that require real-time database interaction.

Q: What’s the best hosting for a static HTML site?
A: You have many excellent, low-cost options. Consider services like Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, or a simple cloud storage service like Amazon S3 or BunnyCDN. These are designed specifically for serving static files at scale.